An appeal has been lodged against the rejection of planning for a residential development of 49 houses in Athenry.
Laurem Construction is appealing to An Bord Pleanála for approval to build a housing estate in the townlands of Baunmore and Gortnahown, on the south-east edge of Athenry.
The county council refused planning for the housing estate on the grounds the this site is not zoned for development, and that its eastern portion is located in the vicinity of a recorded monument.
The decision also stated that the scale and layout of the houses in the estate, lacking sufficient public and private open space, would constitute and overdevelopment of the site, and set a bad precedent for future development.
An appeal against the council’s decision has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála, which is due to make a ruling on the case by November 20.
The appeal states that the land was dezoned for development in the new Draft Local Area Plan for Athenry, prior to an public consultation on this plan.
It also argues that when the planning application was submitted last April, the council was still considering the 2012 – 2022 LAP as its last ‘statement of intent’.
The appeal states that no construction work will take place within a 20m buffer zone of the perimeter of the recorded monument, and also disputed the council’s assertions concerning its scale, layout, and provision of open space.
The greenfield site for the planned estate is located between the R347 and L3112 roads.
The plans comprised 18 four-bed, semi-detached houses; 10 three-bed, bed semi-detached houses; 13 three-bed, terraced houses; 3 four-bed, detached houses; and 5 two-bed, terraced houses.
