Mayo developer refused permission for Castlebar site redevelopment

A MAYO developer has been refused planning permission for the second time to develop an apartment block on the former Coal Bunker site in Castlebar.

Harold Conway had applied for planning permission to develop a housing scheme consisting of 12 apartments on the former Coal Bunker site adjacent to the junction of the Pontoon and Turlough Roads in Castlebar.

The proposed development was to consist of the construction of 12 apartments consisting of four two bed and eight one bed apartments in a three storey building along with vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access via Turlough Road.

While the design of the development was considered acceptable to council architects, the application was refused as the site was not zoned for residential use.

This is the second time that the developer has failed in an application to develop the vacant Coal Bunker site.

Last December, An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld a decision by Mayo County Council to refuse planning permission to construct a building containing 19 apartments at the same site. The planning authority agreed with the council's assessment 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.

In the fresh application submitted by Castlebar-based The Planning Partnership, it was outlined that the scale of the new application was reduced and the 'revised proposal herein represents a significantly more compatible approach to the redevelopment of the site, resulting in the issue of land use zoning being capable of being resolved via the material contravention process'.

“In summary, we submit that the development of a housing scheme on the subject site would be a positive outcome for the Pontoon / Turlough Road area, and Castlebar as a whole, and for the many households seeking accommodation in the area,” stated Fintan Morrin in the planning statement submitted to Mayo County Council.

The statement claimed that the overall project would be anticipated to deliver in excess of €5 million in construction stage investment, and would support in the order of 60 or more jobs in the town along with housing for in the order of 30 people.

The Architectural Design Statement by Taylor McCarney Architects stated that the proposed residential development has been carefully designed to integrate with the established character of Castlebar while completing the urban site with a high-quality architectural response.

“The scheme provides a range of apartment types to accommodate diverse housing needs, complemented by well-designed communal spaces that support resident wellbeing and social interaction,” the statement read.

In the planning report prepared by Mayo County Council planners, it stated that the site is currently on Enterprise/Employment Zoned Lands and this 'overrides all other factors associated with the development and the assessment of same'.

As a result planning permission was refused for the application as the proposed development would 'materially contravene land use zoning objective of the Castlebar Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2023-2029'.