Councillors in Meath have agreed to contravene the county development plan to allow Donaghmore/Ashbourne GAA club to build detached houses, each on a site of around one acre, on its playing pitches.
A planning application by the club sought to demolish the existing clubhouse and facilities on the site at Wotton and Newtown Commons, the Ward, three miles from Ashbourne and the N2, the main Dublin-Derry road.
Instead they want to build 10 large two-storey detached dwellings on the site, which is just less than 2.5 hectares (6.177 acres).
The sale of the houses is expected to raise more than €2.5 million for the club, which will be used to develop new pitches and a clubhouse. The councillors were told that the proposed facilities have been granted planning permission.
Councillors were also told by executive planner Joanna Kelly that the proposal before them materially contravened the development plan which has as an objective "to channel housing development in rural areas into graigs [crossroads-type villages] and other designated development centres".
This is "to ensure that individual house developments in rural areas are functionally and socially linked to the rural area in which they are proposed".
However, the planners were in favour of the application, saying that it would provide "rural housing for persons with local need in a high development pressure area".
There would also be a planning gain because the club was relocating within the community, and there would be a reduction in the intensity of traffic volumes associated with fixtures.
It is a condition of the planning permission that the owners or occupiers of the houses must enter into an agreement with the council to stay in the house for not less than five years.
The proposal to contravene the plan was made by Nick Killian (FF) who said there were more than 2,000 underage children in the area, and the new facilities were needed. It would also raise funds for the new development, which would run to between €5 million and €7 million."
The new development will include two adult pitches, two juvenile pitches and a clubhouse. Councillors voted in favour.