Planning refusal for new Clonard housing estate
Wexford County Council has refused planning permission for a multi-million Euro development of 58 houses in Clonard on the grounds that there are inadequate open spaces in the design and the estate entrance would endanger public safety by creating a traffic hazard.
William Neville and Sons Construction sought permission to build a scheme of two and three-storey detached, semi-detached and terraced houses of two and three bedrooms at Clonard Little beside Whitemill Industrial Estate.
The application was turned down by the local authority because ‘the design and layout fails to provide a high quality living environment serviced by well-designed and located open spaces’ as dictated by standards set out in the Department of the Environment’s ‘Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas -Guidelines for Planning Authorities’.
Council planners ruled that the proposed development also has ‘inadequate private open space’ which should be a minimum of 60 square metres and is therefore contrary to the Wexford town plan.
‘Public open space should be designed to allow for the maximum amount of passive surveillance from dwellings and the estate itself ’, planning inspectors commented.
‘The proposed open spaces adjacent to houses number 28 and 13 are not considered suitable as they adjoin the rear gardens of the dwellings and passive surveillance is very limited,’ they added.
Another reason for refusal was that the plans failed to avail of the opportunity for a gateway building on the site, as recommended in the Wexford Town and Environment Development Plan with a view to creating a strong urban design and reflecting the scale of buildings on the opposite side of the road at Clonard Village.
Planners said the proposed development of 58 houses is in excess of the maximum density permitted under the zoning of the site. The site of the proposed houses is zoned medium density residential while the eastern section is earmarked for open space and amenity.
It was also stated that the development would endanger public safety by causing a traffic hazard because the proposed entrance onto Whitemill Industrial Estate would lead to multiple entrances in a localised area and the layout failed to include a pedestrian footpath along a section of public road which features heavy traffic.
Executive planner Niamh Lennon and Senior Executive Planner James Lavin said it is the policy of Wexford County Council to encourage the building of high-quality residential communities and good urban design is essential if communities are to become places where people want to live and work.
This can be achieved by arranging house densities, streets and open spaces in a way that creates a sense of place.
The planners said the proposed development is considered substandard in design and layout for the reasons outlined.
The Housing Department of the Council and a Senior Executive Environmental Scientist recommended that planning permission be granted while Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Area Engineer requested further information. The total amount in development contributions that would have been due in relation to the housing scheme was €37,397 for roads and €21,382 for recreational and community facilities.