Decision made on controversial expansion of Portlaoise housing estate
An application to build 99 new houses and a creche adding to a large Portlaoise housing area has been decided upon by Laois County Councils planners.
The applicant Thomas Kelly & Sons Group comprising O'Ceallaigh Westfield Ltd & Thomas Kelly & Sons Ltd sought to build 99 houses and the creche in Rathevan.
The plan had received muliple objections from residents and Portlaoise councillors.
Their concerns include a lack of road, water and education infrastructure, traffic congestion and flood risk.
The council planners have however decided to approve the plan, in a decision made on March 17.
It might still be stalled if any objectors appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.
The Laois developer had previously applied to build 262 units which was withdrawn in 2020 and also was met with objections over a lack of infrastructure.
The Office of the Planning Regulator and Laois County Council's CEO John Mulholland had both requested that the land in question be unzoned for housing, as it would not follow sequential planning and there are sufficient other lands already zoned for new housing in Portlaoise.
The majority of Laois councillors however voted to zone the land as suited for housing in the new county development plan. Read that story below.