An Bord Pleanála approved over 100 new housing units in Listowel against recommendation of inspector and locals

Seán McCárthaigh

A large-scale residential development of over 100 new homes in the north Kerry town of Listowel has been approved by An Bord Pleanála against the recommendation of its own planning inspector.

The board upheld the decision of Kerry County Council to grant planning permission for the development of 62 houses and 40 apartments on a 3.3 hectare site on the western outskirts of the town.

The proposal by developer, Matthew O’Connell, for the site at Greenville Road, Listowel, which was recently being used as a construction site for works on the Listowel By, was opposed by several local residents who had appealed the council’s ruling to An Bord Pleanála.

However, the board said the development would constitute an acceptable residential density at the location and would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area.

Subject to compliance with a number of planning conditions, it said the project would also be acceptable in of urban design, place-making, height and quantum as well as in of traffic and pedestrian safety and convenience.

The board said it would also provide an acceptable form of residential amenity for future occupants of the houses and apartments.

A planning inspector with An Bord Pleanála had recommended that planning permission for the development should be refused on grounds that its design and layout did not meet planning guidelines for “compact settlements.”

The inspector said the design was “substandard” with its layout dominated by roads and car parking which would pose a road safety hazard.

She also stated that the substandard design was compounded by the failure to integrate three portions of the site which are in separate ownership.

“The proposed development would not be conducive to creating a people-friendly environment,” the inspector observed.

However, the board said it concurred with the assessment of Kerry County Council that the design and layout created “distinct neighbourhoods with usable open spaces that benefit from ive surveillance.”

It claimed the variety of house types provided a range of accommodation needs, while there was also good connectivity within the proposed development for pedestrians.

The board ruled that it complied with both the compact settlement guidelines and the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028.

While the board said it would have been preferable if the scheme had included the three land parcels that were not owned by the developer, it found that its design and layout would accommodate the future development of these sites.

Opponents of the development had raised a number of concerns including that the density was excessive and would impact on the residential amenities of existing properties in the area.

They also pointed out that the site had a history of flooding with associated concerns about the capacity of the sewage and storm water infrastructure.

In response, the developer claimed redeveloping the brownfield site would result in a positive environmental outcome.

Mr O’Connell said the site was within walking distance of Listowel and the development would provide a good balance between density and amenity as well as catering for a mix of accommodation types.