2460334
development at this site of c.1.48 hectares bounded by Draycott Lodge to the south west and Whitefield Manor to the north east in the townland of Donacarney Great & Betaghstown, as well as along Pilltown Road & the “Narroways” Bettystown Co Meath the development will consist of: A) The construction of 49 no. residential dwellings comprising: 33 no. houses (31 no. 3 bedroom dwellings and 2 no. 4 bedroom houses [all 2 storey]) and 16 no. apartments/duplex apartments in 1 no. 3 storey building (comprising 8 no. ground floor 1-bedroom apartments and 8 no. 3-bedroom duplex units above - all apartments/duplex units to include terrace/private amenity space); B) Vehicular/pedestrian access from the Pilltown Road along with the provision of a footpath along the Pilltown Road and the ‘Narrowways’ to tie in and meet the existing footpath at Sevitt Manor; C) The provision of 94 no. surface resident car parking spaces (including visitor) as well as bicycle storage for apartments; internal road and shared surface networks including pedestrian paths; D) Provision of c. 0.2 ha of public open space in a series of spaces as well as outdoor play area and landscaped planting; E) Provision of foul and surface water drainage as well as bin stores; public lighting and all associated landscaping and boundary treatment works, site development and infrastructural works, ESB substations, and all ancillary works necessary to facilitate the development, including the upgrade of the foul wastewater pipe (for c.80m) along the Pilltown Road. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared in respect of the proposed development
Core Refusal Reason
The Planning Authority determined that the application lacked sufficient technical detail regarding site access, flood risk justification, and surface water management to warrant a grant of permission at this stage.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to demonstrate adequate and separate access to remaining agricultural lands and provided insufficient details for continuous pedestrian footpaths and compliant bicycle storage.
- The Site Specific Flood Risk Assessment (SSFRA) was deemed inadequate as it failed to assess recurring flooding on the adjacent public road and did not include the mandatory 'Justification Test' required by national guidelines.
- The proposed surface water drainage system and public lighting scheme do not meet the technical requirements of the Council's Environment and Transportation sections, requiring significant redesign and further investigation.