Planning granted for Mayo sporting facility despite archaeological concerns

A SOUTH Mayo soccer club has been granted planning permission to develop three new football pitches along with a new clubhouse on a site close to Ballinrobe despite the discovery of 'two sites of archaeological significance'.

Ballinrobe Town Association Football Club were granted planning permission to develop a new clubhouse along with three new pitches comprising of one full size grass pitch, one full size all weather 4G astro pitch and one nine-aside mini 3G astro all weather pitch on a greenfield site on the Neale Road in the townland of Ballinaya.

The club stated that the development is required as there is significant overcrowding at the existing site where facilities are shared with other local community groups and organisations.

The proposed development site is 3.97 hectares and located across five fields immediately north of the existing Ballinrobe graveyard. It will involve the demolition of existing agricultural sheds and it is proposed to share the access road currently used by the Ballinrobe graveyard.

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During the planning process, concerns were raised after an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) of the site revealed three sites of 'potential archaeological significance'. These included a house site, a possible cashel and a section of a relict field boundary which according to the AIA 'may be affected adversely by the proposed development'.

Preservation

It was recommended that the house site and the enclosure/possible cashel should be preserved in situ within the proposed development with an appropriate buffer zone established around each one.

“As it is unclear as to the dating and archaeological significance of the relict field boundary, it is recommended that this feature will be the subject of preservation by record with the investigation of the feature in the form of the excavation of a number of test trenches across it by a suitably qualified archaeologist, in advance of the commencement of any development works and the archaeological monitoring of its removal,” the report recommended.

A graphic of what the proposed Ballinrobe Town AFC clubhouse will look like 

Disappointment

The Road Design Office of Mayo County Council also expressed disappointment with the access arrangements and the lack of other information provided in relation to a road safety audit. They recommended refusal but the planning authority stated they aimed to resolve these issues.

In a response to the concerns raised by Mayo County Council, Declan Commons, Senior Architectural Consultant on behalf of Ballinrobe Town, stated that the Club was concerned that the financial outlay required for the archaeological testing 'represents a significant burden on our resources'.

He added that 'Ballinrobe Town AFC is willing to work with Mayo County Council regarding any pre-commencement conditions the Council may deem appropriate'.

Following the submission by the Club, Mayo County Council agreed to grant planning permission for the development subject to ten conditions.

The council planners also included a stipulation that prior to the commencement of the development, the house site and the possible enclosure/cashel which were discovered during the archaeological walkover survey should be preserved in situ within the proposed development.

They also stipulated that an appropriate buffer zone should be established around the archaeological sites and should be permanently fenced off from the proposed development while the relict field boundary should be archaeologically excavated by a suitably qualified archaeologist.