Decision on plan for drive-thru restaurant and retail unit in Kilkenny

City Cinemas Limited have been denied planning permission to proceed with the development of a fast food restaurant complete with ‘drive thru’ facility and a retail unit at the existing IMC cinema complex on Old Mart Street and Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny City.

The applicant had sought permission for the “construction and provision of a part two-storey and part single-storey fast food restaurant with ‘drive thru’ facility” and “illuminated external restaurant signage.”

Also sought was permission for the erection of an entrance height restrictor with signage, an illuminated free standing menu display sign, two ordering kiosks, a driveway with an access point off the existing private car park, two parking bays, and an outdoor seating area.

Further to this, permission had been sought by the applicant for the construction and provision a single storey retail unit, illuminated external retail unit signage and alterations to the existing carpark layout and all associated site works.

The plans were lodged with Kilkenny County Council in August of 2025 and the planning authority, upon reviewing the application, requested further information on various elements of the proposed development.

In their request for further information, the planning authority expressed concern “about the development gap being left along the Castlecomer Road by virtue of the drive through.”

They also asked “that consideration be given to how any proposed design relates to the Castlecomer Road and adjacent terrace”, suggesting that the applicant “submit a revised design that considers this and the new street edge that will be created.”

The applicant was further requested to “clarify the proposed nature of the use of the retail unit” and asked for consideration to be given “to a design that unifies the overall design, possibly by reducing/or omitting the gap between the shop and restaurant buildings.”

Various other items of further information were also requested from the applicant, including (but not limited to) a “traffic and transport assessment”, a “car parking assessment” and a “construction and traffic management plan.”

The applicant subsequently submitted all of the requested items of further information to the planning authority in July 2026, where they were reviewed before a decision was made.

The planning authority decided to refuse planning permission and cited a number of reasons for refusal.

They stated that the applicant “has failed to demonstrate that the proposed development, which includes a drive through restaurant, has the queuing capacity at times of peak traffic generation to accommodate expected queues and will not affect the existing car-park entrance, pedestrian routes or the public road.”

They also stated that the applicant “has failed to demonstrate that the proposed development, which includes provision for extensive vehicle queues and light stands, will not lead to excessive noise, fumes and light spillage such as would have adverse impacts on the residential properties directly adjacent.”

It was the view of the planning authority that “the design of the development has not been resolved within the statutory decision period and it is considered that the development as currently framed, will lead to a gap in the façade along the Castlecomer Road and will fail to adequately comply with the design standards required under the City and County Development Plan 2021-2027.”

Finally, the planning authority stated that “the proposed development has inadequate setback to allow for provision of orbital cycle track to facilitate two phase crossings, protected corner islands or set-back crossings.”

There remains an option for the applicant to appeal the decision of the local planning authority to An Coimisiún Pleanála.