An Bord Pleanála refuses new development in Ardee

An Bord Pleanála has overturned the decision by Louth County Council to grant planning permission for a new development of apartments and a retail unit in Ardee.

Boyne Ventures Ltd was granted planning permission in October for the planned development at Ashwalk, Townparks in Ardee, seeking permission to construct two buildings, one three storey (Block A) and one two storey (Block B). The proposed development comprises in Block A, a three storey mixed use building consisting of a ground floor retail unit and a one bedroom apartment; on the first floor two one-bed apartments, and on the second floor, another two one-bed apartments.

In Block B, the applicant is planning to construct a one-bed apartment and a two-bed apartment on the ground floor,  and another one-bed apartment and a two-bed apartment on the second floor. The planning application also provides for items including a landscaped courtyard between Blocks A & B, ancillary bin, bike and bulk storage areas, connections to the existing adjoining public water and drainage systems and all associated site development works.

The proposed development is located within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) as outlined in the current Louth County Council Development Plan -2021 - 2027.

Louth County Council granted conditional planning permission for the development on 18 October. A third party appeal on the decision was made to An Bord Pleanála by Ash Mews and Distillery Lane on 11 November on a number of grounds, including traffic and transport concerns; siting, scale and height of the proposed buildings; and adverse impacts on Ash Mews and Distillery Lane residential amenities.

While An Bord Pleanála's Inspectors Report recommended that planning permission be granted for the development, subject to conditions, An Bord Pleanála made the decision to refuse planning permission for the development on 13 March. Included in its decision, An Bord Pleanála said that "the proposed development would have an overbearing and overlooking impact on the adjacent properties and would be contrary to section 13.8.32 of the Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 which seeks to maintain a balance between preserving existing amenities and neighbourhood character whilst implementing a policy of compact development.

"In deciding not to accept the Inspector's recommendation to grant permission, the Board agreed with the Inspector that there were aspects of the proposed development that could be amended by condition but considered that the reduction in height of Block A, the omission of the first floor of Block B and the introduction of a car parking space to the front of the proposed development would materially alter the scheme and, in this particular circumstance, could not be dealt with by way of condition."