94 homes, creche refused planning permission in Dunshaughlin

A PROPOSED residential development of 94 homes and a creche on lands at the Lagore Road in Dunshaughlin have been refused planning permission by Meath County Council.

Elci Limited sought permission for the construction of 76 houses along with 28 apartments in a three-storey building. The 76 houses were made up of three four-bed detached houses, 48 four-bed semi-detached houses, four three-bed semi-detached houses and 21 three-bed terraced houses.

The 18 apartments with associated terraces and balconies consisted of 16 two-bed apartments and two one-bed apartments. Vehicular and pedestrian access was to be provided from the Lagore Road.

The plans also included a creche facility and 262m section of the Dunshaughlin Eastern Relief Road. A new cycle lane and footpath was proposed along the site frontage to Lagore Road and it was also proposed to link in with the existing footpath to the west.

Nine submissions were received on the plans which included concerns such as the impact of construction noise on adjoining residences, interruption of countryside views, traffic issues and congestion, that the relief road would become a rat run, the lack of health care services/GPs/school places in Dunshaughlin, concerns around flooding and water supply issues . The absence of age friendly homes was noted and it was argued that the eastern relief road should be fully completed in advance of the development.

The planning application was lodged in August of last year and further information was requested which was submitted in March. Having considered the further information, Meath County Council has now refused planning permission citing two reasons. One is that it considered the applicant had not an acceptable and sufficiently detailed proposed surface water management system.

The planner also noted that it is a policy of the development plan to retain a strip of 10 metres on either side of all channels/flood defence embankments where required, to facilitate access and that due to a lack of a detailed assessment/design of the proposed drainage channel diversion, “the Planning Authority is unable to determine whether a channel diversion is feasible in this instance and if it was not feasible, a 10m buffer strip is required along the southern boundary which would have a significant detrimental impact on the proposed site layout and infrastructure.”