Core Refusal Reason
The proposed retention of the one-bedroom apartment fails to meet minimum national and local standards for internal floorspace, private open space, and daylight provision, resulting in a poor standard of residential amenity for future occupiers.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The development fails to meet the minimum internal accommodation standards and design requirements set out in the national 'Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments 2018' guidelines.
- The unit provides substandard residential amenity due to its single-aspect north-facing orientation, poor daylight penetration, and inadequate, poorly accessed private open space that is overlooked by commercial units.
- Permitting the retention would contravene specific policies of the Athlone Town Development Plan 2014-2020 regarding urban design and would set an undesirable precedent for similar substandard residential developments.
Cited Policies (CDP)
O-LZ5P-DU3P-RLD7P-RLD3Section 12.9.13Section 12.9.14P-RD3P-APT2P-SR4P-POS1
Decision Document Summary
This application sought retention permission for the conversion of ground-floor commercial office space into a one-bedroom apartment at the Flynn Complex, Roscommon Road, Athlone. The site is located within a mixed-use terrace block on lands zoned 'Commercial' under the Athlone Town Development Plan 2014-2020. Westmeath County Council refused the application because the apartment provides a substandard level of residential amenity, specifically citing failures to meet national and local standard...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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