Proposals for Bridgend commercial/office space refused due to N13 upgrade plans

The proposed N13 preferred route corridor from Bridgend to the Derry border was provided as a reason for the refusal to grant planning permission for a new commercial and industrial complex in Bridgend. 

Donegal County Council refused a planning permission application from the listed applicant, Philip Coyle, for the construction of a two-storey commercial and industrial unit with six light industrial units at ground level, and six office units at the first floor level for a site at Elaghbeg, Bridgend. 

The provision of internal access roads with carparking, the construction of a right-hand turning lane access from an already existing regional road, and all associated site works were included in the rejected proposals.

As well as the site being located on the N13 preferred route corridor, other reasons given for the proposal's rejection by Donegal County Council, included the thought that there was insufficient sewage treatment capacity in Bridgend, that the development would not hinder the maintenance of the Skeoge River, and that the development would not result in an adverse impact on the visual amenity and character of the area. 

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Regarding the N13 issue, it was noted that “the site of the proposed development is located within an area considered for a future national road scheme” and that “the proposed development could prejudice plans for the design of this scheme and hence the application is premature pending the determination of this route.”

John Coll of JC Design Studio, wrote to Donegal County Council, that the latest application took “into account the proposed new N13 Alignment Improvement Boundary and also the Bridgend Settlement Framework Boundary.”

The N13 Bridgend to County Boundary (TEN-T) Route Improvement Project is located along a 1.2km length of road network, which aims to facilitate the removal of a significant bottleneck on a cross-border road between Bridgend and Derry City. 

An appeal can be made to An Coimisiún Pleanála from four weeks beginning from the date that Donegal County Council’s Planning Authority made its decision, on September 4. 

The site has been subjected to numerous planning applications, dating back to 1999. In June 2024, plans for a two-storey commercial and industrial unit building with 12 ground-floor units containing four light-industrial units, four bulky goods units, two non-food retail units, and two food retail units, as well as eight office units on the first floor level, were also refused by Donegal County Council.