Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell, has said that the additional information sought by Fingal County Council in relation to the proposed development on the Tin Church site in Portmarnock seeks to deal with some of the main issues relating to the development, but still does not adequately address the concerns of local residents.
“In their request for additional information regarding the proposed supermarket development on the Tin Church site, Fingal County Council have stated that the ‘calculation of floor area and quantum of parking required are not in accordance with development plan standards and the calculations of the Planning Authority’. I have previously said, as local residents have maintained, that should such a development be given the green-light, the parking provision would prove wholly inadequate and would leave residents unable to find a place to park on the streets in the surrounding area.
“Furthermore, Fingal County Council have requested that the applicant provide information on the proposed time slots at which daily and weekly deliveries would be made. While it is good to see that the planning department are acknowledging that delivery vehicles would have an impact on those living in the local area, I am concerned that, should planning be granted, there is simply no way to ensure the supermarket would adhere to these delivery slots. This would be unacceptable, particularly in terms of the adverse impact it would have on residents in St. Anne’s Square, Portmarnock village as a whole, and on the road network surrounding the site.
“I remain of the opinion that the sheer size of the proposed development alone makes it unsuitable for the site, and I believe that a more appropriate use for the site could be found, which would have less of an impact on residents and would be more in keeping with the character of Portmarnock village. While I understand the applicant has been requested to re-examine the proposed finish of the building, I do not believe that the exterior appearance of this development alone would address this concern.”