Lifeline for coffee business at Laois GAA club after double planning refusal

After twice being refused planning, a coffee and snack selling shipping container on the grounds of the grounds of a GAA club in Portarlington has been thrown a potential lifeline. 

Laois County Council had rejected an application for retention planning permission for the business at McCann Park GAA ground last summer. 

Owen Donegan appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala who last week upheld Laois County Council’s refusal on the grounds that the development contravened the zoning in the  Portarlington Joint Local Area Plan 2018-2024. 

The application to An Bord Pleanala stated that the converted shipping container only takes up a small footprint and provides employment to seven people and a livelihood to the owner.   

Now County Councillors have voted to amend the Draft Portarlington Joint Local Area Plan and adoption of the Portarlington LAP 2025-2031 to change the zoning to permit the development. 

Independent Cllr Aidan Mullins requested the amendment at a special meeting on the draft development plan. 

“We are looking to rezone just a small strip inside the perimeter wall,” he said. 

Cllr Mullins said the rezoned strip would only be around 10 metres in length. He said the coffee and snack business was very popular. “There is a queue of cars daily there,” he remarked. 

He requested the council zone the strip of land as general business in order for the container to continue. 

The amendment to the draft plan was then put to a vote and 15 councillors were in favour of changing the zoning.

READ MORE: Planners reject coffee and snack business in Laois GAA car park  

Director of Services Angela McEvoy said the amended draft plan would now have to go back out for public consultation for a number of weeks before it returns to the chamber for adoption in May or June.