Walsh Island townhouse project turned down

More than a year after the planning application was submitted, Offaly County Council has refused permission for eight townhouses that were proposed on the site of a pub in Walsh Island.

The application on behalf of Paul Flint was submitted to the local authority on September 13 last year.

It proposed the demolition of the Walsh Island pub known as The Hoppers, as well as the demolition of a derelict shop and sheds.

The plans sought to replace the buildings with eight two-storey, semi detached, three-bedroom townhouses. A new vehicular access roadway, boundary treatments and associated site works were also proposed.

The council sought further information on the plans last November, and this was submitted on behalf of Mr Flint in August.

However, the council has refused permission for the project, citing concerns over layout, design, and the infrastructural capacity for the proposed houses.

The council said it regarded the proposed development as "substandard in terms of layout, with a poorly designed public open space and an over-dominance of an internal access road which fails to establish a strong sense of identity or a sense of place".

In outlining the reasons for refusing permission, the local authority went on to say that the design of the development was "inappropriate" for the site and "would be out of character with the existing architecture within its village setting and would fail to integrate successfully with adjoining properties".

The council also said that information submitted on behalf of the applicant in relation to proposed storm water drainage was "considered insufficient".

It also noted that the applicant had not demonstrated to its satisfaction that development "can be adequately serviced by the proposed connections to the public water and wastewater networks".

The decision was signed off by the council on September 30, and Mr Flint has the option of appealing it to An Bord Pleanála within four weeks of that date.