An Coimisíun Pleanála judges question on Donegal motorsport event
Commission agreed with Donegal’s Planning Authority that Letterkenny event was not an exempted development
An Coimisiún Pleánala has judged an issue regarding whether the staging of particular motorsport events in Donegal, in which it constituted the event as development and not an exempted development.
The issue had been lodged on June 8, 2026, and referred by a first-party referrer, with the application concerning Tinney’s Coal, Bonagee, Letterkenny, with the referred site in the eastern periphery of Letterkenny, 2.5km from the town centre.
In the southern portion of the referral site, it encompasses part of a fuel supplier’s yard, trading as Tinney’s Coal & Oil.
A description for the application could be quoted: “Whether the carrying out of motorsport events on an occasional basis, no more than 29 days aggregate in one calendar year, with no event lasting four days in any one instance, with less than 5,000 participants/spectators at any one event, is or is not development or is or is not exempted development.
“Whether the motorsport being primarily car showing and car diffing events conducted on existing concrete hardstands, defined on the ground by concrete movable barriers, all associated signage, pedestrian access and temporary barriers.
“The making of temporary spectator areas, the placing of temporary toilets, food vans, mobile retain units, the temporary use of loudspeaker equipment, the temporary use of the site and adjoining lands for the parking of vehicles attending the said events, is or is not development or is or is not exempted development.”
Donegal’s Planning Authority had previously declared the proposal and not exempted development in May 2026, under Section 4(4) of the Planning and Development Act 200, and Article 9(1)(a)(viiB) of the same regulations, as “the environmental impacts of the said use are such that it requires to be the subject of an Appropriate Assessment.”
Within the Inspector’s Report, by Philip Maguire, it highlighted the referrer’s case, noting their view that there was no justification as to how the development does not fall within the exempted development provisions, and that the previous decision did not state why an Appropriate Assessment was required, “whilst it refers vaguely to environmental impacts, it does not specify how these impacts are considered, measured, or estimated.”
The response of the owner/occupier of the referral site, John Barry on behalf of Barry Fuels Ltd, was summarised as stating that it was “their understanding that the event was exempted development” and would “rely on the Commission to adjudicate on the matter.”
A response by the Planning Authority referred to their previous position in the Planner’s Report and noted that “the last event was monitored by the Planning Authority and it considers that the numbers in attendance at the event were in excess of 5,000 people” and “the event falls within the category of a prescribed outdoor event and an event licence is required.”
Philip Maguire, Inspectorate for An Coímisíun Pleanála, judged that the matter was development and not an exempted development, highlighting seven reasons for consideration.
Amongst the reasons Maguire considered was that “the laying out and use of the lands for occasional motorsport events would constitute a material change in the use of the land,” constituting development.
He added: “The use of these lands for motorsports events is dependent upon the layout of the land as a motor track which lies beside the Natura 2000 sites of Lough Swilly SAC and Lough Swilly SPA,” and the “impacts of the said use are such that it requires to be the subject of an Appropriate Assessment,” constituting not an exempted development.
Planning Commissioner Mick Long signed the Direction Order on October 12.