2360301

RETENTION PERMISSION for change of use from a ground floor office to a ground floor one-bedroom apartment. The previous planning permission (reference 99813860) designated the floorspace as office use and it has since been modified to a one-bedroomed apartment on the ground floor

Refused

Core Refusal Reason

The development materially contravenes the commercial zoning objective of the Athlone Town Development Plan and fails to meet minimum national standards for residential accommodation, resulting in a poor standard of amenity for future occupiers.

Decision Maker's Conclusion

  • The proposed change of use from office to residential would result in the loss of commercial floorspace, thereby materially contravening the 'Commercial' zoning objective (O-LZ5) of the Athlone Town Development Plan 2014-2020.
  • The apartment fails to meet the minimum internal floor area requirements for a kitchen/living/dining space as set out in the 2018 National Apartment Guidelines, providing a substandard level of residential accommodation.
  • The proposed private open space is poorly located, lacks direct access from the unit, is overlooked by commercial uses, and its provision would result in the loss of necessary car parking spaces for the mixed-use development.

Cited Policies (CDP)

Objective O-LZ5Policy P-DU3Policy P-RLD7Policy P-RLD3Section 12.9.13Section 12.9.14Policy P-RD3Policy P-APT2Policy P-SR4Policy P-POS1

Decision Document Summary

This application sought retention permission for the conversion of a ground-floor office into a one-bedroom apartment at the Flynn Complex, Roscommon Road, Athlone. The site is situated within a terrace block zoned for commercial use. Westmeath County Council refused the application primarily because the residential use conflicts with the commercial zoning objective of the Athlone Town Development Plan. Furthermore, the planning authority determined that the unit provides a poor standard of resi...
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