Core Refusal Reason
Failure to demonstrate that effluent can be safely discharged to the ground without risk to public health and the environment due to extreme aquifer vulnerability, high fractured bedrock, and insufficient separation distances to a private borewell.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The site is underlain by a locally important aquifer with an extreme vulnerability rating, and it has not been proven that effluent can be discharged without risking groundwater contamination.
- Site inspections and trial holes confirmed high fractured bedrock as shallow as 0.45m below the surface, which is unsuitable for the proposed wastewater treatment and percolation system.
- The proposed percolation area is located approximately 43m from a downgradient private borewell, failing to meet the minimum 60m separation distance required by the EPA Code of Practice.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy 9.2.5Section 4.4 Sustainable Rural Housing GuidelinesSection 6.3 EPA Code of Practice 2021Scenic View V3
Decision Document Summary
The applicants sought permission for a new single-storey dwelling, garage, and wastewater treatment system at Knockbodaly, Graiguenamanagh, a rural upland site near a protected scenic view. While the Planning Authority noted that previous concerns regarding traffic sightlines and ecological impacts had been largely addressed, the application was ultimately refused on environmental grounds. The decision was based on the site's extreme aquifer vulnerability and shallow bedrock levels, which, combi...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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