Core Refusal Reason
The application was refused due to traffic safety hazards on a restricted regional road, failure to demonstrate a genuine rural housing need (urban-generated demand), and inappropriate design/scale within a sensitive landscape context.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to demonstrate a functional rural housing need as the family home is located within the village core of Belclare, classifying the proposal as urban-generated housing demand contrary to Policy Objective RH 2.
- The proposed development would create a new access onto a restricted Regional Road (R333) where required sightlines are unachievable due to road alignment and a lack of demonstrated legal interest to maintain sight triangles, posing a traffic hazard.
- The scale and design of the large two-storey dwelling are considered overbearing and fail to integrate into the rural landscape near Knockma Woods, contravening landscape sensitivity and design standards.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy Objective RC 2Policy Objective RH 2Policy Objective RH 9Policy Objective RH 16Policy Objective LCM 1Policy Objective LCM 2DM Standard 8DM Standard 26BDM Standard 28DM Standard 46
Decision Document Summary
Eanna Canavan sought permission for a 266 sqm two-storey dwelling, garage, and wastewater treatment system at Castlehackett, Belclare, Co. Galway. The site is located on the R333 regional road, a restricted route with an 80kph speed limit. The Planning Authority refused the application because the applicant's housing need was deemed urban-generated rather than rural-based, the proposed access lacked sufficient sightlines for traffic safety, and the building's design was considered insensitive to...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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