Developer appeals refusal for Mountcharles town hall apartments to An Bord Pleanála

A developer has appealed a decision of Donegal County Council to refuse permission for a new apartment block in Mountcharles.

C&C Property Investment Ltd has taken an appeal to An Bord Pleanála in relation to the proposed development.

It follows a decision recently of Donegal County Council to refuse permission for the demolition of a town hall building and the erection of an apartment block consisting of four one-bed apartments on two floors to the rear of Lower Main Street.

The Council, in refusing permission, said: “There is an absence of a footpath or defensible space to provide for residential amenity for proposed residents. The positioning of then apartments in proximity to a public roadway has the potential to cause loss of privacy for proposed residents.”

The local authority added that an access laneway serving the site is “severely restricted in width and provides for a direct pedestrian link from the Main Street to the National School...it is considered that the development has the potential to cause a danger to pedestrians and traffic hazard for vehicular movements.”

The Council was not satisfied that the applicant adequately demonstrated that integration of pedestrian and vehicular traffic “can be achieved in a safe manner for all users”. 

Four objections were lodged to the Council in relation to the application.

The nearby St Peter’s National School made a submission in which it pointed out that the School Lane is “extremely narrow and heavily congested” and an additional development “will exacerbate the issue”.

“This increase will not only inconvenience residents but also pose a risk to road safety,” the submission signed by Fr James Sweeney, Chairperson to the BOM, said. “We have serious concerns that increased traffic along either of the access points to the school will cause increased risk of an accident involving a member of our school community.”

Two local residents also objected, while a further submission was lodged by The Mountcharles Tidy Towns Committee, who said: “As the village currently has over 19 vacant and/or derelict houses and sites, we would suggest that the local authority ensures that these dwellings and potential housing sites are developed in advance of the prosed schemes…We would ask you to consider the restoration of the important character and significance of the Main Street in your decision making.”

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In early April, C&C Property Investment Ltd appealed the refusal to An Bord Pleanála.