LOCALS DELIGHTED AS PROPOSAL FOR AMUSEMENT ARCADE SHOT DOWN
CAMPAIGNERS against the opening of an amusement arcade in Fermoy were celebrating this week after the controversial proposal was shot down by County Council planners.
A total of 35 submissions had been lodged against the application by Fun Junction (Fermoy) Ltd, part of the Perk’s company, to develop the arcade at an empty retail unit at the junction of the Duntahane and Cork Roads.
Chief among the concerns of local people was that fact that the facility would have been located within walking distance of a number of secondary and national schools.
Assurances from Philip Tivy of Fun Junction Ltd and Perk’s that the arcade, which would have been solely devoted to gambling machines, would have a “rigorously enforced” over 18’s policy, failed to assuage the concerns of locals.
Hundreds of people attended public meetings organised to rally the community against the proposal, with more than 700 people also signing a petition against the arcade.
Mr Tivy had previously told the Corkman that he believed the petition was “jumping the gun” without looking at the full details of the planning application.
“People say we will be preying on school children, but that is simply not true,” he said.
As it transpired, council planners cited two reasons for refusing the application, the first being that the plans submitted did not “provide for adequate off-road parking facilities to serve the development”.
“The proposed use is not local in nature, is not intended primarily for use by the local population and is a use that would attract clientele from a wider geographical area. Accordingly, the planning authority considers that the on-road parking and traffic movements likely to be generated would interfere with the free flow of traffic and endanger public safety by reason of obstruction of road users,” they ruled.
Planners further ruled that the siting of the arcade, next to a busy signalised junction, would generate pedestrian traffic across a busy road and would endanger public safety.
“The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,”
Cork East TD Sean Sherlock, who was among those to lodge submissions against the arcade, said planners had taken the correct course of action.
The vice chair of the Fermoy Anti-Arcade Group Cllr Noel McCarthy, who lodged an individual submission one as part of the group, said the decision was a “victory for common sense.”
“Along with many people from the local community, I am delighted at this decision. The fact that there were 35 submissions gives an indication of the strength of local opinion against the arcade. This is a victory for common sense,” said Cllr McCarthy.
“I know that I speak on behalf of many people when I say that if this decision is appealed to An Bord Pleanála, we will fight it all the way,” he vowed.
When contacted by The Corkman Mr Tivy declined to comment on the decision except to say the company would decide on a future course of action once they have had the chance to look over the ruling in full with their architects.