Green light for Offaly housing development

An Bord Pleanala has granted permission to Monroe Street Develoopments Ltd to construct 10 dwellings at Abbey Court, Kilcoursey, Clara.

The Inspector for the Board described Abbey Court as ''a small housing estate of recent origin off the Kilbeggan Road at the outskirts of Clara, comprising largely two storey semi-detached dwellings and a few detached dormer dwellings.

''The road into Abbeycourt rises from the Kilbeggan Road. The residential estate is well maintained. A dormer bungalow fronting the Kilbeggan Road and another residential road of detached dwellings adjoin to the east.''

The proposed site comprises a rectangular plot of ground surrounded by a high fence. The application is for 10 dwellings consisting of 6 semi-detached 3 bedroom 2 storey dwelling units facing onto the R436 Kilbeggan road and 4 terraced 2 storey dwelling units facing onto Abbeycourt estate road.

A proposed road from the Abbeycourt estate road, will run along the side of the terrace and the rear boundaries of the semi-detached dwellings, to access shared carparking, and provide rear access to dwellings.

The original application to Offaly County Council received a number of submissions.

One claimed that while the site size has not increased the developer is trying to ''squeeze two extra houses in, to the detriment of our estate.''

It continued, ''most of the current houses on the estate have parking for three cars in the driveways, but the estate and entranceway is still overwhelmed by cars parked on the road. Two parking spaces for three bedroomed homes is not enough.

''The terraced houses will inevitably have cars parked on the footpath and roadway outside of them. The terraced houses are located on the bend leading to half of the estate; if one car parks at the curb at the bend, cars coming from the original estate will be impeded. It's ridiculous to think that more than 20 extra cars won't negatively impact a small roadway entrance way,'' the submission states.

Another submission said that ''visually the new plan is not aesthetically pleasing, it does not fit in with the current estate. Especially with the surrounding houses on the main road.''

In September 2022 Offaly County Council granted permission for the development subject to 17 conditions. This was later appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

The appellants said the proposed development would create an ''overbearing visual impact on the area'' It also contended that there was a ''lack of consideration to maintaining the physical character of the area,'' and the houses would be ''out of character''.

The submission claimed that some of the houses immediately adjacent to Abbeycourt will have windows looking directly down into existing gardens.

The Inspector for An Bord Pleanala said that the main issues which arise in relation to the appeal are appropriate assessment, residential amenity and visual impact.

Under the heading of Appropriate Assessment the inspector said,'' I am satisfied that no appropriate assessment issues arise and it is not considered that the proposed development would be likely to have a significant effect individually or in combination with other plans or projects on a European site.''

Under Residential Amenity the inspector said, ''in my opinion impact on residential amenity should not be a reason to refuse or modify the proposed development.''

Finally under the Visual Impact heading the inspector said ''In my opinion the proposed development will enhance the visual amenity of the area and visual impact should not be a reason to refuse or modify the proposed development.''