22381
(A) Change of use of existing vacant ground floor retail unit to residential use consisting of 1 no. single storey, 2-bedroom apartment and 1no. single storey, 1-bedroom apartment. This includes the removal of the existing shopfront to be replaced by 3no. windows and 2no. entrance doors to the front (east) elevation. (B) Change of use of existing, adjoining vacant public house to residential use consisting of 1 no. two-storey terraced 3-bedroom house and 1 no. semi-detached 4-bedroom house. This includes the removal of the existing entrance doors and provision of 2no. new windows and 1no. new entrance door to the front (east) elevation. (C) Permission for alterations to the side (north) elevation consisting of the removal of the existing ground floor porch window, to be replaced by a new entrance door and provision of 1no. new ground floor window. (D) Permission for the demolition of existing flat roof portion of public house to rear (west) elevation to facilitate the provision of private rear gardens for the proposed houses. (E) Permission for alterations to the rear (west) elevation consisting of the removal of 2no. rooflights and the provision of 4no. new ground floor windows, 2no. ground floor sliding doors and 4no. new first floor dormer windows. (F) Permission for 4no. new connections to the existing foul drainage network and upgrade of the existing effluent treatment system and percolation area to accommodate the development, consisting of a sand polishing filter overlaid on the existing soil polishing filter. (G) Permission for on-site car and bicycle parking with new screen boundary walls and all associated site development works
Core Refusal Reason
The proposal failed to demonstrate a sustainable wastewater treatment strategy, specifically regarding the preference for public sewer connection, and lacked adequate provisions for pedestrian safety and site landscaping.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to provide adequate pedestrian infrastructure, specifically a 2m footpath from the rear car park to the front parking area, and lacked a comprehensive boundary treatment and landscaping plan.
- The proposed use of a private wastewater treatment system is contrary to the County Development Plan's policy to discourage individual units where a public WWTP is available, as the feasibility of connecting to the Newtown Irish Water WWTP was not sufficiently explored.
- Insufficient technical information and hydrogeological assessments were submitted to ensure that the proposed on-site effluent treatment and polishing filter would not negatively impact groundwater or surface water receptors.