Proposal for 86 new houses in Mayo town is rejected on appeal

A proposal to build 86 new houses in Ballina has been rejected by An Bord Pleanála.

The planning appeals authority has confirmed its decision to uphold an appeal by the Friarscourt Resident’s Association against Mayo County Council’s decision to grant planning for the development at Friars Court, Laghtadawannagh, Killala Road, Ballina.

The agency ruled that the development "would not follow a concentric settlement pattern whereby there are available lands closer to the town centre that would be more suitable for residential development."

This, the board cited, would be contrary to the core strategy in the Mayo County Development Plan 2022-2028 for sustainable development of the area.

The decision also referenced the fact that a créche and some houses would have been situated at land zoned for agriculture in the Ballina Local Area Plan 2024-2030.

Thawside Ltd had sought to build 40 three-bed semi-detached houses, 10 two-bed semi-detached houses, 26 detached four-bed houses and 16 three-bed terraced houses, a creche, a multi-use games area and all ancillary site works and connection to public services.

Following discussions with the council's planning department, the developers reduced the scale of the development to 86-units following consultation with Mayo County Council planners.

The proposed development would have been situated beside an existing housing estate.

This led to concerns from Friarscourt Residents’ Association over increased traffic levels and the consequences in regard to safety.

While accepting the need for housing in the area, the resident’s association said the increased volume of traffic from cars, delivery vans, school buses and refuse collections would pose “a serious risk of accident due to the number of children in the estate”.

The residents has requested that a new access road be constructed at lands at the rear of the estate if the development was given permission.