Planning approval for county Tipperary estate of 49 homes under appeal

A plan to build 49 new homes in Marlfield, Clonmel has suffered a setback with the planning approval granted for the project nearly two months ago now under appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Tipperary County Council granted planning permission on August 23 to Baile Ard Developments Ltd to construct the housing estate on a 10.3 acres site at Inishlounaght, Marlfield with 22 conditions attached.

However, an appeal to that planning permission has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála by a local resident with the Tralee-based Baile Ard Developments listed as a first party appellant.

This will delay the project months and could possibly result in the planning approval being overturned by An Bord Pleanála if its investigation upholds the grounds of appeal.

An Bord Pleanála has indicated a decision on the appeal case will be made by January 31 next year.
Baile Ard Development’s planning application, submitted to Tipperary County Council in December last year, had sought planning approval for 44 homes ranging from two-bedrooms to five-bedrooms in size.

It was proposed that nine of the units would be social and affordable homes. Tipperary County Council sought further information from the developer and that was submitted to the local authority in June.

The council approved permission in the end for 49 residential units along with a new vehicular and pedestrian entrance, all roads, footpaths, underground services and connections to public services.

Planning permission has also been approved for a surface water detention basin, car-parking, pedestrian and cycle connection to Mountain View estate, a public open space, public lighting and associated site boundary and development works.

The council received a total of 19 submissions in relation to the planning application during the public consultation phase of the planning process.

They were submitted by residents from Marlfield and the Marlfield Village Association and comprised a mixture of objections to the project and observations proposing changes to aspects of the proposed housing estate and improvements to local infrastructure if it was developed.

The third party appeal to An Bord Pleanála was submitted by a local resident Mark Small, who lodged a detailed objection to the original planning application.

Among the concerns he raised with the original application is that the nature, layout and house design for the estate appear to be out of keeping with the existing character of the village.

He argued that there was ample zoned new residential land in close proximity to Marlfield within 500m of the proposed estate and opposite the Poppyfields Shopping Centre which he believed would be more suitable for the project.

Mr Small’s submission to Tipperary County Council also objected to the fact that the proposed access and entrance to the estate site is within an Agricultural and Amenity Zoned area, which was incorporated into the local development plan as a buffer zone to protect the village, landscape and character of the area.

Including the entrance and access to the development in this area appeared to be “at odds” with that objective, he argued.

He also expressed concern in the submission that the developer intended to extend the housing estate in the future in land to the east that is currently zoned for agricultural and amenity.

He feared this would “destroy the unique and historic character of Marlfield” and that the village would be subsumed into the overall Clonmel town.

Many of the other submissions the council received about the planning application were from residents of the Mountain View estate.

Some raised concerns about the new estate’s homes overlooking theirs, impacting on their privacy and view. Most objected to a proposed pedestrian/cycleway linking the new estate with Mountain View due to reduced privacy, increased footfall and concerns about anti-social behaviour.

The council went ahead, however, and approved the pedestrian/cycleway in the grant of planning permission.

Their concern about the pedestrian/cycleway was highlighted by the Marlfield Village Association in its detailed submission outlining views voiced at a public meeting attended by over 60 residents on January 19 as well as observations other residents made to committee members.

The Association explained that some Mountain View residents wouldn’t welcome the pedestrian/cycleway due to concerns about anti-social behaviour.

But the submission noted that other residents in Marlfield felt the cycleway and footpath would link the new development to the village and would also create a link for pedestrians to the Poppyfields Shopping Centre.

Marlfield Village Association’s submission considered the proposed the development to be “well laid out and the proposed build design is in keeping with the village’s built environment”.

But it pointed out that the development will lead to an increase in traffic on Marlfield and Moore’s Roads and proposed traffic calming measures along with a footpath on Moore’s Road to link Mountain View with the footpath at St Patrick’s Well Cross Roads .