Navan O'Mahonys pitch planning overturned by Bord Pleanala

Navan O'Mahonys GAA club has expressed its disappointment over An Bord Pleanala's decision to refuse planning permission for their proposed new training facility at Robinrath and Knockumber, Navan. The Navan club had planned to develop four new training pitches on a site off the old Athboy Road but planning was refused by an Bord Pleanala last Wednesday, following an appeal. In a statement the club said it was extremely disappointed with the planning refusal for the training pitches and reiterated that Brews Hill would always be the home of Navan O'Mahonys GAA club. The statement said: "Following receipt of the decision, Navan O'Mahonys are extremely disappointed with the refusal to grant permission for a development that would enhance sporting facilities for the town of Navan. The development, if sanctioned, would have created much needed local employment. We have enhanced our facilities in Brews Hill with additional drainage to our pitch and an all weather playing surface. Later this year it is our intention to upgrade the dressing rooms in Brews Hill, which will always be the home of Navan O'Mahonys Gaelic football and hurling clubs." The statement goes on to say that the executive and development committees of Navan O'Mahonys will study the findings of An Bord Pleanala's decision in greater detail when the reasons and considerations from this ruling are issued and how it will impact the development in the future. "Navan O'Mahonys accepts the decision of all the statutory bodies involved in this ruling and will work with our respective architects and planners to resolve the issue to everyone's satisfaction," the statement concluded. Navan O'Mahonys was granted planning permission by Meath County Council and Navan Town Council subject to conditions for four new sand based pitches on the 7.39 hectares site together with flood lighting on two of pitches, a maintenance equipment store including housing for a diesel generator, connection to the public sewerage system. The proposed entrance was located off the old Athboy Road. The largest part of the site fell into Navan Town Council's area and part of the site is in Meath County Council's area, which meant applications were submitted to both authorities. The zoning on the lands in the Navan Development Plan 2009-2015 is "to provide for necessary community, recreational and educational facilities". Navan Town Council's planning approval was appealed to an Bord Pleanala by Brendan and John Foley whose home is located in the centre of the proposed development. Issues raised in the appeal included planning, traffic, surface water, public health, sewerage disposal, light intrusion, noise intrusion and devaluation issues. An Bord Pleanala overturned Navan Town Council's granting of planning permission, citing four reasons for their decision to refuse permission. The authority stated that the proposed training facility was located on the Athboy Road where there is a narrow carriageway and an absence of footpaths linking the site to the town network and it considered that the "proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard, particularly pedestrians including young people and cyclists using the facility" and would therefore be contrary to proper planning. Another reason given was the omission of proposals for sanitary facilities for those using and visiting the site which is states would be "prejudicial to public health and which would seriously injure the amenities of the area and of property in the vicinity". The Bord also stated in its decision that the omission of proposals for car parking and bus parking within the boundaries of the site would result in parking along the public road, creating serious traffic congestion and would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard. The final point raised it that the plans and documents accompanying the planning application did not comply with the requirements as the scale within drawings and between drawings did not correspond, the details of floodlighting were not adequately outlined and the location and position of netting and support posts were not clearly marked on drawings. The Bord's ruling was in line with the recommendation of its planning inspector who also recommended that permission be refused for the development. In his report, Inspector Michael Dillon raised the issue of the lack of toilets and sanitary facilitates and stated that permission should be refused for this reason. "In the absence of any onsite sanitary facilities, it is likely that boundary ditches will be used by players and visitors to the site needing to relieve themselves. I would accept the contention of the appellants that this could cause a potential health hazard. It is not acceptable to propose a facility of this size without provision for toilets," the inspector states in his report. The club had intended to submit plans for dressing rooms and toilet facilities in a future application. The Navan club sold part of its land holding on Brews Hill to Aldi who recently opened a discount foodstore on the site. The sale of the land was to fund future development of the clubs facilities including the training facility at Robinrath. In its response to the appeal, Navan O'Mahonys states that the club does not intend to move from Brews Hill and that despite the sale of a plot of land to the Aldi group, the club had managed to overcome the loss of land through more efficient use of areas surrounding the field of play and also through regularisation of the title deeds to its lands. The club also has future plans to carry out reclamation works to an area of disused ground for use as a winter training area.