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THE OWNER OF the Applegreen brand is leading the charge against plans by Supermac’s supremo, Pat McDonagh to put build a €10 million Barack Obama Plaza-style motorway stop serving the Limerick to Galway motorway.
This follows the owner of the network of Applegreen service stations, Petrogas Group Ltd lodging a strident objection against the McDonagh plan which is bidding to locate a motorway service area just off the motorway at Skehanagh outside Ennis on the M18.
However, the plan has strong local support with 187 individuals lodging submissions with Clare Co Council voicing their support of the plan.
Currently, there is no motorway plaza on the motorway linking Limerick to Galway and Mr McDonagh has been unsuccessful over the past four years in getting the green light for the project.
As part of the proposal, Supermacs is planning to create 100 jobs during the operation phase and up to 80 jobs during the construction phase.
In its objection to Mr McDonagh’s fresh plan, consultants for Petrogas claim that the proposal is contrary to national policy for motorway service stops and is premature pending the concurrent proposed intention of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to develop an online motorway service area on the M18.
Petrogas also claim that the proposal is excessive for its rural location and would have a visual impact on the M18 and also have a negative impact on existing retail in Ennis town.
The plan is also facing local opposition with a number of prominent Ennis businesses including the Old Ground hotel, the Temple Gate Hotel, Hotel Woodstock and a number of service stations coming together to lodge a joint objection.
The objectors state that the provision of the extensive food offer, travel, tourist and information centre with ample car parking and coach parking will significantly detract from Ennis Town Centre.
The objectors also claim that the proposal will act as a counter attraction to Ennis and the nearby village of Clarecastle and will have a detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of those centres.
The objectors also state that the scale of the proposal is excessive in comparison to other motorway service areas permitted nationwide.
Also, the individual to bring the last application before An Bord Pleanala to conclusion after the Council gave the plan the go-ahead, Shane Brigdale has also lodged a fresh objection against the new plan.
In the objection, a consultant on behalf of Mr Brigdale claims that the plan will take business away from Ennis and its established environs; will sterilise a significant strategic land-bank west of the M18 and will hinder and compromise stated national, regional and local policy.
Supermac’s already has plazas in place at Moneygall in Co Offaly and another plaza near the M6 at Loughrea in Co Galway.
The Ennis plan will be seeking to repeat the success of the Barack Obama plaza at Moneygall.
Mr McDonagh first lodged plans at the site in 2014 and this was subsequently granted by Clare Co Council only to be turned down in 2016 by An Bord Pleanala.
The appeals board refused planning on three grounds and found that the proposed development, by reason of its design would not integrate satisfactorily with the rural and predominantly flat landscape in the hinterland of Ennis.
Previously, motorway service operator, Applegreen has been refused planning permission by Clare Co Council and An Bord Pleanala for its own motorway plaza near Dromoland Castle after the five star hotel objected to the plan.
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well done government for not wasting money on make up
People are always on about the optics of politics, perhaps since the gov look like old hags without their makeup that we just perceive them to be doing a crap job, perhaps if Enda had loads of slap on then we would be in love with him, oh the optics of politics.
In all serious fair play to them on this one.
I’m sure the people lying on hospital trollys will be ”happy” to hear this.
Wait till the gender quota kicks in and all the female TDs fill up their make up bags with Top notch gear!!
Ryan, I think you’ll find that Bertie was the highest spenders on make up! I think he’s called a man amongst many other things. ;)
Well said…. I wonder how much Cowen spent on make up?? There’s only so much it can do!!
Niall Collins the eejit. So a FF TD puts a request for information that only serves to show what a shower of thieving goms his party were in Govt. The poor bugger has grown up with FF antics all his life, that he thinks a man using 500 euro of make up a week is ok, as long as it is paid for by the taxpayer. Sure he had no chance in life.
Niall Collins is such a fool. What a stupid question to ask. I bet he spends €50 a week. That guy really fancies himself. Watch him next time he’s on a programme on telly at how he leers down the camera when he’s being introduced. He puts a new spin on “the way he might look at ya.” Seriously Creepy!
Maybe it’s “because he’s worth it”. Nah, maybe not. ;)
Enda is not wear ing make up …. bcos the IMF told him he don’t need it ….. When he is bending down back words from them …. As the saying goes you don’t look at the ornaments on the mantel peace when you are poking the fire…
Another slap in the face to FFailure… They obviously asked the question, on the understanding that the current government were continuing the Make-Up policy that FF loved so much… Not often i agree with the Government, and i applaud them for nto doing the FF Dog on it. I hope they can also get a grip on the photographer costs this year, seeing as how they made a mess of it last year…. How much did FFg/Labour spend on photographs last year?
Let’s not get carried away slapping them on the back. How about dealing with a story about what they are still claiming for like the unvouched dry cleaning allowance of 70 euros every week .€ 3500 a year without even having to produce a receipt.
Not to blow our own trumpet, but our reporting is part of the reason you know about those…
http://www.thejournal.ie/ministers-can-claim-e3500-tax-refund-for-laundry-expenses-287477-Nov2011/
http://www.thejournal.ie/this-is-how-much-your-td-claimed-in-expenses-in-2011-344683-Feb2012/
Well Done Journal .
In all fairness not much wrong with a politician spending money on keeping his or hers suit clean a well pressed!!
Sir Brian
I would expect nothing less than a minister to be clean and presentable at all times BUT at his/her own expense !
Yeah great. Now let’s tackle those bloated expenses.
eejit Collins
The previous comment took a while to load so I put eejit in one, to see if it was triggering a swear filter.
I’d love to know where the 50 went and who spent it, just for the laugh :)
FF need make up now more than ever because they have faces like well slapped asses
The department of finance has a makeup bill and declined to respond to queries about it. When questioned these departments should by law have to disclose all receipts and any other relevant information in fact they should be online so anyone can look and see the transparency
I’d say the €50 were spent on Enda getting his hair & nails done … For The Queens Visit
You can tell Harneys not in the Dail anymore! Probably off in Florida spending her fat.. pension getting a pedicure courtesy of the Irish tax payer of course! Because she’s worth it!
I wouldn’t get up on her to get over a wall :-)
I don’t understand. Politicians are traditionally very attractive people. They surely don’t need makeup.
Shoulda gone to specsavers there pal!
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