Mayo developer ‘surprised’ by latest planning application refusal

A MAYO developer has expressed surprise by Mayo County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a mixed housing development in Castlebar.

Developer Harold Conway was refused planning permission last week for his proposal to develop a ‘landmark’ mixed use housing scheme on a site at the corner of Stephen Garvey Way and Mountain View in Castlebar.

In refusing planning permission for the part five storey 26 unit apartment block, Mayo County Council planners stated that the development would be visually obtrusive due to the “excessive size and scale of the proposal relative to the surrounding area.”

This was the latest development proposed by Mr Conway to be turned down by the council, following the failure to get the green light for an apartment block building at the former Coal Bunker site in Castlebar and the redevelopment of the former Nolan’s pub building in Westport.

Speaking to The Mayo News following the latest refusal, Mr Conway expressed concern regarding the entire evaluation process and how the council appraised an application.

In this particular instance he felt that an RFI (Request for Further Information) would have been a more appropriate response from the planning office rather than a flat refusal.

“An RFI affords the opportunity to assess an application in terms of heights, density and other related matters such as traffic impact etc. It is also an important stage for an applicant to deal with concerns of the Planning Authority and indeed local residents,” he said.

Proposal

Mr Conway had proposed to invest €8.5 million in regenerating the 0.08 hectare site located on the busy junction close to the TF Royal Hotel and Theatre.

The proposal included the demolition of the existing two storey dwelling house on the site and the construction of a part five storey 26 unit apartment block which would consist of 13 one bedroom apartments and 13 two bed apartments to cater for up to 78 people on completion.

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It was also proposed to include a deli-restaurant to front onto Mountain View as well as a large communal outdoor area to be accessible from the ground floor communal circulation area.

In the planners report, Mayo County Council planners considered that the proposed development in terms of its density, scale and height would be £incongruous in its context and out of character with the surrounding buildings and streets.”

“The physical over dominance of the structure would visually alter the urban landscape at this location,” the report stated.

A 3D image of the proposed development at Mountain View in Castlebar which was refused planning 

There were also concerns expressed regarding the number of car park spaces provided for the development with planners stating that a total of 26 car parking spaces would be required.

“With only eight spaces being provided the development is considered to be substandard and an over development in this regard.”

Concerns

SOME local residents also expressed concern regarding the size and scale of the proposed development stating that it was not appropriate for the location and claims the proposal represents an over development of the site.

As a result of concerns raised regarding the scale and height of the proposed development and the “significant shortfall in car parking provision being provided,” Mayo County Council decided to refuse planning permission for the development.

Mr Conway explained that he is currently evaluating the decision to refuse planning permission which was delivered last week.

The proposed development was designed by Castlebar-based Taylor McCarney Architects and in the design statement, the architects stated that the designs give particular attention to accessible living and the units are “integrated seamlessly into the overall scheme to accommodate older residents and those with reduced mobility.”

Mr Conway was also surprised at elements of the internal reports as it appeared that the architect’s report consisted of a three line response. The application documents that were submitted involved four consultants with an application cover letter consisting of 27 pages.

In the report, council planners also described as ‘regrettable’ the absence of any pre-planning consultation between Mayo County Council and the developer before the application was submitted.

Addressing this issue, Mr Conway said he chose not to engage in pre-planning due to his experience of dealing with the council during the ‘coal bunker’ application and believes that in some cases an application may be determined at pre-planning stage.

Mr Conway also noted that when good cooperation and collaboration exists between a developer and the local authority it can lead to very positive and long term benefits. He cited the Silverbridge Shopping Centre development in Claremorris as a perfect example of this.

He explained that he is currently evaluating the decision and in particular the reasons for refusal.

The Mountain View site was subject to a previous planning application which was granted by Mayo County Council and upheld by An Bord Pleanála in January 2024. This application, which was not submitted by Mr Conway, involved the demolition of the same two-storey building and the construction of a two-storey over basement building comprising two retail units at basement level, retail space at ground level and offices at first floor level.