Core Refusal Reason
The application was refused because the applicant failed to demonstrate a genuine rural housing need and the site was deemed unsuitable for safe effluent disposal due to poor drainage and proximity to a protected bog.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the Planning Authority that they meet the rural housing need criteria for a 'Rural Area under Strong Urban Pressure' as required by Policy Objective RH 1.
- Due to the site's location on blanket peat and its poor drainage characteristics, the safe disposal of domestic effluent cannot be guaranteed in accordance with the EPA Code of Practice, posing a risk to public health and the nearby Moycullen Bogs NHA.
- The proposed development would materially contravene multiple policy objectives regarding water protection and rural housing, setting an undesirable precedent for similar unsustainable development in the area.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy Objective RH 1Policy Objective WR 1Policy Objective WW 4Policy Objective WW 6DM Standard 38DM Standard 36DM Standard 11Policy Objective RH 9Policy Objective FL 1Policy Objective LCM 2Policy Objective LCM 3DM Standard 6DM Standard 7DM Standard 8DM Standard 28DM Standard 46DM Standard 47DM Standard 50DM Standard 67
Decision Document Summary
The proposal involved the construction of a serviced dwelling, garage, and effluent treatment system at An Chorrbhuaile (Morgan), Barna, on a site characterized by high landscape sensitivity and proximity to the Moycullen Bogs NHA. Galway County Council refused permission primarily because the applicant did not demonstrate a functional rural housing need under the current County Development Plan. Furthermore, the site's physical constraints, specifically the presence of blanket peat and poor dra...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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