Significant housing boost for Ballyshannon

Planning permission has been granted for 47 new houses to be built in Ballyshannon.

Donegal County Council has given the green light for the development at Portnason, Ballyshannon.

The local authority’s green light is conditional with 31 conditions attached.

MCF Construction Limited sought permission for the works, which will be a significant boost to the south Donegal town.

The formal application includes connection to the public foul sewer via an on-site pump station and discharge of storm water to existing water course.

Access will be through the existing service road from the R267 and the development will also include a landscaped amenity area and car parking.

Construction hours will be limited to 8am-6pm Monday-Fridays, 8.30am-3pm on Saturdays and exclude Sundays and bank or public holidays/

Prior to the commencement of works, the developer is to pay a total of €89,205.53 to facilitate the provision of capital works and must also lodge a bond or cash deposit in the sum of €235,000.

Earlier this year, Councillor Barry Sweeney said this development ‘is exactly what we need’.

“This is very badly needed in Ballyshannon and it would be great for the town,” he told Donegal Live at the time.

“It is in a really beautiful area, backing on to the estuary. It would be a lovely place to live and there are quite a few employers nearby in the Cornhill Business Park.

“We are trying to encourage people to come and work in Ballyshannon. We have a lot of things in place; housing was the missing piece of the puzzle.”