A PLANNERS’ recommendation to refuse permission for an unmanned petrol station adjacent to the Ballymote shopping centre on the outskirts of Downpatrick has been overturned.
Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee last week agreed that the proposed 24-hour filling station should be built.
Work on the new facility and car park is expected to start shortly and be completed by the end of the summer.
Residents who live close to the site had expressed concern that the station posed a potential fire risk and argued it would have a “negative impact” on their lives and a “detrimental impact” on a similar business just one mile away.
However, the planning committee agreed that the proposed investment should proceed, despite planners’ reservations.
Committee members accepted arguments advanced by those in support of the filling station — including the Ballymote Community Project, which described support for the filling station as “solid”.
They argued that the proposed development will be good for the area, with the planned filling station completing the carefully planned range of services at Ballymote, helping protect a “unique community business” from larger external supermarket interests buying land locally and trying to compete.
Ballymote Centre manager Nicholas McCrickard, who addressed last week’s planning meeting in Newry, said its volunteer board members were “over the moon” that the planning application for the filling station and new car park has been given the green light.
Along with representatives from Nicholl Oil, which will operate the garage, those in favour successfully argued that the benefits to the wider community in the area were “significant” when weighed against the loss of a small area of open space.
Mr McCrickard told last week’s planning meeting that the aim was to use the income from the sale of a small piece of land for the new filling station, currently used as an overspill car park, to provide an enhanced facility and “safeguard the future sustainability of the whole centre and all the local jobs”.
He said free car parking was part of the appeal of Ballymote but capacity for the increasing number of cars was also its biggest problem, suggesting that a “swirl of initial opposition” to the filling station proposal was based on the fear of anti-social behaviour.
Mr McCrickard said Ballymote Centre staff worked continually with the local council, police and others to discourage bad behaviour by a small number of young people.
“Locals tell us that they do not want to be held to ransom by these few people and that the area deserves modern services and facilities like anywhere else,” he continued.
“Enhanced CCTV on the canopy of the filling station has been welcomed by local people to identify the culprits and further discourage such behaviour.”
Pat Braniff, Ballymote Centre chairman, said funding for the nearby Ballymote Sports and Wellbeing Centre was secured by the voluntary organisation.
“This facility is run by the council on our behalf and is very well used by the wider community,” he explained.
“There is huge support for additional car parking at Ballymote Centre and for the convenience of petrol, diesel and home heating oil sales.
“This project completes the carefully planned range of services at Ballymote and protects this unique community business from larger external supermarket interests.”
The centre’s management board says that following the recent investment in the SuperValu store with the addition of an off licence and new fresh and frozen food ranges, the Ballymote Centre customers and the community could look forward to an increased range of services conveniently located in Downpatrick.
The Ballymote Community Project Limited is a local charity and a community business running for over 25 years which has helped create nearly 150 permanent jobs on site to date.
Those who run the centre which is also a community hub for local housing estates and the wider Lecale peninsula, say it was created in the depths of the Troubles and has met the needs of the local population ever since.
SuperValu is the anchor tenant at the shopping centre where there are six other shops
employing many local people. There is a spacious first floor community hall, health clinics, a citizens’ advice facility, children’s centre and wide variety of other training and community activities.