Kerry County Council has refused planning permission for the renovation of a vacant petrol station in Tralee.
Lissan Coal Company Ireland Ltd had applied for retention permission for works already undertaken at the former filling station at the entrance to the Horan’s Centre.
The company also applied for planning to renovate the filling station and turn it into a 24-hour, pay-at-the-pump station.
The company had already begun work at the station last year, but the council served a warning letter and enforcement notice claiming the development was unauthorised.
Lissan Coal Company Ireland then applied for retention permission for these works, which include the removal of a steel shed structure near Austin Stack Park, excavation and clearing of the site for underground fuel tanks, and provision of two underground 60,000-litre fuel tanks for its new proposed station.
It also applied for planning to create a 24-hour pay-at-the-pump station.
Kerry County Council has now refused permission for seven reasons.
The council said the development would not comply with its regeneration plans for the area, which include the creation of a new civic space, as per the Kerry County Development Plan.
It also reasoned that the proposed signage would seriously injure the amenities of the area, while the council added that due to a lack of flood risk assessment, it could not rule out an increased risk of flooding in the area, which has flooded before.
Kerry County Council also wrote that the company had not provided the required technical details about the condition of the old and new fuel storage tanks, while it would endanger public safety because of its proximity to, and treatment of, the pedestrian crossing.
