210-home housing project rejected

An Bord Pleanála has refused permission for a 210-unit residential development at Westlodge, saying it was inappropriate, would represent a substandard development and would endanger public safety by way of a traffic hazard. Erris Homes Ltd had last year been granted permission by Athlone Town Council for the development, located at the rear of Westlodge, which comprised 210 residential units, creche and community centre facilities, basement carparking and a new entrance onto Battery Road and via an adjoining permitted development onto Clonown Road. The development was to consist of two three and four storey buildings giving accommodation to 19 semi-detached houses; ten terraced blocks containing 40 units - 37 three-beds and three four-beds; three detached houses made up of two three-bed and one four-bed; four mixed apartment/duplex blocks, containing 14 two-bed apartments, four three-bed apartments, eight two-bed apartments and 12 three-bed duplex and four apartment blocks containing 81 two bed apartments and ten three-bed apartments. The town council had given the go-ahead to development in June of last year, but imposed 60 conditions on the developer in granting permission. This decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála in July by Mark Egan, representing the Westlodge Area Residents and Ann and Michael Conway and others. Last Friday An Bord Pleanála turned down the development, stating that the proposed development would result in a substandard and inappropriate form of development that would seriously injure the residential amenity of future occupants. An Bord Pleanála said the temporary access as proposed for the initial phase and construction traffic from Battery Road would constitute a traffic hazard. "Battery Road is residential in character, with sharp bends and on-street parking and is not suitable for high volumes of traffic proposed during construction and for the additional traffic movements that would be generated for phase one of the proposed residential development," the board stated. It said the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of this traffic hazard. The planning board said the development would be inappropriate because of the inadequate quality of private and public open space, a number of single aspect apartments, the provision of bin storage areas close to public footpaths, the number of gables that faced onto roads, the dominance of the road layout in the design and by the absence of a 'sense of place' throughout the scheme. An Bord Pleanála also stated that the proposed development would fail to integrate or compliment the existing character of the area and would represent a substandard form of development, which would contravene the policies and standards set out in the current development plan for the area. It said the development would seriously injure the amenities of the area and the residential amenities of future occupants. The inspector's report, which will give more detailed reasons for the board's refusal, will be published today (Wednesday).