22329
the importation and insertion of c.100,000 tonnes of excavation spoil, over a five-year period and not exceeding 25,000 tonnes in a single year. The excavation spoil comprises of natural materials of clay, silt, sand, gravel or stone beneficial for agricultural purposes. On site equipment includes: existing site wheel wash, exiting mobile portacabin welfare facilities, existing material inspection and quarantine area. There is no planned removal of hedge line vegetation on the perimeter of the site. Significant Further Information / Revised plans submitted on this application.
Core Planning Reasoning
The applicant failed to demonstrate a substantiated economic or social need to reside in a rural area under strong urban influence; additionally, the development would pose a traffic hazard on a substandard road and negatively impact the visual amenities of the landscape.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant did not meet the criteria for 'Rural Links' or 'Substantiated Rural Housing Need' required for areas under strong urban influence under the Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028 and National Policy Objective 19.
- The local access road (L8577) is considered seriously substandard in terms of width and alignment, and the traffic generated would endanger public safety and road users.
- The suburban design, 8.5-metre ridge height, and the elevated nature of the site relative to its surroundings would result in a development that is visually conspicuous and detrimental to the character of the rural landscape.