Plans for the construction of a housing estate in Briarhill consisting of 44 houses and apartments have been rejected by the county council.
Planning permission was sought by Martin Coyne to build 32 houses and a block of 12 apartments on land at Breanloughan, Briarhill.
The housing estate would have consisted of 20 four-bedroom, semi-detached houses; 10 three-bedroom, semi-detached houses, and one two-storey apartment block.
The apartment building would contain 2 three-bedroom units, 6 two-bedroom units, and 4 one-bedroom apartments.
Other work involved in the project would have included the demolition of an existing dwelling house and outbuildings on the site.
The site itself is agricultural land off the R339 Monivea Road, adjacent to Briarhill National School.
In refusing planning permission, the county council noted that these lands are not currently zoned for development, and that the “population yield, scale, and overall extent” of this estate would be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
The council also said that there was a deficit of information regarding potential noise impact, wastewater disposal proposals, and potential traffic hazards due to its proximity to a proposed national road.
The design and layout of the estate also fails to reinforce the existing character of Briarhill the council said, and would “detract from the visual amenity of the area”, setting an “undesirable precedent” for future construction in the area.
