Planning board approves 70-home Cornamaddy project

A development of 70 new homes in Cornamaddy has been given final planning approval, with An Bord Pleanála recently upholding a decision by Westmeath County Council to grant permission for the project.

In giving it the go-ahead, the planning board rejected two appeals against the council's decision, one of which focused on impact the housing development would have on badgers.

Marina Quarter Ltd was granted permission by the council last autumn for the new houses at a site which is "generally bounded to the west by greenfield lands and Cornamagh Cemetery... and to the east by the existing Drumaconn housing estate".

Ruairí O'Leochain had appealed An Bord Pleanála's decision on behalf of Stand with Badgers, arguing that existing badger setts on the proposed site were "at least 120 years old" and that mitigation measures proposed by the developer, in relation to the badgers, would be ineffective.

A report for An Bord Pleanála which was completed by its inspector, Dolores McCague referred to a 2022 badger survey which identified four badger setts on the Cornamaddy site.

These were scheduled to be "cleared under supervision" in order to make way for the development.

The provision of an artificial badger sett was among the proposed mitigation measures, with the artificial sett due to be located 'within the lands made available for the housing development' but outside any areas proposed for development.

Ms McCague concluded that the project would be detrimental to badgers in the area, but she said this impact was not sufficient grounds to refuse permission for the new housing. "I accept that the proposed development, in combination with residential development in the area, will negatively impact on badgers," she wrote.

"Nevertheless, in my opinion, in the context of the permitted development on the site, the impact on badgers should not be a reason to refuse or modify the proposed development."

Another appeal against the planning approval for the project, submitted by DM Leavy, was summarised by Ms McCague as pointing out that "there is currently no development plan in place for Athlone Town" because the 2014-2022 plan had expired.

"The site is unzoned. This means the zoning defaults to agriculture. There is no provision in the Westmeath County Council Development Plan 2021-2027 that apply a residential zoning to this site.

"The proposal is premature, pending the publication of a new development plan, and should be refused," is how part of this appeal was summarised.

An Bord Pleanála, however, concluded that granting permission for the 70 new homes "would be consistent with the development objectives and other provisions of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027," and would "positively contribute" to an increase in housing stock locally.

The board's decision was subject to 20 conditions, including that the developer consult with the National Parks and Wildlife Service "regarding all proposed mitigation measures for badger management" at the site.

Marina Quarter Ltd was also instructed to submit a mitigation monitoring report to the planning authority "every three months for a two-year period" after the completion of the development.

The 70 houses planned as part of this development replace a previous grant of planning permission for 38 units, which were not built, on the same site.

The new homes are due to consist of four two-bed terraced houses, 60 three-bed semi-detached houses, and six four-bed semi-detached houses.

The project is one of a number of new housing developments proposed in recent years in the Cornamaddy area.