2360244
construct 74 Unit Residential Development consisting of 6 No. A/A1-Type two storey semi-detached 4 bedroom houses, 6 No. B-Type two storey semi-detached 4 bedroom Houses, 12 No. C/C1-Type two storey terrace 3 bedroom houses, 20 no. D/D1-Type two storey terrace 3 bedroom houses, 2 No. E/E1-Type two storey semi-detached 5 bedroom houses and 2 no. three storey Apartment blocks with 14 no. apartments incorporating 1,2 & 3 bedroom units. The proposed development will also include 2 new site entrances, one entrance onto Bracklone Street and one entrance onto Canal Road, an internal access road, footpaths, car-parking, cycle parking, boundary treatments, lighting, bin storage, public open space, private amenity space, foul and surface water drainage, water services, landscaping and all associated infrastructure works and services on 2.33 Ha on lands at Canal Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois.
Core Refusal Reason
The Planning Authority determined that the proposed development was unacceptable in its current form due to the inappropriate scale and visual impact of the apartment blocks, non-compliance with Part V social housing requirements, and a lack of critical technical information regarding road safety, drainage, and environmental contamination.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The bulk and scale of the proposed three-storey apartment blocks are considered out of context with the existing single-storey dwellings on Bracklone Street, posing a detrimental visual impact and significant overlooking concerns.
- The application fails to provide a required phasing arrangement and does not meet the 20% Part V social housing obligation applicable to the subject lands under the Affordable Housing Act 2021.
- Significant technical deficiencies exist in the proposal regarding road safety audits, pedestrian and cycle connectivity, the design of the surface water management system (SuDS), and the assessment of legacy environmental contamination from the site's former industrial use.