Planning board to rule on Clara Road housing development decision

Plans for a major expansion of the Redwood housing estate off the Clara road in Tullamore have been put on hold after an appeal against the development was lodged with An Bord Pleanála last week.

On March 10 last, Offaly County Council granted permission to Tullamore Vita Stilo Ltd., (t/a Capital Homes) a company headed up by local businessman, Seamus Sheerin, for 98 homes and eight apartments on a site at Clara Road, subject to 26 conditions, including that the developer must make a development contribution to the local authority of €396,990.

Another one of the 26 conditions attached to the grant of planning permission is that houses in certain sections of the proposed development must not be occupied until proposed cycle and pedestrian connections into Arden Heights and into the adjoining Oaklee estate have been completed.

The housing development planned by Capital Homes for the Clara rRad site makes provision for a remote working hub, a creche facility and a residents' gym to be incorporated as part of the residential apartment building, an access road connection via the adjoining Redwood estate, internal roads, amenity space, landscaped public open space, street lighting and all associated site development works.

The 98 houses consist mostly of two, three and four-bedroom units, while the eight apartments are all two bed units.

The application for the proposed extension to the Redwood development was lodged with Offaly County Council on June 6, 2023, care of Kenny Lyons and Associates with an address at Clonminch, Tullamore.

Third party appeals against the grant of planning permission were lodged with An Bord Pleanála recently by Oliver McGlinchey and Noel Cooney; Francis and Patricia Mollen; Michael and Yvonne Bracken and Knockowen Road Residents Association.

The only appeal available for inspection on the planning section of the Offaly County Council website, at the time of going to press, was from Oliver McGlinchey and Noel Cooney, both of whom are residents of Knockowen Road. They outlined how they were “very concerned” that the proposed development, “is attempting to locate two storey housing in an inadequate site” and added that, if the development were allowed to go ahead, “both our homes will suffer considerable devaluation and loss of privacy.”

The appellants also stated that the Offaly County Council Planning Report for the proposed development “fails to address” the majority of the issues raised in their observations “and appears to have misrepresented the substance of our issues.” They also note that a proposal to have six windows in total in units 11-14

Dame Avenue of the proposed development “directly overlook” their properties on Knockowen Road will “impinge our privacy and amenity, devalue our homes and interfere with our right to quiet enjoyment of our properties.”

The planning application – which has now been put on hold pending the outcome of the appeal - attracted a large number of submissions from residents groups and individual householders from the Clara and Knockowen Road areas, many of whom cited concerns in relation to increased traffic volumes and road safety issues for local residents.

An Bord Pleanála is due to make its decision known by July 23 next.