Bord Pleanala give go ahead for big new housing development
AN Bord Pleanála has approved plans by Kingsbridge Consultancy Ltd for the building of a large housing development off the Golf Links Road.
Planning permission for the 483 new home development by-passed the normal local authority planning process as it was categorised as a Strategic Housing Development of over 100 houses which is fast tracked to An Bord Pleanala.
Local residents had voiced concerns about the scale of the development, which is 1.3km north of the village centre, and the impact it would have on the local community. Submissions regarding the development were lodged by local residents, Dundalk Golf Club and An Taisce. I
The development on a 17.55 ha site is for 483 homes as well as a 2 storey childcare facility of 677 sqm with an outdoor play area of 660 sqm, located near the main entrance to the site.
The residential units comprise 258 detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, 213 apartments in seven apartment blocks, and six own-door apartments and six duplex units in two duplex over apartment blocks. The development will also include a total of 824 car parking spaces and 512 bicycle spaces, as well as new access junction and works at the Blackrock Road.
There will also be pedestrian and cyclist accesses onto Bóthar Maol, landscaped open spaces, internal roadways and potable, surface and foul water infrastructure. It includes 3.1 hectares of of landscaped public open space and 1.4 hectare of pocket parks.
In reaching its decision. An Bord Pleanala set out 25 conditions. These included a requirement that not more than 75 residential units, excluding one-bed units, shall be made available for occupation before the completion of the childcare facility unless the developer can demonstrate to the written satisfaction of the planning authority that a childcare facility is not needed: that prior to the first occupation of any of the units, that the pedestrian and cycle links are satisfactory completed at the applicant’s expense and available for public use: that the parking areas serving apartments are provided with ducting for electric vehicle charging points; each dwelling is single use and is not to be sub-divided in any manner or used as two or more habitable units: no apartment units within the development are to be sold separately from the associated car parking spaces and all car parking spaces are for the occupants of the units and are to be sold with the units and not sold separately or let independently from the residential development.
The developer is also required to lodge a cash deposit or insurance bond to insure that any damage to roads during construction can be repaired and that roads, footpaths, watermains, drains, open spaces etc are completed, as well as development contributions.