Appeal against granted Letterkenny 57-bed residential/student blocks plans lodged

An appeal has been lodged to An Coimisiún Pleanála against approved planning permission for a major student and residential accommodation project in Letterkenny. 

Donegal County Council had granted conditional planning permission in February, which involves the building of three separate building blocks, containing accommodation bedrooms for 30 students and 15 residential apartments. There is a total of 57 bedrooms proposed for the plans. 

Omega Fusion Ltd, the listed applicant for the proposal, had planning granted for the demolition of an existing house and sheds on a site to the rear of the Pulse Nightclub, and close to the An Grianan Theatre. 

The proposed construction includes a four-storey student accommodation unit containing 30 bedrooms, living accommodation and a roof terrace amenity space, a three-storey apartment building containing six two-bedroom apartments, and another three-storey apartment block containing six two-bedroom apartments and three one-bedroom apartments.

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MH Associates Architects and Surveyors, on behalf of the listed applicant, stated in the design statement: “This scheme seeks to transform an underutilised, centrally located, urban site into a high-quality residential development that will contribute to Letterkenny’s growing housing needs.”

However, within the lodged appeal, several reasons and factors were alleged as reasons why the appellant believed the proposals should not continue forward, including privacy and amenity, separation distances, boundary treatment, and contextual design.

A total of nine grounds of appeal were presented. These grounds were the “direct overlooking” of a home and garden, “failure to meet required separation distances,” “overbearing height and visual dominance,” “inadequate parking and overspill into Highfield Place,” “inadequate fire engine access/fire safety certificate,” ”excessive density and overdevelopment,” “noise, disturbance and loss of amenity and security,” “loss of biodiversity,” and the “site notice.”

The appellant stated: “In conclusion, I wish to state I am not anti-development, but had the application on this site been for a realistic density with all the required safety and parking requirements, I would not have objected.”

An Coimisiún Pleanála has set a case decision due date for July 23.