Outline planning approval for sheltered housing plan

Outline planning permission has been granted by Westmeath County Council for the development of a sheltered housing scheme and community health facility in Ballymore.

Applicant Bernard Maxwell first signalled his intentions in an application submitted to Westmeath County Council on March 19 this year, but in May further information was sought in relation to the plan in terms of traffic safety, use of community space, zoning and the gated housing element before a final decision could be made.

That was supplied in October by the applicant, and the local authority subsequently granted the outline planning permission on November 24, subject to compliance with 16 different conditions.

The project earmarked for a site on the eastern side of the village would comprise ten two-bedroom apartments, a shared community room incorporating a meeting/recreational area, and a health consulting room, all provided in two two-storey blocks at Mullaghcloe, Ballymore. Open space, parking and new road access off the R390 are also provided for in the plans.

Sheltered housing, also known as retirement housing is defined as “having your own flat or bungalow in a block or on a small estate where all the residents are older people (usually over 55),” according to the planning documents. With a few exceptions, all developments provide “independent self-contained homes with their own front doors,” it adds.

The proposed scheme is linked to a medical centre that will “benefit the occupants of the scheme and people from the wider area,” the documents lodged with Westmeath Council also state, maintaining that there is a “clear need” for this kind of accommodation to cater for people “who may wish to downsize” but don't require the level of care offered by a nursing home.

Outline planning approval is generally sought when an applicant wants to see if the planning authority agrees in principle to the project on a particular site without incurring the costs of doing fully worked designs and plans. However, the granting of outline permission does not permit any actual work to take place.

An outline planning application will require the applicant to produce only the plans and particulars that are necessary to enable the planning authority to make a decision in relation to the siting, layout or other proposals for development.

If the applicant is successful in getting outline permission, the applicant can subsequently submit detailed drawings in a bid to get full planning approval to allow the project to proceed.