Tipperary County Council has granted permission for a new driving test centre in Tipperary town.
The Road Safety Authority(RSA) sought permission for a new test centre at Government offices on Bohercrowe Road. The work involves the relocation of existing vehicular and pedestrian entrances on Bohercrowe Road with a new car park and ancillary site works. The driving test centre will be located within the existing Government Offices Building with new external entrance, ramp and steps.
Concerns were raised with planning officials about the suitability of the location compared to the existing Test Centre location at the Canon Hayes Recreation Centre(CHRC). The RSA stated last year that if the new centre is approved the lease will end at the CHRC. The loss of the RSA as a tenant will represent a significant financial loss to the Canon Hayes Centre. The permission is granted with 8 conditions and will become valid unless appealed to An Bord Pleanála within five weeks of the January 24th decision. The planning application reference number is 2360660 on the Tipperary County Council planning portal.
The conditions attached are as follows;That works be completed as submitted to date, only cars (B/B1 Licence Category) will use the car park, operating hours shall be 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 2.00pm on Saturdays, the material and finishes of the entrance and wing walls shall be in accordance with the details submitted, all surface water runoff from the facility shall be collected and disposed of within the curtilage of the site to the existing surface water collection system , prior to the driving test centre coming into operation, the parking spaces shall be clearly delineated in thermoplastic markings on the ground reserved solely for the parking of vehicles, full details of proposed signage, including baseboard details, font type colouring, sizing and lighting arrangement shall be submitted for the written agreement of the Planning Authority prior to the test centre coming into operation, the developer shall ensure that all demolition/construction works on site are carried out in a manner such that noise and dust emissions do not result in significant impairment of, or significant interference with, amenities or the environment beyond the site boundary and that prior to the commencement of development the developer shall pay to the Planning Authority a contribution of €3,560 as a special contribution in accordance with Section 48(2) (c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 towards the cost of works to footpath, bollards and sockets and road line markings.
