Glounthaune planning decision for 55 houses reversed

An Bord Pleanála has reversed Cork County Council decision to grant planning permission for 55 new houses in Glounthaune.

It upheld an appeal by a number of local residents against the council’s approval for a housing development on four-hectares at Lackenroe and Ballynarron — around 500m outside the centre of the east Cork village — albeit for different reasons.

However, the board rejected the recommendation of its own planning inspector who supported the council’s decision to grant planning permission for the project.

The proposed development at Lackenroe and Ballynarron provided for the upgrade of the Knockraha Road and access to the new housing estate would have been via a new signalised junction with Cois Chuain.

The board said the proposed development by property development firm, Bluescape, was premature in advance of the council providing road improvement works in the area given the need for infrastructural improvements to ensure there was a safe connection to the village centre and railway station for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

It also refused planning permission for the project on the basis that it was not of a sufficiently high density to achieve an acceptable efficient use of serviceable land.

Ministerial guidelines stipulate that densities of 30 housing units per hectare should generally be discouraged.

The Bluescape development, which comprised a mix of house types but predominantly three- and four-bedroom homes, had a density of 14 units per hectare.

The board said it did not accept the recommendation of its own inspector as it considered that the extra traffic generated by the development would endanger public safety as it would lead to a conflict between road users.

It said the development would also have been contrary to national planning policy which aims to achieve compact growth through “effective density and consolidation rather than more sprawl of urban development”.

Objectors had also claimed the development was contrary to local planning policy which requires new developments to respect the existing density, layout and house type. They claimed the developer was trying to maximise profits by increasing the density which they argued was out of character with the surrounding area.

Locals maintained that a lower density of housing is more appropriate for the site.

They pointed out that no new services or facilities have been provided within Glounthaune to accommodate its planned population increase:

The primary school is at capacity and the village is lacking a number of basic services, including a secondary school, a bank, a GP, Garda station, pharmacy or sports facility.

They also said the site is too far from the railway station for pedestrians and cyclists and would represent a car-based development.