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09 Feb 2026
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09 Feb 2026
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New estate to be accessed through The Fairways estate. Pic: Google Maps
An Coimisiún Pleanála has reviewed an appeal of planning approval for a housing development in Abbeyleix, and has granted the development permission with 17 conditions.
In January of 2025, Laois County Council granted developers Brook Advantage Ltd planning permission to construct 28 houses across phase one of a three-phase plan at Rathmoyle, Abbeyleix on the Ballyroan Road and N77.
This phase will consist of 28 houses including one four-bed detached house, twenty four-bed semi-detached houses, and seven three-bed terraced houses in two blocks. The project will also include an ESB kiosk, and all associated site development works including footpaths, parking, fencing, drainage, and landscape /amenity works.
Above: The proposed Abbeyleix development.
The development is stage one of Brook Advantage Ltd's plan to build a total of 84 houses across three stages.
Access to the phase one development will be via The Fairways housing estate next door, which has 94 houses. However an entrance from the Ballyroan road is planned for future phases.
The planning decision was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála by residents in The Fairways.
Roland and Sharon Tarrant, Karen Phelan and The Fairways Residents Association objected to the proposed access point for the first phase of the development. They raised issues related to road safety, the impact to the established estate's character and transport networks, and argued that the estate was not designed to accommodate such traffic.
Phase two of the development is to include a créche, which also received objections.
The Fairways Residents Association have said that the estate's entrance was "at full capacity" as it was, describing it as "hazardous" particularly in icy conditions. They said they feared the "potential routing of traffic from the N77 through the Fairways to the Ballyroan road".
Having examined the development and basis of appeals, An Coimisiún Pleanála have ruled to allow the development to go ahead, with 17 conditions.
Developers must include revised plans and elevations of the mid-terraced properties in the interest of public health and to ensure adequate water/wastewater facilities.
They must also ensure that a detailed construction traffic management plan shall be submitted to, and agreed in writing with, the planning authority prior to commencement of development.
The plan shall include details of arrangements for routes for construction traffic, parking during the construction phase, the location of the compound for storage of plant and machinery and the location for storage of deliveries to the site.
All roads and footpaths shown to adjoining lands shall be constructed up to the boundaries to provide access to adjoining lands with no obstruction including the erection of any structure which would otherwise constitute exempted development under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended.
Prior to commencement of the development, the developer shall submit a revised autotrack analysis to the Planning Authority for written approval.
The revised autotrack analysis shall show that HGV vehicles can turn in the turning areas proposed without mounting the footpaths or driving beyond the site boundary. Turning heads shall be revised to ensure that the turning facilities are adequate.
Prior to commencement of development, the developer shall submit a revised Stage 1 & Stage 2 Road Safety Audit to the Planning Authority for written approval.
The revised Stage 1 & Stage 2 Road Safety Audits shall be updated to take account of the revised layout hereby approved.
The developer shall carry out a detailed Stage 3 Road Safety Audit (RSA) by an independent approved and certified auditor, for the proposed development.
The developer shall submit to the Planning Authority a copy of the RSA Stage 3 report and shall complete all of the remedial measures identified in the RSA Stage 3 report, prior to opening the scheme to traffic.
Six months following completion of the development, a Stage 4 Road Safety Audit (RSA) shall be completed by an independent Road Safety Audit Team comprised of TII approved auditors and submitted to the Planning Authority for approval.
Recommendations arising from the Audit shall be agreed with the Planning Authority, and implemented, as appropriate.
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