Dog walking trail plans for major Tipperary petrol station
There are plans for four EV HGV parking spaces, and 95 more car parking spaces
Planning permission is being sought for significant development at the Applegreen Service Station at Birdhill, including the development of a dog walking trail and the addition for almost 100 more parking spaces for cars.
The development, should it go ahead, will expand the area by another hectare to take up 3.5 hectares in total.
At the moment, there is parking for 117 cars, and it is proposed to almost double this to 212.
The number of parking spaces for HGVs will be reduced from 15 to 10, however four new EV HGV parking spaces will be added.
There will be one more bus parking space added to bring the total number to four.
The plans include provision for three new pump stations as well, and the HGV and bus parking area is to include a new walking trail, where dogs will be allowed too.
Planning consultants for Applegreen point out that because of the sloping nature of the landscape the visual impact of the parking will be mitigated, and that trees and hedgerows that are already there will also screen the views from the road.
The consultants also make the point that none of these additions are designed to, or intended to, take business away from towns and instead to serve motorists who are on long trips, and not those who take “short, local trips, a class of traffic that is inconsistent with the primary intended role for motorways”.
The case is also made that areas that allow drivers to park up, can reduce the number of fatigue-related accidents on the roads.
A decision is due by early October.