Core Refusal Reason
The application was refused due to failure to demonstrate local rural housing need, inappropriate access onto a strategic regional road (R419), and excessive building height/scale contrary to rural design guidelines.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to demonstrate a genuine local rural housing need as required for an area designated as being under 'Strong Urban Influence' in Table 4.4 of the LCDP.
- The proposed new access onto the R419 Strategic Regional Road contravenes Policy TRANS 22, which prohibits unnecessary access in high-speed zones, potentially compromising road safety and traffic flow.
- The proposed dwelling's height of 9.46m is considered excessive and over-scale for the site's topography, failing to adhere to rural design principles outlined in Appendix 7 of the Development Plan.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Table 4.4Policy TRANS 22Policy RH 10Policy DM RH 1Appendix 7National Policy Objective 19National Policy Objective 20
Decision Document Summary
Jonathan Higgins sought permission for a 290sqm two-storey dwelling and domestic garage at Ballymorris, Portarlington, Co. Laois. The 0.360ha site is located in a rural area under strong urban influence fronting the R-419 regional road. The application was refused because the applicant did not meet the local rural housing need criteria, the proposed entrance onto a strategic regional road would contravene safety policies, and the building's height was deemed excessive and visually dominant relat...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
Note: If code appears below, the council site is blocking the preview. Please open the original file.