No permission for take-away

No permission for take-away

Claire Egan

THE well-known Mayo restaurant chain Danolla’s has been refused planning permission for a pizza restaurant and take-away in Ballinrobe on the grounds that such a business would depreciate the value of buildings in the vicinity and adversely affect the development of the area.
Plans were submitted to Mayo County Council for a pizza restaurant and take-away at Abbey Street, Friarsquarter West, Ballinrobe. The area is zoned for commercial use. The application was refused last week by Mayo County Council, however.
In refusing the application, the Council stated that ‘where residential properties exist and where the proposed restaurant and take-away is adjacent to a public house, it is considered that the development for a proposed restaurant and take-away with opening hours until midnight would seriously injure the amenities and depreciate the value of the properties in the vicinity’.
The refusal added that the ‘area would be affected by general disturbance, potential nuisance by means of litter and loitering and therefore would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area’.
However,  Mr Liam O’Connell, proprietor of the Danolla’s chain, whose restaurants in Castlebar and Westport employ over 30 people, hit back strongly at Mayo County Council, saying that his restaurants had developed an excellent reputation and complied with all town by-laws. He added that it was their intention to operate the restaurant inside ‘reasonable hours’.
“We are extremely disappointed with Mayo County Council for refusing planning permission for a pizza restaurant and take-away in Ballinrobe. We operate two restaurants in Castlebar and Westport of a similar nature and have a good reputation for food and a hassle-free business. We made every effort to comply with the conditions of Mayo County Council. The site is zoned for commercial use and there is a very large car park opposite the building. There were no local objections and the shop would have employed up to 20 local people,” said Mr O’Connell.
“We will now have to go back to the drawing board and see what options are open to us,” he concluded.
This latest decision by Mayo County Council comes on foot of a successful application for an Italian restaurant at Bowgate Street, Ballinrobe. The project was granted permission on the grounds that it did not operate a take-away service, following strenuous objections by local residents against such a facility.