Core Refusal Reason
The proposed retention was refused primarily due to substandard road access and alignment which poses a significant traffic hazard, the potential for adverse impacts on protected European sites that could not be screened out, and the development's inconsistency with the industrial land-use zoning objectives for the area.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The access road (Station Road/Pound Road) is substandard in width and alignment to accommodate HGV traffic safely, creating a traffic hazard and endangering pedestrian safety.
- The applicant failed to provide sufficient information regarding surface water management and ecological impacts, meaning significant effects on the Coole Garryland SPA and SAC cannot be ruled out.
- The use of the site as a standalone trailer storage facility represents an inefficient and unsustainable use of industrially zoned serviced land and contravenes local zoning objective LU3.
Cited Policies (CDP)
LU3 (Gort Local Area Plan 2013-2023)Objective ED2 (Gort Local Area Plan 2013-2023)Objective ED5 (Gort Local Area Plan 2013-2023)Objective DS6 (Galway County Development Plan 2015-2021)WW 7 Sustainable Drainage Systems (Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028)WW 8 Storm Water Infrastructure (Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028)DM standard 19: Industrial/Commercial/Enterprise (Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028)DMURS (2013)The Planning System and Flood Risk Management (2009)
Decision Document Summary
The application relates to the retention of a storage yard, security fencing, a welfare building, and the use of HGV trailers for storing floor tiles on a 0.619-hectare site at Lavally, Gort, Co. Galway. The site is surfaced with hardcore and is situated on land zoned for industrial use. The Planning Authority's refusal was based on five grounds, including traffic safety, lack of pedestrian infrastructure, and environmental deficiencies. The Inspector's assessment confirmed that the entrance roa...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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