Castlepollard housing plan turned down
A planning file for a 24-house development in Castlepollard turned down by Westmeath County Council planners has been finalised by the local authority.
Thomas Smyth made the application in respect of the development at Water Street and College Heights, Townparks, Castlepollard, Westmeath in July of 2024.
The site consists of the former Castlepollard Vocational School with outbuildings. The proposed site for the development is currently overgrown with vegetation and mature hedgerow and trees. The site is zoned ‘Consolidated Site’ in the Westmeath County Development Plan.
Mr Smyth’s application was for the demolition of all of the existing buildings and boundary walls to allow for the construction of 24 dwellings. The plan for those houses was: 10 three-bed semi-detached, two-storey houses, 11 three-bed two-storey, terraced houses in three blocks, two two-bed semi-detached, single-storey houses and one two-bed detached single-storey dwelling.
The application covered the provision of a new entrance, parking and internal access road, new green open space, boundary fences and walls, pedestrian path and bicycle parking, and connection to public services including mains sewerage, water supply and all associated ancillary site works.
In the Managers Orders outlining why the application was refused, the council planners focused on two particular reasons. They said the estate would result in a “substandard development” by failing to provide high quality urban design at a prominent location.
This design flaw included “poor associated parking arrangements” and failure to “integrate successfully into the surrounding areas”.
The second reason was that the development would “endanger public safety” as a result of traffic hazards arising from the development. Planners said the development would increase traffic movement and interfere with the flow of traffic, and noted that the location was opposite a national school.
The file was finalised last week by the local authority planners.