Robinstown 500-house proposal 'at advanced stage'

Proposals for a major housing development of around 500 homes in the Robinstown area of Mullingar have reached an “advanced stage”, according to Westmeath County Council’s district engineer, Pat Kavanagh.

Mr Kavanagh told councillors at the September meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad that the authority had held a number of meetings concerning the proposed development on the proposed Robinstown link road.

Mr Kavanagh said the council had held side meetings with the development’s traffic consultants and other consultants involved in the project.

He said the authority was also incorporating the development into its own traffic modelling for Mullingar, alongside planned active travel projects and future link roads.

“We're sort of building all of that into the model,” he said.

Mr Kavanagh said the council would impose substantial levies on housing developers towards infrastructure required for traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.

He said the authority had already done this with a number of developments around Mullingar.

Weldon’s Cross

The council had also recently granted planning permission for a development at Weldon’s Cross, where developers had been heavily levied for contributions towards infrastructure, particularly at the junction.

In response to a query from Cllr Ken Glynn, Mr Kavanagh said the improvement at Weldon’s Cross could eventually be a roundabout but was more likely to be a signalised junction because of the requirement to comply with design standards for urban roads and streets.

Petitswood

He also said developers of the 245-unit Petitswood Hills development had been conditioned to construct signalised junctions on both the Dublin Road and Ardmore Road.

Developers were also being charged up to €1,000 per house towards infrastructure for roads in the vicinity of developments, he said.

Supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme (LDRS).