Almost 400 homes planned for east side of Mullingar
The decision by Westmeath County Council to approve planning permission for a 245-unit development in the Dublin Road, Ardmore Road area takes to 381 the number of units approved for that area in the last three weeks.
The council has given the green light to the prominent local firm Andrews Construction Ltd to build a mix of semi-detached, terraced and detached houses as well as duplex units and apartments, together with a crèche.
The scheme is the third major application granted approval for that area in three weeks. Last week, An Bord Pleanála granted permission to Frank Bell and Sons Ltd to develop 65 units at Ardmore Hills.
Just a week earlier An Bord Pleanála allowed an appeal by the firm Shaston Construction Ltd to clear the way for a 71-unit development just beyond Saunders Bridge on the Ardmore Road.
The 9.72 hectare site for which the Andrews Construction development is proposed is opposite Gleann Petit and to the rear of Pettiswood Manor, and it extends across to the Ardmore Road, facing the Holy Family Primary School.
The breakdown of the housing mix is for 70 4-bed semi-detached houses along with 132 3-bed houses which are to come in the form of terraced, semi-detached and detached buildings.
The remainder of the units are to comprise eight 2-bedroom duplex units and 35 apartments in a 4-storey apartment block.
In terms of car parking provision, the application proposes 442 spaces across the entire site in the form of in-curtilage and out-of-curtilage residential parking, crèche and apartment dedicated parking and visitor and accessibility parking spaces. The application also proposes 550 secure bicycle parking spaces.
The plan for communal open space provision is that it extends to 1.78 acres.
Among the conditions put in place by Westmeath County Council is one requiring that the developers pay over a bond of €1.47m and that the firm make a development contribution of €826,103.12 together with a further special development contribution of €293,095.
A 2023 application by the same firm for a similar development on that site was granted conditional planning permission by Westmeath County Council, but that decision was overturned following an appeal by a number of parties to An Bord Pleanála.
The An Bord Pleanála decision was on the basis that the Ardmore-Marlinstown framework plan set as an objective the provision of an arterial road connecting the Dublin and Ardmore roads along the western boundary of the site, but that the Andrews proposal made no provision for that.
Therefore, the planners ruled, the application would materially contravene the Mullingar Local Area Plan and consequently be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.