Council wants more detail on Bower housing plan
Adrian Cusack
Plans to build 51 homes on a prominent site near the centre of Athlone are on hold, for the time being, as the council has requested further information and revisions to certain aspects of the plans.
Ardent Lakeside Property Ltd is the developer proposing to build the houses and apartments on a long-vacant 1.45 hectare site at Lower Road, Athlone.
In previous decades, parts of the site contained the former Bower National School and the former Athlone Town FC clubhouse.
The developer had initially proposed a 69-home development but this was scaled back to 51 housing units in a revised planning application submitted in August.
Westmeath County Council received four submissions in relation to the project from local residents in September.
On Wednesday last, the local authority informed the developer that it would require additional information on - and certain changes to - the plans before deciding whether or not to award planning permission.
In making this request, the council argued that the plans, as submitted, "would provide a poor residential environment for future occupants."
It said the proposed development had failed to "provide a strong streetscape and quality urban form".
The council also commented unfavourably on the design of the proposed houses, saying: "Overall design of terraced and semi-detached units are considered bland and lack design reference and character."
Furthermore, it felt that the materials proposed for use in new housing "do not reflect the context of the area and would result in a visually dominant and fussy development".
The council invited the developer to "liaise with the planning authority to discuss revised design and layout proposals".
The proposed development would see a mixture of houses and apartments, with 1 one-bedroom, 17 two-bedroom, 24 three-bedroom, and nine four-bedroom homes.
The planning application attracted four submissions from Peter O'Connor, Denis O'Flaherty, Sile O'Flaherty and Tony Knight, all of whom had addresses close to the proposed development.
The submissions from Denis O'Flaherty, of 'Glenavon House', Lower Road; Sile O'Flaherty of 'Tullyleague', Lower Road, and Tony Knight of Glenavon
Terrace, Lower Road, all used similar language to make their points.
These submissions from these three residents said they welcomed development in the area but they were concerned about the density of the proposed housing units.
Their submissions argued that the proposed 51 homes would represent "a substantial over-intensification of use of the site" and that the number of homes should be reduced.
They noted that there was a traffic pinch-point near the site, at the railway bridge alongside the entrance to the Marist College.
"The proximity of the site entrance on Lower Road to the railway bridge, a recognised blind spot, is particularly dangerous," they stated.
The three submissions concluded: "Whilst the location is ideal for a small, sustainably and conservatively designed residential development, the design needs to be altered to comply with the development plan, be mindful of existing properties including protected structures, and meet the requirements of good practice and urban design."
The fourth submission, from Peter O'Connor of Hillside House, Anker's Bower, Athlone, objected to the development on the basis that the site should be used for purposes other than the construction of "block housing".
Mr O'Connor raised concerns about the possible negative impact the construction process could have on his house in terms of noise and dust pollution as well as vibrations from the building work.
He also said he was concerned that the development would impede on his privacy and overshadow his home and garden.
"I have lived here for the last 37 years and have found it to be very quiet and peaceful in the centre of a town 'that is hoping to be a city'," Mr O'Connor wrote.
"I feel this site could be utilised for so much more than block housing. I feel it would be in the town's interest to refuse this application," he stated.