Appeal against changes to Laois housing estate under construction rejected
Modifications to the 97 home development in Portarlington have been approved
An Coimisiún Pleanála has rejected the appeal against proposed modifications to a housing development currently under construction in Laois.
Randelswood Holdings Limited submitted a planning application to Laois County Council in April of last year to modify the plans for a 97 home development on a site at Bishopswood Road in Portarlington.
Planning permission was originally granted for the development in February 2020, although the plans were amended and approved in 2024 to modify the windows of some of the homes and the position of five car parking spaces.
Further modifications proposed last year and subsequently granted permission by Laois County Council were appealed by an adjoining landowner due to a number of concerns.
These modifications related to the reduction in the site area from 4.01 to 3.91 hectares to facilitate an increase to the size of the creche reservation area adjoining the site from 796 sqm to 982 sqm, the exclusion of the creche from the site area and changes to the internal road layout including the provision of a new internal road to the eastern boundary of the creche site.
Also listed in the revised plans, was the relocation and distribution of public open space within the site resulting in the total permitted quantum of 4,522 sqm public open space increasing to 4,657 sqm as well as the reposition of 13 homes on the site to accommodate the revised open space arrangement.
The proposed development also included amendments to site service arrangements including revisions to attenuation, adjustments to selected footpaths and car parking arrangements, provision of an ESB substation and all associated site development works above and below ground.
The proposed alterations did not include any changes to the number of houses being built on the site.
Randelswood Holdings Limited sought to make these changes due to unforeseen ground conditions which were identified when construction began. The planning documents noted that as construction progressed, there was “significant variability in ground suitability” particularly in the northeastern corner of the site.
A further assessment of this section of the site found that it was “unsuitable for residential development due to the excessive and unpredictable foundation requirements.”
The redesign of the estate layout was necessary to avoid these issues.The section deemed unsuitable for houses will now be used as a public open space.
However, there was one objection to the proposed changes to the site. Frances Emerson, an adjoining land owner, stated that she did not object to the initial plans but since construction began at the site it has caused issues on her land where her family keeps horses.
Among the concerns raised were flooding on her land since the onset of construction, non compliance with conditions set out with the previous planning permission, as well as site safety.
In response to the grievances, Randelswood Holdings Limited argued that the issues raised are not relevant to this planning application and the subject site does not refer to any modifications to ditches, drains, culverts, land drains or any works of that sort which were mentioned in the objection.
Following the appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála, it was rejected and planning permission has been approved for the changes to the Portarlington site.