An Bord Pleanála's decision to refuse permission for a shopping centre outside Donegal town could set a precedent for other out-of-town centres planned by Tesco Ireland for Tullamore and Carrick-on-Shannon.
Donegal County Council had approved plans for a supermarket, retail warehouse, three-screen cinema, 100-bedroom hotel, 40 apartments, nursing home, health centre, swimming pool, courthouse and Garda station.
Ruling on an appeal by An Taisce and RGDATA, which represents smaller retailers, An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development would endanger public safety by creating traffic hazards on the N56 Donegal-Killybegs road.
The second reason given for refusal was that the scheme would constitute a directly competing retailing and commercial centre nearly a mile from the heart of the town, undermining its established retail outlets, facilities and even its viability.
The board said this would conflict with the county council's own policy to ensure that new commercial and retail developments strengthened the existing town centre and it would also conflict with the Retail Planning Guidelines.
This ruling was in line with the board's planning inspector's report, which warned that the proposed development at Revlin "would be a magnet for the relocation of existing facilities and functions already provided for in the town centre".
The inspector, Mr Kevin Moore, said it would result in the loss of some of the town's most important civic facilities, such as the courthouse and Garda station, both of which are currently located in the town centre adjoining the Diamond.
He concluded that it would be a car-orientated, one-stop shopping centre, with patrons "coming for the weekly shop" together with a visit to the swimming pool and/or cinema. People would, therefore, tend to avoid the town centre.
He said the Retail Planning Guidelines specify that out-of-town sites should be considered only where it can be demonstrated that there are no suitable in-town or edge-of-town sites available to accommodate retail development.
Mr Moore also said the shopping centre would generate heavy traffic on the N56, in an area covered by the maximum speed limit of 60 m.p.h.; this would create a traffic hazard as well as disrupting the route to Killybegs port.
An Bord Pleanála is due to issue decisions within the next month on two further out-of-town shopping schemes - one for a site on the eastern edge of Tullamore, Co Offaly, and the other outside Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.
Tesco Ireland is involved in both schemes. In the case of Tullamore, it would involve relocating an existing outlet in the town centre to a site on the bypass owned by Arkencourt Ltd, a company controlled by Cllr John Flanagan (FF).
The site selected for the proposed supermarket-based development in Carrick-on-Shannon is located a half-mile from the town centre on its future bypass. In both cases, RGDATA is appealing against local decisions to approve the schemes.
