Charlestown planning appeal deemed invalid
An application to An Coimisiún Pleanála to appeal a local authority decision to grant planning permission for a 74-home residential development in Mullingar has been deemed invalid.
Management company Forest Park Partnership lodged an appeal with the planning authority in mid September, however the state planners deemed it an invalid application.
The invalid grounds status means that the application made to An Coimisiún Pleanála for leave to appeal the local authority's planning decision was rejected because the reasons provided did not meet the legal requirements.
Westmeath County Council granted planning permission for the 74-home residential development at Charlestown on the western outskirts of Mullingar at the start of September.
In November '25 Lacken Ventures Ltd lodged an application for the demolition of an existing 169 square metre residential dwelling and its replacement with a new housing scheme comprising 58 two-storey houses and 16 three-storey duplex units. The local authority approved the plans subject to 23 conditions.
The planners granted permission to the Meath based construction firm's for the proposed housing estate including 43 three-bedroom and 15 four-bedroom homes, while the duplex element would provide six one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom units.
The development will include communal facilities for residents of the duplex units, including amenity space, secure bicycle parking and bin storage.
More than 140 car parking spaces are proposed across the development. These include 104 spaces serving 52 homes, 32 grouped parking spaces and six visitor spaces serving a further 22 dwellings, along with two accessible parking spaces.
New vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist access would be provided from the existing R-390. The plans also include connections towards the eastern and western boundaries of the site, with the intention of facilitating future links to adjoining lands.
A significant element of the provision of pedestrian and cycling pathways towards the southern boundary of the site, which will allow for a future connection to the Royal Canal.
The scheme will provide 3,828 square metres of public open space, equivalent to 17.1 per cent of the site. This is concentrated in the central and southern sections and includes landscaped areas, children's play facilities, footpaths, pathways and boundary treatments.
Public lighting, bin storage, bicycle and car parking and other site services are also incorporated. The application included proposals for surface water and foul drainage infrastructure, together with Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) measures and associated site works.
The development address is listed as Charlestown, Mullingar, Westmeath. Lacken Ventures Ltd is an Irish-registered company with connections in neighbouring County Meath.
Among the 23 conditions attached to the approval are that the works are carried out in accordance with the submitted plans and the sale of the residential units is restricted to first occupation by individual purchasers (not corporate entities) or by those eligible for the occupation of social and affordable housing.
The local authority also states that a minimum of 10% of the communal car parking spaces is provided with functioning electric vehicle charging stations.