Wexford County Council has refused planning permission for a development of more than 200 houses and apartments in a small seaside village in a move which could curb the expansion of villages throughout the county.
The council's planners have refused permission to Prospect Homes for a development of 226 houses, flats and maisonettes in the centre of Ballymoney village, near Gorey in the north of the county.
The area has long been targeted by developers seeking to build holiday homes and commuter housing within easy reach of Dublin and was set to become an even more promising development prospect with the opening of the Gorey bypass this week.
However, in its latest ruling on large-scale development in the county, the council has signalled that it does not intend to allow its villages to become part of Dublin's commuter belt.
The Prospect Homes application was refused on the basis that it would be "contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area". The council lists four grounds for refusal, all of which could be applied to villages of a similar size throughout the county.
The council's policy was to avoid "extensive areas of suburban-style housing" in Ballymoney and encourage "cluster-type development in groups of eight to 15 units", in order to preserve the character and amenity of the village.
The size of the development proposed would have been contrary to the county development plan, the council said. "It is a requirement that development is of a scale and layout appropriate to the size and form of the settlement, is sympathetic to the character of the area and avoids the adverse effects of over-development".
It is this point which is likely to have the most far-reaching implications for other villages in the area.
The planners go on to raise concerns in relation to sewage treatment facilities and the lack of infrastructure, including schools and roads, issues which persist throughout the county, according to local representatives.
Independent county councillor Declan MacPartlin said he was encouraged by the planners' adherence to the county development plan. "The planners seem to have realised that it is absolutely essential to control the development of the county."
The wider Gorey area had a serious lack of educational facilities, he said, and "serious mistakes" had been made previously by allowing housing developments without providing primary and secondary school places.
Olivia Kelly
© 2007 The Irish Times
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