Plans for 176 homes near Midleton refused permission
Plans for the construction of more than 170 homes on the outskirts of Midleton, Co Cork, by one of the country’s largest housebuilders, have been refused planning permission.
An Bord Pleanála has rejected the proposed 120 houses and 56 apartments, in two blocks, at Maple Woods, in Ballinacurra, as premature. The board cited inadequate sewage treatment facilities in the east Cork town, despite Irish Water claiming the development could be facilitated.
An Bord Pleanála claimed there is a lack of capacity at the existing wastewater treatment plant in Midleton, and uncertainty around the delivery of a pump station and rising main to divert sewage from the plant at Midleton to one in Carrigtwohill.
Because of the inadequate wastewater infrastructure serving the site, An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development would be premature. The board said allowing the development in the absence of improved sewage capacity would be prejudicial to public health.
Glenveagh Properties, a public company listed on the Dublin and London stock exchanges, had applied to An Bord Pleanála for seven-year planning permission for the Maple Woods project, under the fast-track process for developments of more than 100 residential units. The company is headed by Nama’s former head of asset management and former estate agent, John Mulcahy.
A report by an inspector with An Bord Pleanála showed the board considered that documentation submitted by Glenveagh, during a pre-application consultation, “did not constitute a reasonable basis for an application to be made”. At a meeting in November, councillors from the east Cork municipal district had welcomed the principle of the development and the mix of house types. However, they also raised concern about traffic and a lack of amenities in the area.
Cork County Council recommended that planning permission be granted, because the development would complete the existing estate (and would help achieve the target population for Midleton), but it recommended changes to the apartments, as they appeared “bulky and do not contribute in a positive manner to the character of the area”. The local authority recommended restricting occupation of the development until adequate sewage facilities were in place.
Irish Water claimed a planned network extension, including the pump station linking the treatment facilities at Midleton and Carrigtwohill, was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
In recommending the refusal of planning permission, the inspector said a key issue was that the land acquisition for the pump station, which might require compulsory purchase orders, had not yet begun. Glenveagh has 800 homes under construction nationwide.
