Planning sought for previously refused small timber business in Donegal

Planning is being sought from Donegal County Council for the development of a small business rural enterprise with the purposes of creating a timber product facility between Ballyarr and Milford.

Kenneth Bradley is the listed applicant of the submitted application, with the site being located in Moyle. 

The application is to create and construct small business rural enterprise on site to include a storage container and kiln drying oven, covered storage area for the purposes of storing kiln dried timber, covered storage area for the purpose of storing wet/green lumber/green wood, a stuff shed and portaloo welfare facility, and a car parking area for the overall purposes of creating a small timber product facility for public use. 

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Donegal County Council refused a similar application in June 2025, as the planning authority considered the proposed development failed to “demonstrate that it would constitute a valuable addition to the local economy.”

It was also considered that the previous application failed to comply with the County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030, and “would result in a visually obtrusive form of development which would fail to integrate into the High Scenic Amenity landscape.”

The site had been subject to a successful planning application for a paintball adventure centre in 2002, which is the reason why a container is currently on the site. 

Dessie McLaughlin of DML Architecture & Building Surveying, wrote: “Mr. Bradley has been using the site in question for his own use of storing felled timber, cutting in into various sizes and lengths and using for purposes of his own making and doing for example, garden flower pots/boxes, garden benches, decorative signs, fence posts and rails and for own-use fire logs and timber.” 

Donegal County Council has yet to give a decision due date for the application.