Planning permission for seven high-rise blocks of apartments, houses, a cafe, creche and retails units in a suburb of Limerick city have been rejected for a second time by An Bord Pleanála.
Revington Developments, of Wellington Place, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, applied to the planning board for 10-year permission for a “strategic housing development” at Canal Bank, Pa Healy Road, Corbally.
The 442-residential unit development was to consist of 363 build-to-rent apartments and 61 student apartments, rising between five and 10 storeys high, as well as 18 detached four-bed and terraced four-bed houses including parking spaces.
Refusing the application, the planning board highlighted “deficiencies” in information provided by the applicant, regarding the potential environmental impact on the canal bank, the river, local watercourses and local wetlands.
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“The board is not satisfied that the development would not adversely affect the integrity of the lower river Shannon special area of conservation, or of the river Shannon and river Fergus estuaries special protection area”, it stated.
The land was “not zoned” for retail units, and recently updated planning policy deemed that the site was “not one to support a tall building” and would therefore “be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.
The board also stated that it was “not satisfied that the proposed development would not give rise to flooding elsewhere” due to the applicant’s plans to fill in a “potential overflow channel” from the canal.
A Revington spokesperson said: “We are satisfied that a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and natura impact assessment were carried out and demonstrated no risk to the environment or local habitats. We will review the proposed planning application, in light of An Bord Pleanála’s decision and will look to submit new plans for the site as soon as possible.
“We still believe that this site is ideally located for residential development and is a critical project in meeting the demands for accommodation in the area.”
Limerick-based group Environmental Trust Ireland had lodged an objection, citing concerns about “the potential impact on biodiversity loss”.
Michelle Hayes, a local solicitor and president of the group, said she had been concerned the development, of a total gross floor area of more than 45,00sq m set on a site of about four hectares, “would create a concrete jungle which potentially would have major detrimental consequences for habitats and ecosystems within specially designated environmental areas protected at European level”.
Limerick, like other large urban centres throughout the country, is experiencing a housing and student accommodation crisis.
The April report of the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council said there were more than 2,700 people on the local authority’s housing waiting list, and, 107 children were sleeping in B&B/hotel accommodation across the city and county.
Limerick has a target to deliver 502 new houses in 2023, as part of the Government’s Housing For All strategy.
Figures published in the CEO’s April report show that none of the new builds have been completed, and 448 were “in progress”.