Decision to allow 100-home development in Bandon overturned

An Bord Pleanála has overturned a decision by Cork County Council to allow a near 100-home development to proceed in Bandon, mainly because the density of housing fell short of ministerial guidelines.

Compass Homes Ltd was granted permission by the local authority last February, with 48 conditions, for the project at Coolfadda, which is 1.4 km to the west of Bandon town centre.

The company wanted to construct 35 detached homes, 58 semi-detached and six terraced houses and had designated 26 of these homes for 'active retirement' people rather than families.

An Bord Pleanála inspector Hugh Morrison said the developer's plans "would fail to achieve a density of residential development commensurate with the mandatory requirement" of ministerial guidelines.

Mr Morrison said, as a result, the plan represented an inefficient use of this zoned urban site.

He added that the types of housing suggested "would frustrate the quest to limit the incidence of suburban commuter-orientated development".

Mr Morrison said this would contravene an objective in the county council's own County Development Plan, and thus would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

His views were upheld by the board of An Bord Pleanála.

In its order refusing planning permission for the development, the board said the poor housing mix proposed would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.