Tesco wants to double car park in cavan town

Tesco has applied to nearly double the size of their car park for their planned Cavan Town superstore.

A decision from the property department of Cavan County Council is due in two weeks on whether or not to allow permission on 235 extra spaces at a site on the Cock Hill area of the town.
Permission is sought “for development on a site (1.595 ha), a portion of an overall site measuring c3.86 ha in Cavan Town, located in the townlands of Townparks and Tullymongan Lower to the east of Main Street”.
The site is bounded to the north by St Clare’s National School, to the south by a residential development, to the east by the Cavan Town Eastern Access Road/realigned Cock Hill Road and to the west by the Main Street backlands.
The development relates to the conditional permission granted in January of 2013 by An Bord Pleanála for Tesco to develop 8,239 square-metres, which included 250 car parking spaces at the Cock Hill site.
The planning appeals board granted permission with conditions that went against their inspector’s report recommendation. “The total convenience goods net retail sales area of the supermarket shall not exceed 3,000 square metres. Reason: To comply with national policy, as set out in these guidelines,” said the board in their decision.

'Maximum of 250’ allowed
“A maximum of 250 car-parking spaces to serve the proposed development shall be provided within the site. A revised car parking layout shall be submitted for the written agreement of the planning authority prior to the commencement of development. The balance of the car parking spaces shown on the layout drawing lodged with the application to the planning authority shall be landscaped in accordance with the overall landscaping scheme for the site to be agreed in writing with the planning authority.
“Reason: To reflect the parking standards and requirements as set out in the current Cavan Town Council Development Plan,” said the board.

485 spaces wanted
The supermarket giant’s latest permission application to the council reads:
“The development will consist of the overall provision of 485 car parking spaces further to the grant of permission (reference number 11/1992; An Bord Pleanála reference: PL 48.240097) relating to a foodstore development with a total gross floor area of c 8,239 square metres with 250 car parking spaces. This application seeks an additional 235 car parking spaces from that permitted in compliance with the car parking standards set out in the Cavan Town & Environs Development Plan 2014-2020, with the overall car park accessed off the Cavan Town Eastern Access Road-realigned Cock Hill Road.'
A decision is due from the council on Thursday, March 19.