Core Refusal Reason
The proposal fails to meet the criteria for dependent relative accommodation due to a lack of physical connection to the main house, inappropriate backland siting, and unverified wastewater treatment capacity.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to demonstrate a bona-fide need for the unit, and the development lacks a physical connection to the main dwelling, preventing easy reintegration as required by policy CPO 16.29.
- The siting of the self-contained unit to the rear of the main house constitutes unacceptable backland development that is out of character with the established pattern of development in the rural area.
- Insufficient documentation was provided to confirm that the existing septic tank has the capacity to serve the additional residential unit, posing a potential risk to public health.
Cited Policies (CDP)
CPO 16.29CPO 16.32CPO 16.33CPO 10.94
Decision Document Summary
Patrick Cheevers sought retention permission for the conversion of a garage into a 104sqm two-storey 'granny flat' at Ballynameagh, Coole, Co. Westmeath. The Planning Authority refused the application because the unit functions as a standalone dwelling without a physical link to the main house, fails to justify a bona-fide need, and represents haphazard backland development. Additionally, the applicant failed to prove that the existing wastewater treatment system could accommodate the increased ...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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