Green light for new homes in Dunboyne causes controversy

The granting of planning permission for housing on a site at Rooske Road, Dunboyne, is causing controversy in the area, according to Fine Gael local election candidate, Maria Murphy. She said that she found it 'unbelievable' that permission had been granted at this site. Developers have been granted permission to demolish an existing house, 'The Laurels", and replace it with nine houses. Ms Murphy, who is standing for her party in the Dunboyne area, said this represented the third attempt by the applicant to get planning permission for multiple dwellings on the site. 'It looks like the applicant has hit the magic number on this occasion. Previous planning applications were for a higher number of housing units,' she said. 'The Rooske Road is an extremely dangerous road which was highlighted recently when a child was injured on his way to the gaelscoil, which is situated on the Rooske Road. The site is adjacent to the Dunboyne Castle Estate.' Ms Murphy said that the entrances onto the Rooske Road were extremely dangerous because of poor visibility due to the bend in the road and the bridge over the river. 'These conditions are exacerbated by motorists exceeding the speed limit,' she added. Residents were very concerned about the dangers on the road, she added. 'As part of the draft Local Area Plan (LAP) for the area, Meath County Council recently undertook to prepare a safety audit of this road. I fail to see how further development can be allowed on this road until the safety audit has been completed by the council. It appears that the planning section in the council does not communicate with its road safety officer,' claimed the FG candidate.