Major setback in Kildare as nearly 100 homes are blocked by planners

Plans for a major €17 million residential development in Sallins, Co. Kildare have been refused by the local authority.

The decision can be appealed by the developer which may also modify its plans and re-apply for permission. 

The proposed scheme, located on the Sallins Link Road at Osberstown, sought to deliver a mixed-use development comprising 99 homes and a childcare facility on a 3.99-hectare site.

Developer Neville Homes Ltd had applied for permission to construct 75 houses and 24 own-door duplex apartments.

The housing mix included 63 three-bedroom and 12 four-bedroom houses, ranging from two to three storeys in height, alongside four three-storey duplex blocks.

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The apartment element would have provided 10 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom and two three-bedroom units, each with private balconies or terraces.

In addition, the plans included a single-storey creche of approximately 207 square metres with an outdoor play area, as well as a range of supporting infrastructure. This included 131 car parking spaces, cycle parking, internal roads, footpaths, landscaped public open space and a pedestrian link to the nearby Grand Canal Greenway.

The development also proposed a new vehicular and pedestrian entrance from the Sallins Link Road, along with the demolition of an existing agricultural shed and the installation of drainage and other site services.

The application was lodged in July 2025, with a decision issued on March 6, 2026, refusing permission for the scheme. Planning documentation was prepared by a design team led by Mcorm Architecture, with SCA Planning acting as agent.

A wide range of specialist consultants were engaged in the project, covering areas such as transport, ecology, acoustics, landscape design and engineering.

While the proposed development aimed to add to housing supply in the Sallins area, the refusal highlights ongoing challenges facing large-scale residential projects, particularly around planning considerations and infrastructure capacity.

No details of an appeal have yet been confirmed.