County Council seeks further information on 78-house Tullamore plan

A Tullamore-based development company seeking to build a further 78 houses on a 2.84 hectare site at the Clara Road in the town has been asked to submit further information to Offaly County Council on the proposed project.

Vita Stilo Limited (t/a Capital Homes) applied to the council in October for permission to build a mix of two-storey homes of varying sizes on a site which is located at Kearney's Field on the Clara Road.

The development will comprise of three and four bedroom semi-detached houses; two and three-bed terrace and eight one-bedroom apartments.

The plans include a new site entrance from the Clara Road, an estate road connection to the adjoining Knockowen Road, internal roads, paths, paving, parking and amenity space, including landscaped public open space. The site of the proposed development is zoned as 'new residential' and the housing project is intended to be a new phase of the Redwood residential housing development already undertaken by Capital Homes.

In a letter which issued earlier this month, Offaly County Council sought further information from the developers on a number of aspects of the proposed housing development, including their proposals for a vehicular link to Knockowen Road,

The council also raised concerns about the density of the proposed development, noting that the proposal for 78 houses on a 2.84 ha site is “under the required density standard.”

Among the other issues raised in the further information letter was a request for a 3D aerial drawing of the proposed development “in its totality” with particular regard to “cumulative impacts” between Knockowen Road and Kearney's Walk. They have also been asked to indicate proposals for how construction traffic will access the site.

The planning application has attracted a large number of third-party submissions with the developers being asked to address the issues raised in these submissions.

A submission from the Clara Road residents raised concerns about traffic safety, and pointed out that there are 14 existing permanent junctions, one temporary construction entrance and one pedestrian crossing on the 1.4km long Clara Road between Collins Lane and the Grand Canal (Cox's Bridge), and

While they said they “agree with the need for additional housing” they added that constructing a second permanent Redwood site entrance “raises serious concerns for vulnerable Clara Road Residents, pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and all vehicular traffic.”

A submission from the Knockowen Residents' Association, said the traffic impact of the proposed development would be “significant” and would result in “hugely increased traffic volumes” within Knockowen Road area and feeding out to Clara Road at “an already very problematic junction.” Vita Stilo Limited (t/a Capital Homes) has been given a period of six months to submit the requested further information to Offaly County Council.

The company, which has a land holding of 25 acres on the Clara Road, has also received planning approval for two new residential developments in the area, to be called Hayfield East and Hayfield West.