Tipperary All-Weather Track Receives Planning Permission After 16-Month Wait

Planning permission for the development was granted by Tipperary County Council in August 2022. However, an appeal was lodged the following month by concerned local residents. The appeal was based on worries about the lack of information on various aspects of the redevelopment, including increased traffic and noise, light spillage from new floodlights, and potential health implications related to being located near a proposed substation.

Initially, work was scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2023, and the track opening was expected at the end of 2024. However, plans had to be put on hold until An Bord Pleanala granted the go-ahead. The news about the permission being granted came in late on a Thursday night. The stakeholders, including Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), are set to meet next week to review all the details and determine the timeline for commencing the work. This is seen as a positive development for Tipperary, and the focus is now on making a plan and getting things moving while navigating the remaining administrative processes.

The decision to grant permission for the development comes with 12 conditions attached. These include requirements for an invasive plant species study to be conducted before construction begins, an environmental management plan, and a resource waste management plan. Additionally, there is a directive stating that the floodlights must not operate between 10 pm and 7 am. Furthermore, the floodlights must be directed onto the surface of the all-weather track and away from adjacent housing and the public road, with the aim to minimize light scatter over the adjacent housing and public road.

The only all-weather track operating in Ireland currently is Dundalk Stadium, which underwent redevelopment in 2007.