Plan for business park to keep jobs in Laois town refused

Plans for a business park with the aim of keeping jobs within a Laois town and reducing the need for commuting have been refused planning permission by Laois County Council.

A planning application was lodged by Kevin Flanagan to construct an enterprise and employment park in Borris-in-Ossory with five serviced sites.

However the site at Townparks was deemed not to be an appropriate location by Council planners as it is primarily agricultural.

The local authority said it would be more appropriately located on zoned lands elsewhere in the vicinity. It was also refused planning permission on the grounds that it is in an area which is at risk of flooding.

The application outlined the need to retain employment in Borris-in-Ossory to maintain the viability of the village and discourage commuting for work to nearby towns outside of the county.

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“The applicant currently operates ‘Rushall Plant Hire Services’ to the north of the proposed development, presently his site is at capacity, and he is seeking a larger area to maintain and grow his business locally. In order to do this, he needs a site in proximity to his existing one which is sufficient to facilitate future growth,” the planning documents stated.

“Likewise, the applicant has been approached by other local business, who have also outgrown their current sites but want to remain in the area. They too have been actively seeking alternative sites within the area but have been unsuccessful. There is a risk that this business will eventually move to alternative sites outside of the Village area if they cannot be accommodated.”

Letters of support from businesses interested in relocating to the proposed business park accompanied the application.

“This development is poised to significantly contribute to the local economy, addressing the growing demand for employment opportunities while respecting environmental and infrastructural considerations,” the documents added.

On the suitability of the site the application highlighted that it is located at the junction of the R445 and the R435, which links the R445 to the M7 motorway and is within walking distance of the village centre.

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The application outlined that there are no alternative landbanks within the vicinity of Borris-in-Ossory which are available within the lifetime of the County Development Plan, can be serviced as easily as the subject site, have access to the optimal road network, will not create traffic congestion in the village centre and will not result in negative impact on residential amenity.

The application sought permission to provide five serviced sites on a site of 2.95ha.

The plans included the provision of vehicular, pedestrian/cycle access onto the existing R445, including the provision of a new arm off the R445 roundabout; an internal road and footpath and cycle lane network; site clearance & infilling of the land up to c101clm; foul & surface water drainage; landscaping & boundary treatment; an ESB Substation; lighting, signage & all associated site development works.

The proposed development included plans for the provision of a new arm off the R445 roundabout. 

When making their decision to refuse the council stated: “The proposed development would be contrary to the provisions of the Laois County Development Plan 2021-2027 which seeks to maintain the function of towns as drivers for the economic development of their rural hinterlands. Therefore, to permit the provision of this development on un-zoned agricultural lands in the rural area would seriously injure the amenity and depreciate the value of property in the vicinity. The development would also set an undesirable precedent for similar scaled development in rural areas, which is unplanned and haphazard and would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

“The proposed development is in an area which is at risk of flooding.”