Major housing development overcomes appeal

A major residential development in Cavan Town has been given the green light from An Bord Pleanála.

It comes after an earlier planning approval, given to Shire Development Partnership by Cavan County Council, was challenged.

The project looks to construct 134 new residential units and a crèche on a 4.33-hectare site along the Cootehill Road, in the townlands of Drumalee and Billis.

The national planning appeals board has now upheld the original decision, subject to 23 planning conditions.

The approved scheme includes 109 houses made up of a variety of sizes and designs ranging from one-bed to four-bed homes.

In addition, the plan includes 25 duplex apartments - 15 one-beds and 10 two-beds - up to three storeys in height.

A single-storey 276 square metre crèche with associated parking and services is also to be developed at the site entrance.

The proposed layout incorporates 15% of the gross site area as public open space across four zones, along with dedicated communal space for the apartment units.

Accessed via the R188 (Cootehill Road), the site is located approximately 1.8 km from Cavan Town centre, and is in close proximity to Breifne College. Concerns by local residents raised during the appeal process related to traffic congestion, particularly during peak school hours.

Residents argued that existing traffic volumes, combined with on-street parking near the school, would make access to and from the development difficult, especially for larger vehicles. Questions were also raised over the design of the junction, the potential for compromised pedestrian and cyclist safety, additional pressure on water and waste infrastructure and the loss of natural light and privacy for existing homes.

The appeal against the council’s decision to grant planning was lodged in the name of Gerry Smith.

An Bord Pleanála, however, determined that the proposed development represents an acceptable density and scale for a suburban location, with the bord’s inspector concluding the project would not significantly harm local residential or visual amenities and would provide a suitable standard of living for future occupants.