Donegal Town ‘let down again’ as cinema site believed to be sold

Hopes of a cinema for Donegal Town have been dashed following reports that the proposed site has been sold to Lidl.

This is particularly disappointing for the people of the town given that a well-supported community campaign played a huge role in driving the project forward. 

Rumours are rife locally as to what led to the site apparently being sold. But the bottom line is that a cinema at the Clarcarrickhagun site is now highly unlikely.

Mayor of Donegal Town Pauric Kennedy is bitterly disappointed by this news. He is one of the people who strongly supported local woman Yvonne Callaghan and a number of others  who fought a tough campaign. They lobbied tirelessly for the necessary speed limit rezoning and other factors that would have allowed planning permission to be granted.

“We always seem to get so far with these types of plans and then here we are again with nothing,” said Mr Kennedy.

“We have been promised a cinema, a new library,  a swimming pool, and all we have is more broken promises.”

The Save Our Cinema campaign began in 2017 when it emerged that a planning application for a cinema, associated access and parking facilities had been turned down.

WJ Dolan Construction had applied to Donegal County Council in September of that year for the construction of a two-storey, five-screen cinema with 714 seats at Clarcarricknagun, Donegal Town. The 1,900 square metre development adjacent to Lidl would have included a shop, restaurant, and 159 car parking spaces.

With the closest cinemas to the town in Bundoran, Lifford and Letterkenny, this was seen as a much-needed amenity.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said in a report on the proposed project that the application was “at variance with official policy in relation to control of development on/affecting national roads.”

The organisation said that sightlines at the access from the R267 close to the roundabout, did not satisfy design requirements.

Other reasons included impact on the town centre use and business, impact on the visual quality of the approach to Donegal Town, and an impact on the carrying capacity of the national road network.

The people of Donegal Town came together to express their frustration and to join the campaign to reverse this decision.

Speed limit rezoning and a number of other factors ensured that a resubmitted planning application was successful, with the good news being announced shortly before Christmas 2019. 

But construction never got underway.

Mayor Pauric Kennedy said: “I accept that Covid changed a lot of things but this is not the first time that  plans were all in place and there was nothing to show at the end of it.

“I would like answers as to what is happening with the site. The people of Donegal Town at least deserve an explanation.”

Lack of Balance

Mr Kennedy is deeply concerned about the lack of balance between the number of housing developments and the lack of amenities, especially for young people.

“There are currently five big housing developments underway in Donegal Town,” he said. 

“Of course we need houses but what happens when you build all these homes and there is nothing for people to do? No entertainment for young people? You end up with anti-social behaviour problems. We need amenities for the people who are already living here, for the people who are going to be living here in the future and for the visitors to our town.”

The mayor’s late father, Cllr Peter Kennedy campaigned for a leisure facility that included a swimming pool and extensive sports facilities for Donegal Town.

“My father had that vision and he never stopped trying to achieve it,” said Mr Kennedy.

“That is what I would like to see, a cultural and sports complex that all the clubs and organisations can use, something what would be a great and much-needed facility for the town.   

“I am asking the government to think about looking at the same type of model as they used with the Primary Care Centre, where it is built by a private company and then leased.

“I am also calling on our local representatives to shout loudly for the people who elected them.”

Attempts were made to contact WJ Dolan for comment. He has not replied.