Planning for St Johnston development overturned due to Japanese knotweed concerns

An Coimisiún Pleanála has overturned Donegal County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for retail units and residential accommodation in St Johnston, partly due to the likely spread of Japanese knotweed.

Donegal County Council had granted conditional planning permission in April for the construction of one commercial building and one residential building on Main Street, St Johnston. 

The planned commercial building to the front of the site would have consisted of two retail premises and one self-contained apartment, and the second building to the rear would have consisted of four self-contained apartments, and all ancillary works with connection to all existing services. 

Within the grounds of appeal in the Inspector’s Report for An Coimisiún, it was indicated that “the presence of Japanese knotweed on the appeal site is the most concerning issue and suggests that its presence has been exacerbated by the actions of the applicant and the local authority.”

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Donegal County Council was criticised for committing a “careless and reckless action” with “potentially dire consequences” after they conducting an Invasive Species Report. 

An observation was also made on behalf of St. Johnston Community Residents and Property Owners, expressing “serious concerns regarding recent disturbance of Japanese knotweed.”

Criticism was also expressed that the proposal represented “an ill-conceived and intrusive overdevelopment of a confined site resulting in adverse impacts on residential amenity and property value by reason of overshadowing, loss of daylight and overlooking.” 

The applicant, Agit Singh, did not respond to issues brought up by appellants, however, Donegal County Council insisted all concerns were covered in the Planner’s Report, and they had ensured that the issue of invasive species had been considered at all stages of the process, and remained an issue. 

Philip Maguire, who inspected the site for An Coimisiún Pleanála recommended Donegal County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the proposals be overturned. 

He stated he could not be satisfied that the proposed development “would not be likely to have an adverse effect” on sites and had “significant reasonable scientific doubt that the proposed development would not adversely impact on the integrity” of the River Finn, River Foyle, and tributaries.

Moreover, Maguire commented that proposals “would likely result in the further spread of Japanese knotweed” and that the “applicant has failed to submit appropriate control measures reflective of current conditions and which could be implemented within the appropriate period of a planning permission.”

Finally, it was considered that the proposed development “would adversely affect the residential amenity of future occupants” and failed “to demonstrate a high architectural quality that contributes to positive placemaking in an area characterised by a traditional vernacular streetscape.

“To permit the apartments, as proposed, would result in a design that fails to fully integrate with neighbouring buildings and would hinder the future development of the adjacent backlands.”