Planning process begins for over 500 Athlone homes
A bid to secure planning approval for a massive 547 housing unit development at Lissywollen, Athlone, is underway.
The proposed developers, Alanna Roadbridge Developments Ltd, have now formally entered a new fast-track planning process, which allows planning applications for major housing projects to be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanala.
The application is for 547 units, comprising 279 houses and 268 apartments, two creches, and associated site works.
It’s expected that, in total, 70% of these homes will be for the private market, with the remaining 30% being built for social housing.
The overall 39.5 acre site for the proposed development surrounds the existing Brawney estate in Lissywollen and extends east towards the ESB facility in Garrycastle.
The project involves, and is dependent on, the development of a controversial link road between the Ballymahon Road roundabout and Garrycastle Road roundabout which must be completed by the end of September 2020.
The project backed by the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is the flagship housing scheme in the county and was initially spearheaded by Westmeath County Council which owned the lands.
A formal agreement with the consortium Alanna Roadbridge, who provided the successful tender for the project, was signed earlier this year.
The developer will pay €2.4 million to the council for the lands and to construct the access road and housing units.
Two weeks ago, the developers submitted a request to An Bord Pleanala under legislation governing Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) seeking a formal pre-application consultation meeting.
This must be held within six weeks and involves the applicant, the board, and the relevant planning authority.
Following this meeting, An Bord Pleanala will rule whether the documents submitted constitute a reasonable basis for an application – and if so, a formal planning application will then be lodged.
Once lodged with An Bord Pleanála, full planning applications for SHDs are to be decided within a mandatory 16-week period which also includes public consultation and submission of a report by the planning authority.
If approved, works are likely to begin on the necessary access road next June.
The housing units are expected to be delivered in six phases, with the first batch of houses likely to be started in October 2020.
The final phase of the massive housing project could be completed by autumn 2024. Each housing phase must have between 25% and 35% of social housing.
The controversial Lissywollen South access road has sparked objections from residents in the Brawny area. They say it will dissect their community and cut off half the estate from the green space and football pitch.
They argue that what was proposed as an access road for the new housing development, is now being constituted as a link road between two major existing routes.