23611
the construction of two new houses. The existing house, site entrance and driveway and wastewater treatment system shall be retained. Each of the proposed houses shall be part single -storey and part two-stories in height. Both are 4-bedroom houses and have floor areas of 228 square-meteres and 214 square meters respectively. Access to the new house will be provided through a new shared driveway, branching from the existing driveway which shall be accessed through the existing site entrance which shall be used as the shared entrance for all three houses. The application also includes installation of two new waste water treatment systems as well as all associated landscape and ancillary site works
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development would result in an excessive density of one-off housing in a rural area that already exceeds the maximum threshold of 30 units per square kilometre, leading to the undesirable suburbanisation of agricultural land.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The density of one-off housing in the vicinity is measured at 39 units per square kilometre, which significantly exceeds the limit of 30 units set out in Objective HO O59 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029.
- The applicants failed to adequately demonstrate compliance with local housing need criteria, as they did not provide sufficient evidence of a 16-year residency link to the specific rural area as required for social or economic need.
- The development would exacerbate an excessive density of development in a rural area and contribute to the increasing suburbanisation of land designated for agricultural activity, contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.