Crossmolina man refused planning permission for fifth time

Anton McNulty

A CROSSMOLINA man has been refused planning permission for a house for the fifth time after An Bord PleanΡla rejected his latest application.
Mark Reynolds of Church Road, Crossmolina was refused planning permission for a three-bedroom dormer dwelling house at a site at Fotish, Crossmolina, approximately 1km from the town.
Despite support from local TD, Dara Calleary, the board of An Bord PleanΡla (ABP) refused permission stating that the proposed development would ‘constitute an excessive density of suburban type dwellings in a rural area’.
Mr Reynolds’ application was granted planning permission by Mayo County Council in September 2017, having been previously refused planning permission for a house at this location on four separate occasions.
The initial refusal was in November 2013 by ABP who again refused permission in June 2016 and this was followed by two refusals by Mayo County Council in June 2017 and August 2017.
The main reason for refusing planning was that the proposed development would erode the character of the rural area, seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and would set an undesirable precedent.
In granting planning permission, Mayo County Council stated that the factors cited in the board’s original reason for refusal was ‘no longer applicable’.

An Taisce appeal
This decision was appealed to ABP by An Taisce who stated that there ‘is significant one-off housing in the immediate area and further one-off housing would contribute to the erosion of any clear separation between town and country’.
In response, Mr Reynolds said he was a native of the area and purchased the lands in question with a view of establishing a family home and farm the remainder of the lands.
In relation to the application, he stated that the site boundaries has changed and a new site entrance location has resulted in improved sight lines. He claimed there have been several other properties granted around Crossmolina in recent times.
His application was supported by Fianna FΡil TD Dara Calleary and local councillor Michael Loftus. Deputy Calleary was critical of the reasons for refusing planning permission stating that the notion it would set an undesirable precedent, ‘flies in the face of the available evidence’.
“The ‘character of a rural area’ should not be defined just a physical one but one that recognises the vibrancy of those who live in it,” he wrote.
In his report, Donal Donnelly, an inspector with ABP, stated that the fundamental reason for refusing the development concerned the increasing pattern of urbanisation in the area, and noted there are eight dwellings along a 400m stretch of road.