2660344

development which will consist of: 41 no. 2-storey housing units, comprising 36 no. 3 bed semi-detached units and 5 no. 4 bed detached units; the formation of a new vehicular access point and a separate pedestrian / cycle access both directly off the Castlelost Road; 56 no. car parking spaces, 41 no. in curtilage ( 5 no. EV and 2 no. accessible) and 15 no. visitor (1 no. EV and 2 no. accessible) and 22 no. visitor cycle parking spaces. The proposal includes all associated hard and soft landscaping, boundary treatments, footpaths, a wastewater pumping station and all other ancillary works above and below ground

Refused

Core Refusal Reason

The development is considered an inappropriate, piecemeal, and ad hoc backland development on a constrained site that relies on access through unzoned lands and fails to integrate with the existing settlement structure, negatively impacting residential amenity.

Decision Maker's Conclusion

  • The proposal constitutes an unsustainable form of piecemeal backland development on a narrow site, characterized by a lengthy access road traversing unzoned lands which would set an undesirable precedent for fragmented development.
  • The layout is excessively dominated by road infrastructure and car parking, resulting in a poor-quality residential environment with fragmented public open space and inadequate boundary treatments that fail to achieve proper placemaking.
  • The generic design and scale of the proposed two-storey units are unsympathetic to the established single-storey residential context, creating an overbearing relationship and resulting in a loss of privacy and amenity for existing residents.

Cited Policies (CDP)

CPO 3.15CPO 4.7CPO 4.11CPO 4.13CPO 8.136CPO 8.137CPO 8.140CPO 8.197CPO 8.197aCPO 15.2CPO 16.10CPO 16.11

Decision Document Summary

Strongly Ltd proposed a development of 41 residential units (36 semi-detached and 5 detached) on a 0.167ha site at Castlelost Road, Rochfortbridge, located behind an established row of single-storey dwellings. Westmeath County Council refused the application, citing that the project represents an illogical and fragmented extension of the settlement that fails to integrate with the surrounding urban context. The decision was heavily influenced by the site's constrained nature, the reliance on unz...
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