Laois housing estate approved after years of planning battles
There have been many objections to the proposed estate in Portarlington
Planning permission has been granted for the construction of a new housing estate on a site in Portarlington which has been subject to a number of planning applications in recent years.
Laois County Council has granted permission on a conditional basis to Garryduff Properties for the construction of 38 residential dwellings on a green field site in Cooltederry, Portarlington.
The development will be located south of the existing Lansdowne and Castlelea estate on a site measuring 1.128 hectares. The new estate would also be accessed from Lansdowne and Castlelea.
The application received 17 objections from local residents citing numerous concerns.
Among the issues highlighted within the objections were traffic congestion and road safety in the estates, the reduction of green space and the potential impact on the ecology of the area, as well as the scale of the new development and its “inappropriate” density mix.
A number of residents also pointed out that the proposed two-storey homes would encroach on the privacy of those living behind the houses.
A common complaint raised was that the existing estate is unfinished and no additional development should be allowed until the rest of the estate is complete.
A near identical planning application was lodged for the site back in 2017. Pat Moore Partnership was granted planning permission for 39 residential units on the site.
This application faced similar opposition from local residents and the decision to grant permission was appealed to An Bord Pleanála at the time. However, they approved the plans.
These plans did not move ahead and in 2022 an extension of duration of permission was sought. However, the developer said there was “insufficient time to commence and make substantial progress with the site.”
In 2024, Garryduff Properties again lodged plans for a development consisting of 40 homes on the site, but that application was declared withdrawn after the Council’s request for further information was not responded to within the designated time frame.
All of these applications were met with objections. In response to the objections to this latest application, Garryduff Properties said they “acknowledge the concerns raised by local residents.”
However, they noted the issues raised were “the subject of prior detailed consideration by An Bord Pleanála in the context of a near identical proposal on this same site, and in each case were found not to warrant refusal of planning permission.”
With these plans now approved by the Council, Garryduff Properties intend to construct 38 homes on the site which will consist of a mixture of dwelling types.
Included in this are 2 single storey detached houses, 2 single storey semi-detached houses, 10 two-storey semi-detached houses, 12 two-storey terraced houses and 2 three-storey duplex and apartment buildings, each comprising 4 two-storey duplex units and 2 two-bedroom apartments.
The proposed development will also include estate roads, footpaths, public open space, foul and surface water drainage, landscaping and all associated infrastructure works.
The conditions set out by the Council are generally standard. Among them, it has been ordered that the developer must revise the plans to include biodiversity enhancement in the green areas and 10% of all car parking spaces must provide electric vehicle charging stations.
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