Four appeals lodged against Clara Road housing development

Four separate appeals have been lodged against a decision of Offaly County Council to grant planning permission last month to a Tullamore-based development company for 78 new homes on a site on the Clara Road in the town.

Vita Stilo Limited (t/a Capital Homes) applied to the council in October 2024 for permission to build a mix of two-storey homes, of varying sizes on a site which is located at Kearney's Field on the Clara Road. The development comprises three and four bedroom semi-detached houses; two and three-bed terrace and eight one-bedroom apartments.

The plans also include a new site entrance from the Clara Road, an estate road connection to the adjoining Knockowen Road, internal roads, paths, paving, parking and amenity space, including landscaped public open space.

Third party appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) have now been lodged against the development by Knockowen Residents Association; Pat & Fiona Brophy; Mark Goodings and the Knockowen Road Residents Association. In their appeal, the members of Knockowen Residents' Association itemised a list of concerns which were raised at their meeting on July 31 last, and added that these concerns had also been submitted by way of observations in November 2024 and again in June 2025.

The Knockowen residents said the proposed addition of 12 two-storey detached homes at Kearney's Walk is “absolutely inconsistent” with the nature of exisiting housing in the area, all of which is detached single-storey, and argued that these houses would increase the volume of traffic exiting Knockowen Road onto the main R420 Clara Road. “This junction is already problematic due to its design, and such problems would therefore be exacerbated by any increase in traffic,” the appeal letter stated.

The residents also said the proposed removal of the existing natural trees and hedgerows runs “totally contrary” to promoting biodiversity and the preservation of bird and wildlife flora and fauna.

They also said that that the developer had given “no consideration” to the concerns of residents and had made “no effort” to meet with them to discuss any aspects of the proposed development “despite approaches by some of the residents”.

Pat and Fiona Brophy, who reside on the Knockowen Road, also took issue with the construction of 12 two-storey detached homes at Kearney's Walk, and argued that the impact on their property from this development would be “profound.” Referring to House Number 1, which has been adjusted from a 4-bed to a 3-bed semi-detached residence, they stated that the side gable has “a clear line of sight” into their master bedroom and their southern light will be “very significantly impacted” by the positioning of the house. While stating at the outset of their appeal that they are “aware and supportive” of the need for further housing in Ireland, the Brophys said Offaly County Council has erred by not adhering to its own guidelines in giving the go ahead for the Kearney's Walk element of the proposed development.

While not objecting to the construction of houses in the neighbouring field, the appellants said they were contesting “the house type and house location of the proposed adjoining house” to their own property.

In their appeal, the Brophys stated that “an adjustment” of the house type at Kearney's Walk “will allay virtually all concerns” raised by residents of Knockowen Road and would “strike a suitable balance” in providing houses while also adhering to the council's own planning guidelines.

The appeal submitted by Mark Goodings, who also lives in a single-storey dwelling on Knockowen Road, centres on three aspects of the proposed development, namely building height, visual impact and lack of consideration of his earlier submission. He argues that the proposed three-storey apartment block, which will be immediately adjacent to his single-storey dwelling will create “an abrupt and visually overbearing transition”.

In their third party appeal, the members of the Knockowen Road Residents Association said the development intends to introduce two-storey houses into a single-storey long-established existing housing estate which has “a distinct scale and character.” They argue that these units will be “out of scale and character” with the existing estate and should be rejected.

The appellants also state that “no vehicular traffic” should be allowed to pass through Knockowen Road into the proposed development or vice versa, due to the fact that the existing road infrastructure does not have “adequate capacity to handle the additional traffic loads.

While the Knockowen Road Residents Association state that they want to see the lands developed “in a proper and sustainable manner” they argue that the application, as submitted and revised, is “substandard” and should be refused planning permission. “The proposed development has failed to respect the existing scale and character of the existing estate,” the appeal states, “in particular the scale of the proposed development facing into the existing Knockowen estate where two-storey houses are juxtaposed against the single-storey character of the existing development.”