Applegreen has secured planning permission to construct a service area and an Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging hub off the M3 motorway in Co Meath.
Meath County Council has granted planning permission to Applegreen for the scheme to comprise 36 EV charging stations, fuel pumps, a shop, two food outlets including a drive-thru with seating for 166 customers on a site near Junction 6 on the M3 motorway, 1km from Dunshaughlin town centre, Co Meath, despite an objection from rival operator, Circle K.
In the decision, the Council has attached 26 conditions to the grant of planning permission.
The decision will result in Applegreen owner, Petrogas Group, adding to the 194 Applegreen service areas it operates nationally, including nine Motorway Service Areas (MSAs).
The Council granted planning permission to Petrogas after its planning consultant in the case Declan Brassil + Co told the Council that the "due to its limited scale and offering, and its location remote from the town centre, the proposed development will not undermine the retailing role and function of Dunshaughlin".
Mr Brassil pointed out that service area policy is that a service area should be provided on the M3 between Junction 4 and 7 or Dublin and Kells.
He told the Council that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) commenced consultation in respect of an M3 service area but there has been no progress since August 2017, which has left the M3 without necessary services.
Applegreen was previously refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for a MSA at the location and Mr Brassil said that the new scheme is reduced and the reasons for refusal for the previous application have been addressed in the new plan.
However, planning consultants for Circle K, Coakley O'Neill Town Planning, argued that the application should have been refused.
Circle K now has the option of appealing the Council decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Circle K today operates 410 service station sites across the island including one at Ballymurphy, Dunshaughlin.
Dave Coakley told the council that the zoning of the Applegreen site was advanced by members of Meath Co Council following a submission by Applegreen.
Mr Coakley said that the zoning was strongly opposed by the CEO of Meath Co Council, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The consultant claimed that even a cursory review of the site demonstrated how incongruous and inconsistent the site is for a motorway service area.
He contended that the scheme constitutes a MSA in an area that has not been designated for a development of that nature.
Mr Coakley argued that submitting a slightly modified proposal to the one that was refused does not address the reasons for refusal in a substantial way.
He said that "while no mention is made of future expansion, it is evident to us that the proposal will become a destination in its own right and be of a substantial size and nature so as it undermines the vitality of the town centre."
Mr Coakley stated that on this basis, it is submitted that the proposed development would seriously impact the vitality and vibrancy of Dunshaughlin town centre.
- reporting Gordon Deegan
