Not all plain sailing for yacht club

Plans to renovate the former yacht club in Mornington into a four-bedroom home have been appealed to an Bord Pleanala.

Planning permission was granted to Kevin and Rosemary Nolan to renovate and extend the former yacht club on the Crook Road in Mornington into a two-storey, four-bedroom home with the creation of a new access point from the Crook Road. An ecological impact statement, a natura impact statement and screening for appropraite assessment were prepared as part of the planning application.

While Meath County Council granted planning permission subject to conditions, including that a public right of way be maintained, the decision has been subsequently been appealed to an Bord Pleanala by the Drogheda Port Company.

Drogheda Port Company raised a number of points in its appeal including concern over the public right of way and the risk that the applicant could extinguish it in the future. While it was acknowledged that Meath County Council had attached a condition in relation to maintaining the right of way, they felt the wording was confusing. They say it is vital that both vehicular and pedestrian right of way is maintained.

Another concern was the risk for vessels navigating the channel at night or during bad weather due to "backscatter of lighting" and it also argued that the development did not qualify as sensitive re-use at outlined in the Meath County Development Plan.