Extension to Collinstown estate finally approved

A 17-year wait ended for Cllr Frank McDermott when Westmeath County Council gave the go ahead for 14 detached houses in Collinstown as an extension of the Clog na Leinn estate. At their March meeting, the Councillors unanimously agreed to contravene their County Development Plan to allow for this development on a 1.45 hectare site.

The proposed dwellings are all one and a half storey with four bedrooms and the application is from NJ Doyle Construction (Ireland) Limited. The development would include the extension of the existing roads and footpaths, landscaped open space, connection to existing foul and surface water drainage and all ancillary services.

The councils chief executive, Pat Gallagher, told the meeting that the site needed to be rezoned to allow the development. He said there had been no public submissions received in response to the public consultation process. He recommended that the county development plan be contravened to allow for the rezoning of the land.

Cllr McDermott proposed that they do so and commended Mr Gallagher and the council executive on “the help and encouragement they gave this development”.

“It will be the first A1 rated estate in Westmeath,” he said. He was seconded by Cllr John Shaw.

Cllr Louise Heavin asked how the move would affect other material contraventions of the development plan that would come before the council.

Mr Gallagher replied that each application would “be assessed on its own merits”.

“The plan is the plan, but the law doesn’t constrain us to stick absolutely to it where contravention may be merited,” he said.

This development will add to the amenity value of the overall development and is consistent with our objectives for developing populations in our towns and villages, he stated.