Roscommon County Council's refusal of planning permission for a major new supermarket in Athlone has been upheld.
County planners last month refused an application from MCS River Village Limited for the development in Monksland.
The plans included the construction of a single storey supermarket with an ancillary off-licence sales area as well as an ESB substation, electric vehicle charging points, and roof mounted solar panels.
The total area of the site is calculated at just under 1 hectare on a site near to the Joe Duffy car showroom.
Roscommon County Planners had refused the application on 3 conditions, with the first stating that the site would fail to provide a 'sense of place' as it did not meet the requirements of the Bealnamulla/Monskland Local Area Plan.
Secondly, since the site is car dependent, planners found the site to not be in-line with the Smarter Travel initiative, which prioritises pedestrian mobility and alternative modes of transport.
Lastly, the decision stated the visual design of the supermarket would fail to achieve a high quality presentation to the public realm.
MCS River Village Limited appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála with a decision made this week.
The higher planning authority upheld Roscommon County Council's decision, finding that the application did not accord with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.]
