174 more homes planned in Portlaoise but unwelcome pedestrian link through private estate

Portlaoise is set to grow further with more houses, with a planning application for another 174 homes off the Borris Road.

Permission has been sought from Laois County Council for a Largescale Residential Development, as an expansion of Dargan Woods housing estate which is under construction.

The property development would include pedestrian links through neighbouring estates, already elicting objections.

The first phase of Dargan Woods is under construction off the Borris Road in Portlaoise building 94 houses.

Developer Dargan Woods Devco Ltd has this April applied to Laois County Council to add another 160 houses, 14 apartments and a creche.

They are planned on two sites totalling 5.74ha north and south of the existing construction site (outlined in black in the centre of the map), filling in more green areas between it and neighbouring housing estates.

It plans pedestrian walkways to Maryborough Crescent to the south, Forest Park to the south west and Ashley Gardens to the north east.

It will also adjoin Colliers Wood, Hawthorn Drive and The Beeches estates. To the west, the site backs onto individual detached residential plots. To the north, is is adjoined by mainly detached single-storey residences fronting Borris Road.

One of the Maryborough Crescent residents laid out concerns. 

"Maryborough Crescent is a privately managed estate and is not taken in charge by Laois County Council, nor is it intended to be. The roads, open spaces, and access points within the estate are therefore private property under the control of the management company - Maryborough Crescent Management Company.

"There is no existing right of way or access permission in place to allow a pedestrian route through Maryborough Crescent. Any such connection would require the explicit consent of the management company and property owners, which has not been granted.

"Opening a pedestrian route into a private estate would raise concerns regarding security, anti-social behaviour, safety for residents including children, loss of privacy and quiet enjoyment of the estate.

"Any connection could create uncertainty regarding responsibility for maintenance, insurance, and public access within a private development.

"Maryborough Crescent is a mature, established estate of approximately 20 years, consisting of a small number of houses and apartments (50 units), which has functioned as a cul-de-sac since its original design and construction. The proposed connection would fundamentally alter the nature and character of the estate.

"The proposed link would not serve only the new development but would likely create a through-route connecting multiple surrounding estates, including Broomville and Fieldbrook. This would significantly increase pedestrian and potentially informal cycle traffic through Maryborough Crescent, which was never designed to accommodate such use," the concerned resident said.

The submissions are also deemed invalid because the planning application has been sent back as so. It is likely to be resubmitted with corrected documentation.

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The 160 houses include detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, all two storey in height. Sixty will have four bedrooms, 81 will have three bedrooms and 19 with two bedrooms. There will be 14 1 bedroom apartments across three 2 storey blocks and above the creche unit.

The childcare facility will provide 66 places, located at the north-east of the development. The estate is planned to have 326 car parking spaces in the gardens of the proposed houses. There will be 25 public car parking spaces and 66 bicycle parking spaces.

A new connector road is proposed through the centre of the site. An ESB sub-station and landscaped public open spaces approximately .81 ha or 14% of the overall site area are part of the plans.