Cinema appeal person shares address with Galway cinema appellant

Photo above - the overflow car park on Harbour Road is the site for the planned new cinema.

A Dublin woman who has appealed Westmeath County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a new cinema in the centre of Mullingar has the same address as a person who tried to prevent an extension to a cinema in Galway.

Siobhan Ni Neill of Rathfarnham, Dublin is one of two people to lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanála (ABP) against the council’s decision to give the green light to Omniplex’s plans for a new five-screen cinema on the site of Harbour Place Shopping Centre’s overflow car park next to the Royal Canal.

Anyone has the right to object to a planning permission.

In her appeal to ABP, Ms Ni Neill submitted that the planning application was contrary to proper planning under a number of headings, including design and architectural conservation, integration, road infrastructure and parking and flood risk and damage to habitats.

She said that the Harbour Place Shopping Centre overflow car park is "not an appropriate site for a big box development".

She also claimed that the development would "impact and obscure important views of landmark buildings, including the Cathedral of Christ the King and All Saints Church".

According to the planning registers, Ms Ni Neill has the same Rathfarnham address as a Suzanne O’Neill, who in 2017 unsuccessfully lodged an appeal with ABP against Radical Properties Ltd’s plans to extend the Eye Cinema in Galway. The receipt for the €20 submission fee for Ms O’Neill’s original objection to Galway City Council against Radical Properties’ application was issued to Galway Multiplex, which operates the IMC Cinema in Galway. IMC also operates a cinema at Lakepoint Retail Park in Mullingar.

In 2016, a Suzanne O’Neill submitted an objection to Wexford County Council against Omniplex’s planning application to expand its cinema into a "family entertainment destination centre". Ms O’Neill gave her address as Astor House, 29 Lower George’s Street, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, the registered company address of the Irish Multiplex Cinemas Limited.

Last year, an S O’Neill of DET Ltd, 29 Lower George’s Street, Dun Laoghaire lodged an appeal to ABP against Dublin City Council’s decision to grant planning permission to Green Reit for a two-screen cinema on Dawson Street in Dublin. ABP upheld Dublin City Council’s decision.