Core Refusal Reason
The site is unsuitable for wastewater treatment due to its location over a highly vulnerable karst aquifer with shallow soil depth, posing a significant risk to groundwater quality and nearby European protected sites.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The site overlies a Regionally Important Karstified Aquifer with 'Extreme' vulnerability and very shallow soil cover, making it unsuitable for the safe disposal of domestic effluent.
- The proposed development poses an unacceptable risk to water quality and would likely have significant adverse effects on the conservation objectives of the Inner Galway Bay SPA and Galway Bay Complex SAC.
- The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the site can adequately treat and discharge wastewater loadings, which would be prejudicial to public health and contrary to environmental protection policies.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy Objective RH1Policy Objective RH2Policy Objective RC 2Policy Objective RH 9Policy Objective NBH 1Policy Objective NHB 3Policy Objective FL1Policy Objective LCM 2Policy Objective LCM 3Policy Objective WR 1Policy Objective WW 6Policy Objective WW 11Policy Objective WS7Policy Objective WS8DM Standard 7DM Standard 8DM Standard 9DM Standard 11DM Standard 28DM Standard 29DM Standard 36DM Standard 37DM Standard 38DM Standard 46DM Standard 47DM Standard 50DM Standard 67
Decision Document Summary
The applicant sought permission to construct a 222.40sqm dwelling house and wastewater treatment system at Cloosh, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Although the Planning Authority acknowledged that the applicant met the rural housing need requirements of Policy Objective RH2, the application was refused on environmental grounds. The site's location over a highly sensitive karst aquifer with minimal soil depth meant that the proposed wastewater system could not guarantee the protection of groundwater or the ...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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