Core Refusal Reason
The application failed to meet traffic safety standards due to the proximity of the site access to a regional road junction, lacked sufficient evidence to confirm the applicant's local rural housing need, and raised concerns regarding the intensity of development on the parent landholding.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed site access is located approximately 52m from the junction with the R420 Strategic Regional Road, which is significantly below the 100m minimum distance required by the Roads and Parking Standards 2007, creating a traffic hazard.
- The applicant failed to provide definitive confirmation that they meet the 'Local Rural Housing Need' criteria, specifically regarding whether they currently own or have previously owned a dwelling in the local rural area.
- There are significant concerns regarding the proliferation of one-off housing on the subject landholding, which has been the subject of at least six planning applications, necessitating a comprehensive review of landownership and future development intent.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Table 4.4 of the Laois CDP 2021-2027Table 3.1 of the Roads and Parking Standards 2007Policy DM BNH 5Policy DM BNH 27Policy DM BNH 28Policy DM BNH 30Appendix 7 of the Laois County Development Plan 2021-2027
Decision Document Summary
The proposal sought outline planning permission for a two-storey dwelling and effluent treatment system on a 0.303-hectare agricultural site at Lea, Portarlington, Co. Laois. Located within an 'Area Under Strong Urban Influence', the development was scrutinized for compliance with rural housing policy and traffic safety. The Planning Authority identified that the proposed entrance was dangerously close to a Strategic Regional Road junction and that the applicant had not fully demonstrated a genu...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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