BREAKING: Appeal lodged against controversial proposed McDonald's site in Tipperary

An appeal has been lodged to An Bord Pleanála regarding the opening of a McDonald's restaurant and drive-thru in Thurles.

Earlier this year, An Bord Pleanála approved the application made by the American fast-food giant for the opening of a restaurant on a site on Slievenamon Road in the town, adjacent to Lidl, and parallel to what is due to become the new relief road.

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The decision was confirmed on Monday, April 14, on a conditional basis, with one of the conditions being that the facility can only operate between the hours of 6am and 10pm.

Among the other requirements set by the Council are measures to control light pollution, including limitations on external lighting to minimize light spills beyond the site’s perimeter.

Additionally, all electrical cabling must be installed underground.

Other stipulations involve guidelines for signage, surface water drainage, ventilation systems, fencing design, noise control, and protection of nearby trees along the River Walk during construction.

The objection to the development was lodged by Catherine Fogarty, who outlined the details behind her complaint.

She said: "It is not a suitable site for the proposed development in my opinion and I ask that you examine the site suitability to be used for the proposed purpose. The negatives for the community and environment are many and the development could go ahead elsewhere that is more suitable giving a win win evan at this late stage."

Ms Fogarty outlined that some of the concerns regarding the proposed development are environmental, stating: "The council found that some of the works complained about were 'unauthorised development' but that it would not take enforcement action as to do so could impact the River Suir Special Area of Conservation as regards the infill of the large green space. No reason for the delay in responding to requests for a decision on complaint were provided. It speaks to how the council fails to proavtively protect the environment."

Another issue raised in her objection was traffic congestion, with Ms Fogarty saying: "Local residents that I know for over a decade are concerned about the impact of a Driv Thru restaurant in terms of traffic congestion, noise and light pollution, discharges regarding cooling and heating systems, waste water, emissions and vehicles. There may be anti-social behaviour or littering - the reality is the proposed development seeks to bring a very intensive use to this space for 24 hours every day. The permission granted reduces this to 6am to 10pm and imposes conditions on lighting for the reason of protecting 'residential amenity'. Surely 'residential amenity' is undermined by having a 16 hour Driv Thru operation?"

Also on the matter of traffic congestion, she said: "The capacity of the site concerns me - traffic congestion may increase and traffic queues may lessen the benefits offered by the Thurles Inner Relief Road which is yet to be approved for final design and construction."

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Ms Fogarty's sentiments echoed many of those made by locals in their formal complaints issued to An Bord Pleanála earlier this year.

On traffic congestion, one individual saying: “As outlined in the impact statement my residence falls within the inner circle and will be greatly affected by the residual noise from not only the building of the structure but also the increased volume of traffic that will frequent the premises. As I have two small children I believe that this will affect them. Trucks will use the access across Clongour and will no doubt cause issues and increase the noise level. The safety of our children is our greatest concern.”

Anti-social behaviour was another issue raised in the complaints, with one person saying: “The proposed development also has the potential to draw anti-social behaviour to the area particularly late at night when pubs and night clubs close. It should be noted that similar drive-thrus located in Cashel, Fermoy and Roscrea are based away from residential areas.”

Many who lodged a complaint took issue with another take-away restaurant joining the town, with both health concerns and over-concentration of take-away establishments being cited as concerns for their complaints.

One individual said: “The Town of Thurles is already serviced by the following Take Away / Fast Food outlets: Liberty Square/Slievenamon Road: 3 Fast Food outlets (Supermacs, Mona Lisa, Roma Pizzeria, 1 Apache take away, 1 Indian Take Away Friar Street/Baker Street: 2 Pizza Take Away, 1 Kebabish Take Away, 1 Chinese Restaurant/Take Away, 1 Indian Take Away. Parnell Street: 1 Thai Restaurant/Take Away, 1 Chinese Take Away Cathedral Street: 1 Fast Food Take Away, 1 Chinese Take Away Kickham Street: 1 Fast Food Take Away. Slievenamon Road: 1 Indian Restaurant/Take Away.

“To allow a further Fast Food Restaurant with Drive Thru and with Take Away would surely represent bad planning and policy by Tipperary County Council attention from Gardaí stationed at Thurles Garda Station on Slievenamon Road.”

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Many also took issue with the location of the proposed restaurant, given the area of the town in which construction is due to take place is a largely residential area.

One individual said: “The proposed development is located with established residential areas to the west and south of the site, which were built in the 1950’s and 60’s. While we are not against development in this area, overall the proposed development of a 24/7 drive-thru restaurant in this site is inappropriate.

“The proposed development is also in contrast to the Thurles & Environs Local Area Plan
2024 – 2030 which identifies Slievenamon Road as part of the ‘Primary Retail Area’ and
notes that the Tipperary County Council’s policy is to ‘resist the proliferation of
takeaways … within the Primary Retail Area’.”

Traffic congestion was also a major cause for concern among those lodging complaints, with one individual saying: “This development will generate significantly increased traffic, particularly along the already busy N62 Slievenamon Road, leading to increased congestion at peak hours, especially during school and work commute times. The area already experiences traffic build-up, and the addition of drive-thru customers queuing will exacerbate existing delays. Safety risks to pedestrians and cyclists, particularly those using the riverside walk and nearby footpaths. The increased number of vehicles turning into and exiting the drive-thru poses a direct risk to pedestrians attempting to cross at this location. Greater risk of accidents at the nearby Lidl junction and the relief road intersection, as vehicles attempting to enter or exit the McDonald’s site could cause bottlenecks or sudden stops, increasing collision risks. Concerns over emergency vehicle access, as increased congestion may make it more difficult for ambulances, fire trucks, or Garda vehicles to navigate through the area efficiently. Traffic assessment uses UK-based data (TRICS) rather than local Irish traffic counts, making it unreliable for Thurles-specific conditions. The peak hour figures indicate 190 additional car trips per hour, exacerbating congestion and pollution. No clear contingency plan for queuing vehicles spilling onto the main road, which is a common issue at other McDonald’s locations.”