Quigley’s Point Greenway shop refused over environmental concerns

Plans to build a tourist facility along the Muff to Quigley’s Point Greenway have been refused by Donegal County Council.

The application, lodged by Jackie Allen of Inishowen Bike Hire Limited, sought permission for a modest service building to cater for the visitors who will be using the recently opened greenway at Three Trees in Quigley’s Point.

It was proposed that if it was granted permission, the tourist shop would have offered bike repairs, including toilet facilities, and a rest area supplying Tea and Coffee.

An existing roadway and entrance accessing the greenway is already in place, and it was outlined in the application that the new tourist building would help to enhance the visitor experience for all the users of the greenway, which opened last year. 

According to projections included in the application, the facility was expected to cater to around 100 visitors per week during the summer months, with usage dropping to 65 per week in late spring and autumn, and approximately 20 per week during the remaining months of the year.

However, the Council refused permission on six key grounds, which included concerns over flooding. The proposed site lies entirely within an area of flood risk. Planners said the project failed to meet the criteria of the required Justification Test under national flood guidelines and therefore conflicted with the County Donegal Development Plan 2024–2030.

Another concern raised by the planning authority was that the Council determined that the development was not functionally linked to the countryside, and the tourist facility should instead be located within an existing settlement. 

Under Policy ED-P-4 of the County Donegal Development Plan 2024–2030, tourism developments must demonstrably add value to the local tourism offering. Planners concluded that the repair and service facility did not fall within the categories supported under the policy and was not dependent on a rural location, leading to a further reason for refusal.

The Council also ruled that the applicant had not demonstrated that the facility could cater for the safe treatment and disposal of effluent, citing shortcomings in the site assessment and the facility’s proximity to the foreshore. 

Without evidence of compliance with Environmental Protection Agency wastewater guidelines, the proposal was deemed potentially prejudicial to public health.

The site’s proximity to Lough Foyle Special Protection Area (SPA) raised ecological concerns. No ecological assessment was submitted, and planners said they could not conclude that the development would avoid adverse effects on the protected site.  

Finally, the location sits within an area designated as Especially High Scenic Amenity. Only developments of strategic importance or those explicitly supported elsewhere in the Development Plan may be permitted in such areas. Planners said the application had not demonstrated that the proposal would avoid adverse impacts on the wider landscape.

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The Muff to Quigley's Point Greenway consists of 5km of Greenway infrastructure between Muff and the townland of Three Trees near Quigley's Point and connects to the 2.5km of Greenway already constructed in Muff as part of the North-West Greenway Network project. The project provides an onward connection to the centre of Derry City.