Core Planning Reasoning
The development would exceed the Core Strategy population and housing targets for Courtown and constitutes overdevelopment that is incongruous in scale, massing, and height with the existing village character and harbour setting.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposal is contrary to the Core Strategy and sequential approach to development as the settlement has already exceeded its housing allocation and the site is on the village edge while more central opportunity sites remain vacant.
- The density of 151 units per hectare and the four-storey height represent overdevelopment that would dominate and appear incongruous next to the prevailing low-density character of the harbour and surrounding single/two-storey properties.
- The application lacks specific operational details to justify its classification as 'assisted living', and as such, the provision of only 5 car parking spaces is inadequate for a location with limited public transport and social infrastructure.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Objective CS02 (Population and housing targets)Objective CS04 (Compact growth/Infill development)Objective CS05 (30% delivery within built-up footprint)Objective CS21 (Growth in Service Settlements)Table 4-5 (Indicative density and scale)Objective SH01 (Sustainable neighbourhoods)Objective SH02 (Quality living environment)Objective SH06 (Scale and density relative to location)Objective SH08 (Built-up footprint targets)Objective SH12 (Phased development)Objective SH36 (Independent living and older people support)Objective TV08 (Sense of place and character)Objective TV44 (Scale of infill development)Volume 2 DM Manual Section 3.9 (Nursing Homes)Volume 2 DM Manual Section 3.10 (Sheltered Housing)Volume 2 DM Manual Table 6-7 (Car Parking Standards)
Decision Document Summary
Cara Living Ltd. proposed a three-to-four storey L-shaped building containing 18 'assisted living' apartments and a ground-floor café on a 0.119 ha brownfield site overlooking Courtown Harbour. While Wexford County Council initially granted permission, the project was appealed by local resident associations. The Inspector argued that the development is premature under the 2022-2028 County Development Plan, as Courtown has already surpassed its housing targets. Furthermore, the Inspector noted th...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
Note: If code appears below, the council site is blocking the preview. Please open the original file.