Second Hophill development rejected by An Bord Pleanala

Ambitious plans to build a major mixed-use, commercial, retail and residential development at Hophill in Tullamore have been rejected by An Bord Pleanala. The planning board ruled that the proposed development by Seamus Carroll, by reason of its height, scale and density would be 'visually obtrusive and out of character with the surrounding area' and would result in a design which is 'unsympathetic with its setting on Church Street'. It also found that the proposed development would affect the 'vitality and viability' of the town centre. The site, located to the east side of Tullamore town on Church Road, was initially devised as part of a 'masterplan' for the greater Hophill area, which involved a new streetscape, commercial and retail units, apartments, a cinema and even proposals for an arts centre. The larger part of that plan, by developers Rumbold Builders, has been given the planning green-light. The site for Seamus Carroll"s proposed development is just over 1.2 hectares and comprised of several warehouse/light-industrial premises, a two-storey residential dwelling with garden, a length of public road (Church Road) and a portion of what appears to have been car sales showroom premises and the former Coens" builders providers premises on the opposite side of the public road from the main body of the site. The applicant Seamus Carroll, proposed the demolition of a house, warehouse and light-industrial type structures, on the site. The construction of a new roundabout on Church Road and a new link road between Church Road and Tanyard Lane. The construction of a mixed-use development of commercial and residential uses, with 70 apartment units in two blocks of up to five storeys over basement, incorporating three retail units at ground floor level and 27 apartments in building A and three retail units and 42 apartments in building B. A basement to both buildings would provide 286 car parking spaces and 70 bicycle spaces with access from two ramps via the new link road. The planning board"s inspector was critical of the scale and location of the development and also believed that there would not be enough local expenditure to justify a development of that scale within the Midlands. 'I consider the scale of the proposed development...to be excessive in its massing and out of scale with the town and the surrounding suburban area,' siad the inspector. He said the extent of potential overlooking of the private open space of that property to be 'excessive and unwarranted'. The proposed development would also visually intrude, to a degree, on other surrounding residential properties in the vicinity but said that overshadowing would 'not be a significant issue'. He also suggested that the development would detract from the 'vitality and viability' of the town centre and would therefore be contrary to the Retail Planning Guidelines, 2005. 'Whereas on paper the site appears as a town centre site, in reality the site is dislocated from the retail core and, in particular, from the primary retail centre on High Street/Bridge Street,' he added. The inspector also had serious doubts that the town would maintain 100% of the expenditure available within a 15 minute radius as indicated by the applicant. 'Also, I am not satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated that Tullamore Town can expect to attract 50% of the expenditure within the 30 minute catchment given that the said catchment envelopes Portlaoise town and significant portion of Athlone and Mullingar, which one would expect to have significant drawing power,' he added. The inspector said he believed that the proposed development would set precedent for development of a similar scale on the surrounding lands which he then would expect to impact significantly on the capacity of the local road network. 'It is not clear that the road network, as upgraded, can accommodate development of this scale within the extended area,' he concluded. On drainage and water supply issues he pointed out that the town engineer"s report indicated that the current Sewage Treatment Plant is at maximum load and cannot accommodate additional discharge. In his conclusion, the inspector added that the proposed development would constitute 'piecemeal and haphazard development that would set an undesirable precedent for similar such development'. In addition, the Board was not satisfied that the proposed development can be accommodated by the existing and proposed roads, drainage and water services infrastructure in the town. The appeal by Seamus Carroll c/o James Smyth Architects, Blackrock, was lodged on August 21, 2008, with An Bord Pleanala. The board made its final judgement on May 21, 2009. An earlier, and larger, plan for Hophill by the Moritz Group was rejected by Tullamore Council last July and was appealed to An Bord Pleanala before Christmas. This appeal was then withdrawn by both a third party and the applicant Rumbold Builders in January of this year.