Mayo developer granted planning for 51-unit housing development
Mayo County Council grants planning permission for 51-unit housing development in Castlebar
MAYO County Council has granted planning permission for a 51 residential unit housing development in Castlebar after the developer revised the housing mix of the development.
MGB Land Holdings Ltd were granted planning permission to develop 51 housing units on a greenfield site at Garryduff Park East in Snugborough, Castlebar. The site is part of a masterplan development for the Garryduff area with the developer lodging three separate planning applications in 2025 to build a total of 164 new houses.
Earlier this month, MGB Land Holdings Ltd were granted planning permission for a 59 unit development on an adjacent Garryduff Park West site.
The Garryduff Park East will consist of a housing mix including 20 semi detached dwellings, ten duplex, 15 terraced and six detached units.
The developer had originally applied for planning permission for 55 dwellings in two and three storey semi-detached and terraced houses and duplex / apartment configurations.
However, Mayo County Council planners expressed concern regarding the height of the proposed development in comparison to the older residential units along Garryduff Park Road many of which are single storey in scale.
“The established pattern and form of development of this area appears to have been disregarded in the design process as the proposed scheme is largely dominated by terraced and duplex units varying from two storey and three storey in height. Mayo County Council is not satisfied that the proposed scheme represents good quality placemaking in the Garryduff area,” stated Mayo County Council officials in a letter to the applicant where they were required to submit a revised housing mix including more semi-detached and detached units.
The recommendations of the council planners were taken on board by the developer who agreed to a revised housing mix.
In response to the council's concerns regarding the height of the buildings, the architect Keith Walsh stated that the three-storey duplex buildings have been strategically located adjoining public open space areas to ensure that the increased building height is balanced by expansive open space and does not create overbearing streetscape conditions.
He added that the revisions to the site layout and housing mix demonstrate a clear and positive response to the established pattern and form of development in the surrounding area.
A number of submissions regarding the proposed development were lodged by a number of residents in the area whose concerns ranged from the height of the buildings to traffic and flooding concerns.
Due to concerns raised by the Flood Risk Management Team, the developer amended the site layout so that dwellings and access road infrastructure will not be located within the area comprising a seasonal lake while the proposed Multi-Use Games Area was also moved to a new location.
Having expressed satisfaction with the amendments made by the applicant, Mayo County Council granted planning permission for the development subject to 27 planning conditions.