Core Planning Reasoning
The development was refused primarily because the applicant failed to demonstrate a genuine economic or social need to reside in an 'Area Under Holiday Home Pressures' contrary to Policy RH-O-2, alongside technical concerns regarding inconsistent wastewater site characterization and inadequate surface water drainage details.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to provide sufficient documentary evidence, such as employment or school records, to satisfy the 'social or economic need' criteria required for housing in an area under strong holiday home influence.
- There are significant inconsistencies in the Site Characterisation Assessment regarding the depth to bedrock (reported as both 1.1m and 1.9m), meaning the suitability of the site for safe wastewater treatment cannot be confirmed.
- The proposal lacks sufficient detail regarding the management of surface water and the culverting of an existing land drain, posing a risk of flooding to adjacent third-party lands.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy RH-O-2Policy RH-P-9Policy WW-P-6Policy WW-P-2Chapter 6Chapter 16Table 16.5Map 6.3.1Map 11.1 Scenic AmenityPolicy L-P-8
Decision Document Summary
The proposal involves the erection of a single-storey dwelling house and a wastewater treatment system on an elevated 0.43ha site in Aghalatty, Carrigart, Co. Donegal. Although the Planning Authority initially granted permission, the decision was appealed by a third party. The site is located in an 'Area Under Holiday Home Pressures' according to the 2024-2030 Donegal County Development Plan. The Inspector argued that the applicant's claim of being 'born and reared' in the area was not supported...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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