Council refuses planning for Letterkenny apartment building
Proposals for four one-bed apartments in the Sallaghagrane area of Letterkenny were refused planning permission by Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council has refused the granting of planning permission for the construction of a building containing four apartments in Letterkenny.
The listed applicant, Eamon Doherty, had submitted the application for the one-bedroom apartments, which were planned to be located in the Sallaghagrane area of Letterkenny, directly opposite Letterkenny Leisure Centre.
Reasons for why Donegal County Council refused planning permission included over-development fears, visibility splays, public safety, public health, and flooding risk concerns.
A stated area of 0.072ha, the vacant brownfield site was located between two existing dwellings.
Within the planning rationale, submitted prior to the council’s refusal, it was stated: “The proposal represents the sustainable redevelopment of an existing brownfield site within the urban area of Letterkenny and has been designed to provide high-quality residential accommodation while making efficient use of existing infrastructure.”
However, Donegal County Council refused permission, presenting five reasons for doing so.
It was stated that given the “constrained and narrow nature of the subject site and the proximity of the proposed dwelling to the adjoining third party properties to the west, it is considered that the proposed development, if permitted, would constitute the disorderly overdevelopment of the constrained plot.”
The Planning Authority also could not be satisfied that safe visibility splays could be provided in each direction to the required standards, and that permitting the application would “result in dangerous traffic cross-over movements into and out of the site” and “would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard.”
Public safety and traffic hazards would also be endangered due to the proposed car parking layout within close proximity of a regional road and footpath.”
It was considered that it had not been demonstrated that storm or surface waters could be “appropriately collected, managed and disposed of to an appropriate discharge point,” and would therefore be prejudicial to public health.
Donegal County Council also expressed concerns that if they permitted the proposed development, it “would not contribute, or increase, surface water inundation or flooding on adjacent lands or the public road.”