JP McManus's Adare Manor loses out in David versus Goliath planning battle
Gordon Deegan
The company that operates JP McManus’s luxury five-star Adare Manor resort in Co Limerick has lost out in a planning row with neighbouring landowners.
In the David versus Goliath style planning battle, An Bord Pleanála has refused planning retention to the operator of the Adare Manor resort, Tizzard Holdings UC for a widening and lengthening of existing internal farm roadway served by an existing farm entrance at Knockanes, Adare.
The company widened the roadway without obtaining planning permission and Limerick Co Council granted the retention application last year with the condition that the road be used for agricultural purposes only.
The road is located to the east of the 12th hole of the golf course which is due to stage the Ryder Cup in 2027.
However, the permission was stalled after local landowners, Breda and Michael Mann appealed the Council decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Now, the appeals board has refused planning retention after concluding that Tizzard Holdings UC’s response to the appeal "does not include a sufficient justification for the need of a roadway of such an excessive width and scale, solely for existing agricultural purposes serving only three fields with no farmyard or farm buildings”.
The board pointed out that the proposal is within the open un-zoned landscape of this designated ‘Agricultural Lowlands’ area of Limerick.
The board said“the scale and extent of works at this location have not been justified and would, therefore, constitute haphazard development and would not be acceptable in principle”.
The board also refused planning permission after concluding that sufficient information has not been provided concerning the ‘as built’ roadway design to demonstrate that surface water would be managed such that it would be collected and disposed of within the site and would not discharge onto adjoining properties.
One of the objectors to the retention application was local landowner, Conor Geaney who told the Council that the roadway was built, and the original entrance was widened in the two months preceding the JP McManus Pro-am.
Mr Geaney claimed that the roadway was used as an entry and exit for over 1,000 cars per day from 6am-9pm and for about 100 heavy goods vehicle movements on the five days around the event.
Mr Geaney said he had concerns relating to significant traffic hazard, stating there have been three serious traffic collisions within 50 metres of this entrance over the last four years.
In their appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the Manns stated that the roadway abuts in parts their land and surface water is draining from the roadway directly into their lands.
In response to the third party appeal, Tizzard Holdings UC stated that the Mann appeal failed to present any material land-use planning issue as to why the development is contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
The applicants stated that the purpose of the additional section of farm roadway is to facilitate the agricultural use of the land and re-iterated that the road will not be used as an access road connecting the L1420 to the Adare Manor Resort.
