PLANNING APPLICATION
NUMBER 114385
Westpoint Leisure Centre,
Link Road,
Carrigrohane,
Ballincollig.
Removal of existing enclosed fire escape stairs on south facing elevation, granted under permission 08/5668, and construction of single storey ground floor extensions and carry out internal renovations and alterations to provide a ‘Drive Thru’ Restaurant and take-away facility to be operated in conjunction with the existing Leisure Facility. Ancillary site works include parking modifications and traffic calming measures
This planning application should be refused for the following reasons:
1. PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF THE HIGHLY RESIDENTIAL AREA OF THE CLOISTERS SHOULD BE RESPECTED
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS ADJACENT TO THE CLOISTERS HOUSING ESTATE, A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE STATUS OF THIS QUIET, RELATIVELY SAFE NEIGHBOURHOOD WILL BE UTTERLY CHANGED WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A DRIVE THRU’ RESTAURANT AT SUPERNOVA.
2. NOISE POLLUTION
NOISE (AN UNWANTED SOUND) WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF A DRIVE THRU’ RESTAURANT AT SUPERNOVA. NOISE IS A STRESSOR; HOMES SHOULD BE A PLACE FOR REST AND RECUPERATION, NOT A POINT OF STRESS, AND INSIDIOUS NOISE AT NIGHT IN PARTICULAR. ONGOING REPETITIVE SLEEP LOSSES ARE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY EXPOSED PERSON, EITHER RESULTING IN ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OR ONE’S HOME LIFE, OR IN TERMS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY ON THE ROAD.
ALREADY ALL YEAR ROUND THE NOISE FROM SUPERNOVA AFFECTS RESIDENTS IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES. WHEREAS A FEW YEARS BACK THERE WAS A QUIET NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ADJACENT TO THE SMALL WETLAND WHICH IS A HOME TO NUMEROUS BIRDS, FROGS AND OTHER WILDLIFE, A GOOD LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AND ENJOY, ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO A BUSY ‘VILLAGE’.
THERE IS ALSO NOISE (SHOUTING OF A MINIMUM OF TWO TEAMS OF SPORTS PLAYERS) UNTIL AROUND 10PM EACH NIGHT, WHICH KEEPS CHILDREN AWAKE; THE CHILDREN’S NORMAL TIME FOR SLEEP IS 8.30PM BUT BECAUSE OF THE DISTURBANCE SLEEP TAKES PLACE AFTER TEN PM. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SATISFACTORY. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THE WEATHER IS SOMEWHAT WARMER, A LOT OF NOISE EMANATES FROM SUPERNOVA; RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED STAFF ON SOMETIMES A DAILY BASIS TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS, AS AGAIN IT IS A DISTURBANCE AT NIGHT TIME, AS WELL AS INSIDIOUS THROUGH THE DAY, IN PARTICULAR AT TIMES OF REST FOR FAMILIES AND WORKERS IN THE CLOISTERS. RESIDENTS HAVE POLITELY PUT UP WITH THIS.
THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF NOISE AT OTHER TIMES IN THE YEAR WHEN THE CENTRE IS USED BY A RELIGIOUS GROUP. THIS HAS OCCURRED (CIRCA 7AM) ON SATURDAY MORNING, ON DAYS OFF (CHILDREN AND ADULTS), AND AS A RESULT LITTLE OR NO RECUPERATION WAS ENJOYED AFTER THAT WORKING WEEK.
THERE WILL BE INCREASED NOISE ALSO WITH DELIVERY TRUCKS.
3. INCREASED SECURITY
WITH THE INCREASE IN ROBBERIES THROUGH THE COUNTRY, AND BALLINCOLLIG HAS BEEN HIT BY NUMEROUS ONES, AS WELL AS THE CLOISTERS ITSELF, THIS AREA WILL NOW BE EXPOSED TO MORE VISITORS WHO CAN FURTHER EXAMINE THE MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE IN THE CLOISTERS. THE HOUSING ESTATE WILL NO LONGER BE AS SAFE A PLACE AS IT WAS. AS IT IS, RESIDENT HAVE TO RING THE GARDA STATION ON A REGULAR BASIS TO DEAL WITH TROUBLEMAKERS BOTH IN VEHICLES AND WITHOUT.
4. TRAFFIC.
INSUFFICIENT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLANS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN THE BALLINCOLLIG AREA AND FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT. FURTHER TRAFFIC CONGESTION WILL BE THE RESULT.
THE ROAD SYSTEM AT THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS NOT SUITABLE TO CATER FOR A DRIVE THRU’ RESTAURANT. NO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY SUPERNOVA. THE TRAFFIC IMPLICATIONS ALONE WOULD MAKE IT AN INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT, RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ON THE LINK ROAD/LEO MURPHY ROAD, WITH CONSEQUENT KNOCK-ON EFFECTS TO THE TRAFFIC IN BALLINCOLLIG AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS.
SUPERNOVA IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEREFORE IT WILL CAUSE MORE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, ADD TO UNSAFE ACCESS AND EGRESS ONTO THE LINK ROAD/LEO MURPHY ROAD, WHICH IS ALREADY DANGEROUS AND OVER CONGESTED. IF THE DRIVE THRU WAS ALLOWED THERE WOULD BE A COMPLETE GRIDLOCK, WHICH HAPPENS FREQUENTLY ENOUGH IN BALLINCOLLIG ALREADY AND IS A DETRACTION FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT THE ‘VILLAGE’ OF BALLINCOLLIG.
THIS PROPOSAL WILL MAKE THE LINK ROAD HAZARDOUS FOR CURRENT RESIDENTS, WALKERS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN, WHO USE THIS ROAD THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SUPERNOVA IS ALREADY LOCATED ON A ROAD WITH A BUSY AND DANGEROUS JUNCTION AT EACH END AND ALSO A NUMBER OF DANGEROUS ACCESSES IN BETWEEN IE. TO THE CLOISTERS HOUSING ESTATE WHICH HAS A BUSY SHOP AT ITS ENTRANCE, AND THE ENTRANCES TO A NUMBER OF SMALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATES. IRELAND IS AIMING TO INTRODUCE MORE WALKING THAN DRIVING AND THIS EXTRA TRAFFIC WOULD BE CONTRARY TO THE POPULAR AIMS.
ON OCCASIONS, WHEN THE RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS TAKE PLACE, CARS ARE LEFT ABANDONED ALL OVER THE LINK ROAD, AND IN THE CLOISTERS HOUSING ESTATE WITH NO THOUGHTS OF ANY OTHER ROAD USERS, AND THE CONDITIONS ON THESE PARTICULAR DAYS ARE HAZARDOUS; NO ONE MANAGED THE ENORMOUS TRAFFIC.
SUPERNOVA IS ALREADY VERY BUSY WITH PARKING PLACES OFTEN FULL. THEREFORE WITH SPACE BEING USED FOR THE EXTENSION, LESS PARKING BAYS WILL BE AVAILABLE. ANY INCREASE IN THE DEMAND FOR PARKING IS NOT SUSTAINABLE, WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A DRIVE THRU’ RESTAURANT, AND WILL DISPLAY INADEQUATE PARKING. PARKING WILL SPILL ONTO THE LINK ROAD/LEO MURPHY ROAD, AND INTO THE CLOISTERS HOUSING ESTATE, AS HAS OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY.
5. THE WETLAND
THE ENVIRONMENT ADJACENT TO THE SMALL WETLAND WHICH IS A HOME TO NUMEROUS BIRDS, FROGS AND OTHER WILDLIFE, WILL SUFFER. THIS IS A UNIQUE AMENITY WITHIN AN URBAN AREA.
6. HEALTHY SOCIETY/LOWER COST TO SOCIETY AND THE TAX PAYER.
IN ADDITION TO THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, THERE ARE REAL CONCERNS FOR THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN THE AREA, THE SITE IS LOCATED NEAR COLAISTE CHOILM WITH 1200 STUDENTS, AND IS ALSO CLOSE TO THE MAIN STREET AT THE EDGE OF THE ‘VILLAGE’.
ANOTHER POINT TO BE BORN IN MIND IS THAT IRELAND IS TRYING TO TACKLE THE OBESITY/DIABETES AND OTHER MODERN FAST FOOD RELATED CONDITIONS WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES ARE CONSIDERING INTRODUCING FAST-FOOD-FREE ZONES AROUND SCHOOLS TO TACKLE THESE GROWING MODERN AILMENTS. HENCE SUCH A BUSINESS SHOULD NOT BE LOCATED NEAR THE SCHOOL. HEALTHY EATING OPTIONS ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO MOST IRISH SCHOOLS TODAY. MOST SCHOOLS IN BALLINCOLLIG HAVE HAD LESSONS IN HEALTHY EATING FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THESE EFFORTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SERIOUSLY.
BALLINCOLLIG SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO INTRODUCE NON-FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS AS AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO DINE IN THE ‘VILLAGE’ THERE IS ALREADY A SURPLUS OF FAST FOOD OUTLETS. IT IS ON THE EDGE OF THE SETTLEMENT OF BALLINCOLLIG. THERE IS NO DEMAND FOR ANOTHER SUCH OUTLET. SUPERNOVA WAS ADVERTISED AS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN CAN GET HEALTHY FOOD. THIS IS NEVER TRUE.
7. REFUSE AND LITTER
THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL INCREASE LITTER AND REFUSE DISPOSAL, IT WILL DETRACT FROM THE GOOD IMAGE WHICH BALLINCOLLIG HAS ACHIEVED THROUGH ITS SIGNIFICANT STATUS IN TIDY TOWNS.
