Developer to re-submit plans for 350-home Tullamore estate

The developers of a proposed 349-home strategic housing development in Tullamore have indicated that they are about to resubmit a planning bid for the massive project.

Steinfort Investments Fund was last year refused permission by An Bord Pleanála for a 358-unit residential development on a 14.3 hectare site at Clonminch and Gafield. The site in question includes land under the control of Offaly County Council along Clonminch Road (R443).

Last month, Steinfort Investments announced its intention to apply for a residential development on the same site with a fractionally lower number of housing units (349).

The application was subsequently declared 'invalid' by An Bord Pleanála, for technical reasons, but this week the developer advertised its intention to again submit a planning application to the board for the project.

If approved, the development would be one of the largest in the recent history of Tullamore. The site in question is approximately 2km from the town and is bounded by Clonminch Wood, Limefield and Clonminch Road.

According to the planning notice, the project would consist of a combination of detached and semi-detached houses, as well as terraced, townhouse and apartment units. A breakdown of the quantity of each type of housing unit is not listed in the notice.

In addition to the houses, some neighbourhood infrastructure is proposed, including a three-storey creche with capacity for 100 children, a local shop, and two three-storey neighbourhood centre buildings that would incorporate shop units, a business hub, a medical centre, and a gym.

Some 695 car parking spaces are proposed as part of the development, along with cycle lanes, two new bus stops, and electrical vehicle charging points.

An Environmental Impact Assessment and a Natura Impact Statement were prepared in respect of the proposed development and are due to be included with the application.

The application is scheduled to be available for inspection online at a website set up by the developer - www.clonminchshd2.ie - but at the time of writing, on Wednesday, the documents had not yet been uploaded to the site.

If members of the public wish to make a submission or observation to An Bord Pleanala in relation to the plans, they will have five weeks, from the date when the application is submitted, in which to do so. Approval for the project is being sought under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process which allows developers to apply directly to An Bord Pleanála for large-scale developments in order to fast-track the planning process.

There were indications that the SHD system would be scrapped this autumn, but it is now looks set to come to an end next February, after which time the decision-making for such developments will be restored to local authorities.