Council refuses planning for local glamping pod project
A local woman has been refused planning permission for a proposed three-pod glamping development near Lecarrow, in south Roscommon.
Martina Conway, of Glasson, Athlone, had applied to Roscommon County Council for the construction of three one-bedroom, self-catering glamping pods at Carrowphadeen, Lecarrow, near the shores of Lough Ree.
In addition to the accommodation units, the proposal also included the renovation and extension of a derelict cottage, demolition of existing stone outbuildings, bicycle storage, an electric golf cart, and a service building containing laundry facilities and storage for operational supplies. Planning documents estimated the development would accommodate approximately 360 guests each year.
The planning authority received ten objections to the plans from local residents, whose concerns included potential issues such as road safety, inappropriate location in a residential area, and a lack of local amenities and infrastructure.
The objections also included concerns about the proposed development's impact on the area's community character, on its pets and livestock, the potential consumption of alcohol/drugs, and anti-social behaviour, in the area of the proposed development.
As part of the application, Martina Conway told council planners that the scale of the project was 'intentionally limited in order to protect biodiversity, preserve rural character and maintain environmental carrying capacity'.
She said the proposed development would provide overnight accommodation for visitors already drawn to the area's established tourism offerings of boating and sailing, angling, kayaking, walking routes, heritage, culture and eco-tourism.
“Its central location makes it an ideal base for exploring the midlands region,” she said.
“The proposed development can package experiences with other local tourism providers like Athlone Castle and Luan Gallery, Clonmacnoise and Rathcroghan, offering stay and explore heritage packages. The proposed development is located in an area rich in nature-based recreation associated with Lough Ree, River Shannon, and Lough Key Forest Park. With structured collaboration and packaging, the proposed development can serve as a premium rural anchor within the Shannon Midlands tourism corridor,” she added.
“The proposal will simply provide low impact sustainable, regenerative overnight tourist accommodation for visitors already attracted to the area,” the applicant said, while adding that the proposed development aligns with Ireland's Hidden Heartlands Regional Development Strategy.
In refusing planning permission for the development, Roscommon County Council said the scale and design of the proposed development, within the curtilage of a residential plot, was unsuitable, due to it being potentially located in “an unserviced rural area which is lacking in public infrastructure and is remote from services, facilities and public transport and active travel links”.
The council said the proposed development would give rise to '”inappropriate sporadic development in the rural area”, and would set a precedent for similarly 'inappropriate developments' elsewhere in the rural area. It added that the setting for the proposed development was not appropriate.
“The nature of the proposed development has the potential to attract a large number of visitors, likely to be predominantly dependent on accessing the area by private vehicle, and its proposed location, in a domestic rural setting, proximate to other residential dwellings would be injurious to residential amenities and depreciate the value of property in the vicinity,” the council said.
It added the proposed development would likely generate too much traffic on a minor local road, thus having the potential to endanger safety.
The council also said the proposed plans did not demonstrate the site can attenuate and dispose of wastewater safely, and stated its concerns the development could potentially affect the nearby Lough Ree Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area.