Board says no to homes on Trim mart site

An Bord Pleanala has upheld Meath County Council's refusal to grant planning permission for 150 homes and a creche at the former cattle mart site on the Summerhill Road in Trim. Potterton Livestock Ltd was previously refused permission by Meath County Council for 150 homes, a creche, play centre, craft centre, shop and a gym at Charterschool Land, Manorlands, Trim, and the applicant lodged an appeal with Bord Pleanala against the decision. The proposed plans were on a 4.8 hectares site, which is bounded to the east by the Summerhill Road and to the south by the former R160 - which is now closed off - and replaced by a newly aligned road further south. The county council offices are directly north and open field bounds the site to the west. The proposed development was arranged in two sections, divided by a proposed relief road off the existing roundabout. The residential units consisted of 60 three-bed terraced units, two three-bed apartments, 12 two-bed duplex apartments, 72 two-bed units and one one-bed unit. The majority of the site is zoned 'to provide for new residential communities and community facilties and to protect existing residential areas'. The planning inspector recommended that planning approval be granted for the development and stated that "having regard to the brownfield nature of the site, its proximity to the town centre and its extensive road frontage together with the residential zoning of the site and the provisions of the current development plan for the area, it is considered that, subject to compliance with the conditions set out, the proposed development would not be premature pending the agreement of a framework plan for the area or delivery of a distributor road between the Longwood Road and Kinnegad Road and, accordingly, would not materially contravene the development plan for the area." The inspector did raise some reservations about the "quality of a new streetscape design on a prominent site to a heritage town with distinctive character" in her report. Setting out the reason for the refusal, the planning appeals board said: "It is considered that the proposed development, by reason of its poor quality urban design, layout and architecture, would not integrate with the character of the town, would fail to comply with the policies of the development plan and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area." In deciding not to accept the planning inspector's recommendation to grant permission, the board noted the inspector's reservations regarding design and layout and other matters in her report and concurred with these views. Furthermore, it considered that these matters could not be addressed by conditions in the context of the appeal.