Plans for large scale housing development in Tullamore put on hold
A large scale development planned for Collins Lane in Tullamore has been put on hold by Offaly County Council.
The council is seeking further information from the applicant Collins Lane Housing Development Ltd who is proposing to build 126 residential units comprising 102 houses and 24 apartments.
The development also includes a single-story, childcare facility/crèche containing pre-school and after-school facilities with associated, on-site parking, bicycle shelter, bins/recycling stores and amenity/play areas.
Vehicular access is proposed off the existing roundabouts on the north-south link road between Collins Lane (R443) and the Educate Together School.
A new vehicular entrance serving the development is also planned off the R443, Collin’s Lane. As well as an internal link road to The Hawthorns housing estate to the north of the site. The application is in the name of Collins Lane Housing Development Ltd.
The proposal received a number of submissions with some people expressing concerns that the apartments facing onto Collins Lane contain balconies, ''which appear in some drawings'' as fronting onto Collins Lane.
Another ''serious concern'' one person has is with the proposal to provide direct vehicular road access from the proposed development onto Collins Lane. The submission said, ''such a proposal would be detrimental to road safety and effective traffic management. ''
Another said ''the proposed construction of two apartment blocks incorporating 16 units facing onto Collins Lane will be totally out of character with the detached row of 13 bungalows constructed on the opposite side of Collins Lane.'' It went on to describe how two of the apartments would directly overlook their family home, resulting in a loss of privacy.
Earlier in the week John Flanagan Developments Ltd was granted conditional approval to construct 148 dwellings consisting of 90 houses, 20 apartments and 38 age friendly assisted living units, a crèche and all ancillary works, including public and private open space areas, car parking, bicycle parking and bin and bicycle stores at the Wellwood Housing site at Tyrell's Road, Ardan/Puttaghan, Tullamore.