An Bord Pleanála has given the green light for a €35 million housing development in Ashford village, Co Wicklow.
The appeals board has granted planning permission for the 117 unit development in spite of local opposition and a recommendation by Wicklow County Council that the scheme be refused planning permission.
The scheme is made up of 99 houses and 18 duplexes in the townland of Ballinalea, Ashford.
In common with two other recent decisions concerning “fast track” residential planning schemes, the board has inserted a condition in the permission banning corporate entities purchasing the houses and duplexes en bloc and restricting to sale to individual purchasers.
The board stated that it has included the condition to ensure an adequate choice and supply of housing in the common good.
Refusal recommendation
The council recommended refusal after concluding that the scheme would contravene the Ashford Town Plan and impact on the safe operation of the local road network.
The council also recommended that planning permission be refused as the density significantly exceeds the development plan density.
Ashford Tidy Towns and a number of locals lodged submissions concerning the scheme by Kingsbridge Design and Consultancy Ltd.
Concerns raised in third party submissions claim that Ashford is a small rural village that cannot cope with the scale of development and the density is not an appropriate density for Ashford.
However, the appeals board gave the scheme the go ahead after its inspector, Rachel Gleave O’Connor concluded that the scheme is an appropriate and compatible addition to the location.
Ms Gleave O’Connor stated that she was satisfied that the scheme would not have any unacceptable adverse impacts on the amenities of the surrounding area.
Ms Gleave O’Connor stated that the future occupiers of the scheme will also benefit from an acceptable standard of internal amenity.
Finglas development
In a separate Strategic Housing Development (SHD) decision, the appeals board has granted planning permission to developer Joe O’Reilly’s Ruirside Developments for 191 apartments in blocks ranging from five to six storeys just outside Finglas in Dublin despite strong local opposition.
The appeals board granted planning permission for the scheme at the former Premier Dairies site on Finglas Rd after concluding that the proposal would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity.
The board received 45 submissions and locals expressed concern over the height of the scheme and that the proposed development wouldn’t encourage family living but would encourage transient living.
Dublin City Council did recommend that planning permission be granted for the scheme.
