'Excessive' Mayo apartment development refused planning permission

AN Coimisiún Pleanála has upheld a decision by Mayo County Council to refuse planning permission for a 19 apartment block building in Castlebar after describing the proposed development as excessive.

Mayo developer Harold Conway had appealed a decision by Mayo County Council to refuse planning permission to construct a building containing 19 apartments at the former coal bunker site at the junction of the Pontoon and Turlough Roads in Castlebar.

Mayo County Council refused permission on the grounds the location of the site was in an area zoned for employment and enterprise while also highlighting that the scale and size of the development would be intrusive and the number of units represents 'an excessively high density development.

An Coimisiún Pleanála agreed with the decision of Mayo County Council when also refusing planning permission stating that the proposed development would contravene the zoning objective of the Castlebar Town and Local Area Plan and that it would also constitute overdevelopment of the site.

Mr Conway had proposed to develop ten two bed and nine one bed apartments in a part-four part-five storey building on a 0.163 hectare site located across the road from the Sacred Heart Hospital. The site is currently fenced and vacant and was previously used as a coal bunker.

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Castlebar-based Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne was among observers who made submissions following the appeal. In his submission, Cllr Kilcoyne outlined that he considered the proposal to be overdevelopment of a small site at a major junction and is out of character with the area.

Cllr Kilcoyne also expressed concern that the car parking would overspill into the adjacent area as a consequence of there being no car parking provided within the scheme and 'haphazard car parking' could impact the operation of the HSE ambulance service which is based within the Sacred Heart complex.

In the appeal, Fintan Morrin of the Planning Partnership on behalf of Mr Conway stated that the decision to refuse planning permission was 'inappropriate and/or disproportionate' and was not in accordance with the obligations on the local authority to assess the proposed development on its merits.

A revised proposal addressing the refusal reasons was submitted with the appeal and changes to the scheme included a reduction in the height of the building from five to four storeys; 17 apartments in lieu of 19; and the provision of bollards to address overspill car parking in the area.

However in his report to An Coimisiún Pleanála, the Inspector Ian Campbell noted that the public did not have an opportunity to make observations on the revised scheme and as such he indicated he was basing his assessment and subsequent recommendation to the Commission on the original proposal submitted to Mayo County Council.

In relation to the zoning issue, Mr Campbell noted that the Local Area Plan was only adopted in November 2023 and did not consider that the 'site is significantly constrained in terms of its size or configuration to render it unsuitable for the enterprise/employment use for which it is zoned for'.

Mr Campbell also stated that the scale and form of surrounding development, and would be 'incongruous' within the adjacent area and the net dwelling per hectare of 298 would be 'would give rise to overdevelopment of the site'.

He recommended refusal based on a number of factors including the zoning of the site, the over development of the site, the scale of the proposed development and the absence of car parking.

The Commission agreed with Mr Campbell's recommendation and refused planning permission for the proposed development.