Observation pack · Westmeath County Council
23 Mardyke St , Athlone , Co. Westmeath
for a change of use of existing public licensed bar at ground floor level to “Sit-in” Restaurant. Permission is also south for external signage to existing shop front
Observations close 30 Oct 2026 6 days left
5 weeks from receipt (received 25 Sept 2026) · s.34 Planning and Development Act 2000 · art. 29 Regulations 2001 · fee €20 · council decision due 19 Nov 2026
The application
- Reference
- 2660516 · full record
- Authority
- Westmeath County Council
- Type
- PERMISSION
- Status
- NEW APPLICATION
- Applicant
- not published by the national dataset — see the council register
- Units
- 0
- Floor area
- —
- Site area
- 285 m²
- Received
- 25 Sept 2026
- We first saw it
- 14 Oct 2026, 01:45
- Decision due
- 19 Nov 2026
- Decision
- N/a
The national dataset truncates descriptions (80 characters for DLR, 70 for Fingal) and omits the applicant. The full description and the drawings are on the council register linked in step 1.
How to submit an observation
- Read the file on the council register.Drawings, planning statement and site notices are at http://www.eplanning.ie/WestmeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660516/0.
- Write your observation.Quote
2660516at the top, give your name and the address the authority should reply to, and confine it to planning matters — zoning objective, height, overlooking, traffic, drainage, heritage. What you say here is what you can later appeal on. - Pay the €20 fee.Every submission needs it; without it the observation is invalid and is returned. Westmeath County Council takes it online with the submission or at the counter.
- Submit before 30 Oct 2026.Online through the register above, or in writing to the Planning Department, Westmeath County Council. The test is the date the authority receives it, not the date you post it.
- Keep the acknowledgement.The council's receipt is your proof of a valid observation — see below.
Statutory basis. Section 34(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) requires a planning authority to consider any submission or observation made to it in accordance with the Regulations. Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) sets the window: a submission or observation must be received by the authority within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the application, and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of €20. A submission received after the window, or without the fee, is invalid and the authority must return it.
After you submit: keep the acknowledgement. Under the 2024 Act it secures your right to appeal — only the applicant and a person who made a valid observation may bring the council's decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, within four weeks of the decision. Making a valid observation is also what buys a right of appeal: under s.37(1) of the 2000 Act, only the applicant and a person who made a valid submission or observation to the planning authority may appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála (within four weeks of the decision). Missing the five-week window closes both doors.
What the site is zoned
No current zoning polygon covers this site in the store.
Designations on or near the site
- NIAH-recorded building × 5Moran · Moran · Macken
- Recorded monument × 1R142754
Nearby precedents within 500 m, last 5 years
Decisions
| Reference | Decision | Decided | Units | Distance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2660446 | Conditional | 19 Oct 2026 | 1 | 382 m | retention permission for a single storey flat roof extension to an existing dwelling including the conversion of existing outbuildings into habitable accommodation, and all ancillary works |
| 2660404 | Refused | 24 Sept 2026 | 1 | 350 m | development which will consist of the construction of a new detached two storey dwelling house, connection to public services, new boundary fence and all associated site works. The proposed new dwelling house is located within an Architectural Conservation Area. |
| 2660354 | Refused | 19 Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 m | change of use of existing public licensed bar at ground floor level to Restaurant/Take Away. Permission is also south for external signage to existing shop front |
| 2660319 | Conditional | 10 Aug 2026 | 0 | 338 m | change of use from ground floor retail to restaurant use (180 sq.m.) (including extract flue to rear) |
| 2660308 | Refused | 31 Jul 2026 | 0 | 189 m | development which will consist of: Alterations to the previously approved application granted under Reg. Ref. 21/93 for the following works: (i) construction of a drive-thru to serve the approved coffee shop; (ii) alterations to all external facades to alter glazing, material finishes, opes, and to provide for a collection point; (iii) provision of signage associated with drive-thru; (iv) alterations to internal layout of approved coffee shop; (v) provision of pedestrian access onto MacDiarmada Road and provision of pedestrian crossing to Burgess Park; (vi) relocation of mobility parking spaces and bike parking; (vii) removal of approved outdoor seating area and the provision of a new outdoor seating area along the eastern façade; (viii) landscaping, boundary treatments, signage, drainage and all ancillary works necessary to facilitate the development |
| 2660297 | Conditional | 28 Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 m | the refurbishment and change of use of an existing 2 storey mixed use commercial and residential property into a new café/restaurant over two floors. Works to include the construction of a new single-storey extension to the rear; all associated internal and external alterations to provide new servery, seating areas, kitchen, toilets, associated ancillary accommodation, and new shopfront to the front façade; external landscaping; and all ancillary site development works |
| 2660227 | Refused | 29 Jun 2026 | 0 | 380 m | development which will consist of the installation of a single-storey café unit comprising two connected modular structures (20ft containers), incorporating a coffee and food preparation area, customer seating area, and accessible toilet facilities, together with associated site works including internal access roads, car parking, bin storage, signage, landscaping, and all ancillary site development works. The proposal includes a controlled takeaway collection point for customers |
| 2660213 | Conditional | 22 Jun 2026 | 1 | 375 m | A) the construction of a new pitched roof over an existing single storey side annex with the removal of an existing flat roof; B) the reconfiguration of internal accommodation; C) the construction of a new front porch with the demolition of an existing open porch; D) the placement of external wall insulation on perimeter walls; E) the widening of an existing road entrance and construction of associated driveway; and F) all ancillary site works |
Appeals
| ACP case | Type | Outcome | Decided | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501983 | — | pending | 26 Aug 2026 | 189 m |
| 322958 | — | Granted with conditions | 29 Jun 2026 | 268 m |
| 500372 | — | Granted | 20 May 2026 | 95 m |
| 322318 | — | pending | 15 Apr 2025 | 493 m |
| 314867 | — | Granted with conditions | 16 Nov 2023 | 410 m |
| 316632 | — | Granted | 5 Sept 2023 | 436 m |
| 311530 | — | Granted with conditions | 9 Jun 2022 | 185 m |
If neighbours here have appealed before and lost, the inspector's report on that case is the single most useful thing to read.
What has happened on this file
- 25 Sept 2026 New application · observations close 30 Oct 2026
- 25 Sept 2026 Decision
Generated from the Planning Register store; nothing was fetched live for this page. Source: national planning dataset, fetched 14 Oct 2026, 01:45. Not legal advice — confirm the deadline with Westmeath County Council before relying on it.