Business owners say plan could put jobs under threat

Business owners say plan could put jobs under threat

3 February 2016

THE new Ballynahinch by-pass could potentially put jobs at risk at one of the town’s major employers, it was claimed during the public inquiry.

Carlisles filling station and shop is based at the Belfast Road and a planning agent told the inquiry the success of the business is due to its location at a principal entry and exit point to the town.

Mr Ryan McBirney said his clients, David and William Carlisle, fear the by-pass will have an indirect impact on the business, in addition to a direct impact on farmland they own near the Downpatrick Road which is to be vested to provide a new flood plain.

“There are 95 employees at the filling station which has 5,000 square feet of retail floorspace. The station sells 40,000 litres of fuel per week and DRD surveys have confirmed that a high percentage of traffic which passes the business is through traffic,” he continued.

“The new road will enable motorists to by-pass the town, with the DRD estimating that traffic volumes will reduce by 37 per cent in the vicinity of Carlisle’ business. This will inevitably impact on the viability of the petrol filling station and associated shop.” 

Mr McBirney said the Carlisles’ concern is that the turnover will fall dramatically and consequently many of the 95 jobs will be put at risk. He also confirmed proposals have been submitted to build an alternative filling station which would be located adjacent to the bypass, similar to new service stations which have opened on the M1 and M2. 

He said while the DRD has stated it would restrict the number of new accesses on to protected routes such as motorways and dual carriageways, it did identify an exception exists to this policy in the case of motorway service stations.

“My clients consider the combined effects of the by-pass on their filing station, shop and land are exceptional and present sufficient justification to allow direct access to the by-pass. The impact on the business interest is exacerbated by the fact the DRD has stated it will not  provide any compensation or assistance should they wish to relocate the existing filling station from the Belfast Road site because it is not directly affected by the route of the by-pass. 

“Based on these exceptional circumstances it is suggested the DRD facilitates access from the by-pass to a new filling station and retail development, located on lands which are currently identified for flood compensation.”

Mr McBirney said this would be reliant upon the DRD adopting Carlisles’ suggestion for the relocation of the flooding area downstream of the Ballynahinch River to the country side of the by-pass towards the Downpatrick Road. 

The planning agent added: “The Carlisles’ key problem is that the DRD proposals for a flood plain upstream permanently sterilises land for development, whereas the proposal for the location of this area suggested by them only temporarily or seasonally impacts on agricultural land which is obviously less valuable. 

“If the so-called flooding compensation area is retained in its present position, Carlisles will be requesting compensation is paid at development land values, rather than agricultural land values.” 

Roads official, Mr Eoghan Daly, reaffirmed that given the strategic nature of the proposed by-pass, the DRD was proposing to have no direct access from adjacent land. He admitted planning policy does provide for exceptional circumstances, suggesting the issue of a new petrol station is matter for future negotiation between McBirney’s client and the local council’s planning department, with Transport NI one of the consultees.