Take Metges Road ‘off the table’ for further planning applications

A group of Johnstown residents are calling on Meath County Council to take steps to ensure that no further planning applications are made for a site on the Metges Road where An Coimisiún Pleanála recently rejected plans for an Aldi store and 45 social and affordable apartments.

While Meath County Council granted permission to Byrnell Developments for separate applications for a supermarket and the 45 apartments , both were overturned by An Coimisiún Pleanála, formerly an Bord Pleanala.

In both cases, the board held that it could not be satisfied that the development "would not be likely to have an adverse effect on the River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Area of Conservation."

As the development of both sites would be reliant on works relating to both the management of surface water and flood risk management which are on third-party lands outside of the application site boundary, the Board said it could not be satisfied that the relevant works could be implemented in full.

A number of local residents from Millbrook, The Priory, Boyne Views and Johnstown environs who came together to lodge objections to the planning applications have welcomed the planning board's decision to reject the plans.

"As local and long term residents we are delighted that An Bord Pleanala saw the uniqueness of the site ecologically and has stated that it is unsuitable for development. We as residents have been pointing this out for over 20 years.

“So now we are calling on Meath County Council to take immediate steps to ensure there are never any planning proposals submitted again for the site.

“The Bord has made a definitive decision - based on a number of sound irrefutable reasons and this continuous expensive merry go round time waste for all involved must now stop," they said.

They have now written to Meath County Council requesting that they deny permission for development on these lands and take definitive action put in measures to protect the site, given its delicate siting alongside a stream feeding the Boyne and Blackwater Rviers, its role in flood mitigation, its own flood risk zoning and its natural conservation nature.

"Quite simply, it has now been deemed that these lands are not appropriate for development in any way, shape or form and further applications can be deemed as ‘nuisance’ applications. There are many other more suitable (larger, less restricted, less conservationally sensitive) places in the county to site such a development and an Aldi store," they wrote.

They have also asked the council to consider and review its own planning policies, in light of the An Bord Pleanala decision, to ensure these are more robust in terms of taking a holistic view and consider climate impacts in its decision making.

"The Council must now put in place actions to ensure this wholly unsuitable site is off the table for development and instead consider how its unique ecological benefits can be protected and indeed enhanced."