Planning lodged for new shop in Creeslough

By Dionne Meehan

PLANNING permission has been sought for the development of a new shop in Creeslough.

This comes after the village’s Applegreen Service Station was completely destroyed in a huge blast in 2022, where ten people tragically lost their lives.

At the start of the year, public anger erupted after Donegal County Council approved Vivo Shell Limited’s planning application to redevelop the site of the explosion.

However, the families of those who died and many local people were against the new plans.

Instead, they wanted the site to become a memorial site for the victims.

This led to a number of bereaved families appealing the decision to An Board Pleanála.

The families said to allow this would be “reckless” and “dangerous” from the point of view of public safety.

They also said Donegal County Council’s decision to grant planning was “untimely” and “premature”.

Local businessman Conrad Gibbons has now submitted an application to build a new shop on a different site in the village.

The proposed shop is situated on the village’s Main Street, opposite the temporary prefabricated nearby shop, which was erected in the wake of the tragedy.

The new two storey convenience store will include a deli and kitchen, an off-license, a staff area, staff toilets, a car park, as well as external toilets.

A decision on the appeal lodged by the Creeslough families to An Bord Pleanála regarding the Applegreen Service Station site will be issued in due course.

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