Creeslough victims' families lodge appeal against new development plans

Two years on from the explosion in Creeslough, Co. Donegal, an appeal has been lodged against the redevelopment of a service station at the site where 10 people tragically lost their lives just over two years ago.

Donegal County Council granted planning permission on February 19 to Vivo Shell Ltd. to redevelop the site, however, Damien Tansey Solicitors submitted an appeal to An Bord Pleanála on behalf of bereaved family members who lost loved ones in the explosion on October 7, 2022.

It is understood that company's proposal had included plans to demolish the existing building and construct a new building which would include a shop, a post office, a beauty salon, fuel pumps and memorial features.

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It is standard part of the statutory planning process for all parties who made submissions to Donegal County Council about the proposed development to be given four weeks from the date of submission to consider the council’s decision and decide whether to submit a new appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

The submission to An Bord Pleanála from the Creeslough victim's families challenged the decision of Donegal County Council on four grounds including that the site "must be preserved and maintained" until the conclusion of ongoing garda and Health and Safety Authority investigations.

The appeal also said the notification of decision to grant the planning application was "untimely and premature".

As the inquests are yet to be held, the submission said if the notification of decision to grant is upheld, "it will result in the destruction of crucial evidence which is required for the said inquests".

The submission drew comparison to the Stardust Nightclub and Grenfell Tower sites as neither of them were rebuilt and "the explosion in Creeslough is akin to those tragedies".

It said: "It would be insulting and disrespectful to the families of the victims to rebuild the service station on the same plot of land where ten of their cherished family members lost their lives."

The submission criticised the proposed memorial and it suggested a suitable memorial should be erected after detailed discussions with all interested parties, especially the bereaved families.

An Bord Pleanála is due to decide on the case by July 14.

In its planning proposal to Donegal County Council, Vivo Shell Ltd. expressed hope that "family members of persons who were injured or are deceased will see that much consideration and thought has gone into the application to be respectful towards all".

The explosion at the service station and apartment complex in Creeslough took the lives of four men, three women and three children, all aged between five and 59.

The victims were Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, Jessica Gallagher, Martin McGill, James O'Flaherty, Martina Martin, Hugh 'Hughie' Kelly, and 14-year-old Leona Harper.