Tirlán store in Carlow town removed 20 metres of trees and hedges without planning

The Tirlán Farmlife store in Carlow Town removed over 20 metres of trees and hedges and erected a fence without planning permission, it has been revealed.

However, the Tirlán Farmlife Graiguecullen Branch at Portlaoise Road, Carlow Town later secured retention planning permission for the development subject to five conditions. 

Following the removal of the hedges, Tirlán made a retention planning application to Laois County Council in May of 2025. 

They sought to “retain the removal of existing trees and hedges to a 22.5m portion of the front boundary adjacent to entrance gate and replacement of same with a 2.7m high paladin fence; affixing advertising signage along front boundary fencing and entrance gate amounting to a total sum of 12sq.m; and erection of building signage onto existing structures within the site amounting to a total sum of 15.3sq.m. 2) Planning permission for the provision of new low-level beech hedging to external side of new front boundary paladin fence and all associated site works.” 

Fergus O’Neill, who objected to the retention planning application, said: “This application is made in response to unauthorised development carried out by the developer…I live directly across the road from this premises. My family's house predates the establishment of the Tirlan commercial outlet.”

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Mr O’Neill said “the removal of the trees and hedgerow late last year considerably affected me and my family.”

He told Laois County Council that the application made no attempt to address the issues raised by the unauthorised development.

“The trees and hedging which were removed formed part of an existing hedgerow which was a field boundary going back to the time before the Tirlan premises was built,” he explained. 

He expressed a belief that the retention planning would not address his concerns about the visual intrusion, noise and dust nuisance which he said the operations on this premises create.

Mr O’Neill described the fencing as a low level mesh and described planting at the site as “window dressing”. He requested the site be returned to its original condition and said the development “either contravenes or flies in the face of” objectives set out in the Carlow/Graiguecullen Local Area Plan. 

Despite his concerns Laois County Council approved the plans subject to five conditions. These included the payment of development contribution and the planting of native trees and shrubs within a three month period. 

Mr O’Neill has now appealed that decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála who are due to decide on the matter by November 24, 2025.