Plans for 11 houses on Mayo hotel estate turned down

PROPOSALS to construct an 11-unit housing scheme on lands at Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar have been rejected by Mayo County Council.

Tirawley Ltd. lodged the application for planning permission for the homes, which they said is part of a masterplan for the development and expansion of the resort.

A separate plan for 32 houses elsewhere on the estate is also currently before the council for consideration.

The project, said the developers, would result in the delivery of a benefit to the village and hinterland, providing much needed housing on underutilised serviced land.

Their mission is to maximise usage of the existing 80-acre Breaffy estate for the benefit of all stakeholders by developing a sustainable community for generations to come.

Local objections raised a number of concerns, including flooding, inappropriate setting, and road safety, with a fear expressed that the development would compound existing traffic problems in Breaffy village.

In their decision to refuse, planners said the proposed development accesses directly onto the N60 and was contrary to policies set out in the county development plan. It would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard.

The site was in an area which is at risk to flooding, and it was also considered that the proposed density of the development was inappropriate at this location.

It was further considered that the development would militate against the preservation of the rural environment and lead to demands for the uneconomic provision of public services and communal facilities, and would contribute to the erosion of the visual and environmental amenity of the area.

By reason of its scale, height and bulk, it might be visually obtrusive in this rural area and would seriously injure the amenity of the area and depreciate the value of property in the vicinity.