Appeal fails as Cootehill development gets green light

A local residents group has failed in their appeal against a housing development in Cootehill.

Plans by Donegal-registered Greyrock Trading Limited to build 26 residential units at Magheranure off Bridge Street in the heart of the town were appealed to An Bord Pleanala who have now upheld the initial decision by Cavan County Council to grant permission to build.

The proposed development consists of 20 units spread across three three-storey blocks, four two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, and two three-bedroom semi-detached houses.

The site is located behind existing terraced homes, and the plan is to provide private open space in the form of rear gardens for houses and bungalows, terraces for apartments, and additional public open space on the eastern and southern sides of the site.

Proposed access for the development is through Bellamont View, a residential estate adjacent and situated to the immediate north of the appeal site.

Council planners had granted permission subject to 43 conditions but only after requesting a plethora of additional reports, that included a daylight performance assessment, and addressed traffic concerns.

Yet the application drew significant opposition from local residents, particularly from a group called Bellamont View Residents who raised concerns over issues such as road safety, loss of privacy, the perceived negative impact on property values as well as about the legal status of the planned access route- green space they say is not clearly under council ownership.

These residents later appealed the council’s decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, challenging both the legal basis of the application and the physical design of the proposed development.

In their appeal, the residents claimed that the planning application was invalid due to the absence of proper consent from all legal landowners. They also cited unresolved issues from a previous, similar planning application, among other safety concerns.

However, the Bord found that the developer Greyrock had obtained sufficient legal consent from council to proceed with their application, with the inspector’s report concluding that the development does comply with the Cavan Development Plan on urban design and amenity standards.

It also found that the separation distances between new and existing properties were sufficient, upholding the local authority’s decision while applying 19 revised conditions.