Barrymore housing plan on hold after appeal

Controversial plans for 43 new homes in the lakeside area of Barrymore are on hold after an appeal was lodged to An Bord Pleanála in recent days. Despite local opposition in three submissions, Roscommon County Council gave the green light last month to applicant Aidan Kelly to build 33 new homes, down from 43 sought in the original application, in the picturesque setting of Barrymore, Kiltoom, one of Athlone's most sought after residential areas. Now, a number of local objectors have appealed that verdict to An Bord Pleanála in a bid to overturn the planning permission granted. The plans attracted three submissions from local residents during the local planning process, including one from Tim McCarthy of Bellcourt, Barrymore, who claimed the development would be wholly inappropriate for the area and detrimental to the character of the locality. He also criticised the scale of the housing development, arguing the local infrastructure is not in place to deal with such a large project, as well as claiming that it has the potential to become a ghost estate in the future and a site of traffic congestion. Another objector, Alan McNiece, who has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála, stated that the development would be particularly detrimental to the quality of life for residents of Bellcourt, a cluster of six homes, by placing an urban style development on the edge of development set in a largely rural area. He also has major misgivings about the ability of the junction with the N61, which he said is regularly congested, to cope with extra traffic from such a large project, contending the plans are actually contrary to the council's own local area plan and development plans in relation to residential development. Meanwhile, Alistair Gray submitted in his objection during the local planning process that the development is more suited to a city or a large town, pointing out that if it were to go ahead along with another application for 50 other houses in Barrymore by the same developer, the number of houses in the area would swell by 70% to 223. A verdict is expected from An Bord Pleanála by June 12 next.