Plan for 65 homes in Coosan area appealed to An Bord Pleanála

Last month's decision by Westmeath County Council to approve a plan for 65 new homes in the Hillquarter area of Coosan has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

The proposed development would be located on a 0.408 hectare site at Hillquarter, with a connection to Coosan Road, and would consist of mostly three and four-bedroom homes, along with a smaller number of two-bedroom terraced houses.

A company called Mistledale Limited, which is directed by Helena Moore, care of Mary Thornton & Associates in Oranmore, Galway, is behind the project.

The planning application was originally lodged with Westmeath County Council in May 2023, and the local authority subsequently sought further information from the developer.

The council ultimately decided to grant permission for the development, in a decision dated June 19 last, with its Executive Planner Yvonne Haughey stating that the applicant had "addressed the design, layout and technical concerns outlined in the request for further information".

Ms Haughey concluded that the new housing would be "a high quality residential development offering a mix of housing tenure to serve the needs of Athlone".

However, a number of locals had concerns about the plans and more than 15 objections from nearby residents, or people with connections to the area, were submitted to the council.

These highlighted a range of issues and questioned the suitability of the road network in the area to cater for the increase in traffic arising from the new homes.

Issues were also raised in relation to the location of the proposed entrance to the development, as well as concerns about school capacity in the area, the lack of public transport connections in Hillquarter, and the removal of mature trees and native hedgerows.

The council's decision has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála by some of the locals who had previously indicated their objections to the local authority.

At the time of writing, the appellants were listed on the Bord Pleanála website as John Rattigan, Paraic Rattigan, David and Clodagh Dickson, and Sinéad Kelly.

The planning board is due to make its decision on the appeal by November 13 next.