130 submissions lodged with Council over controversial planning application for 141 homes in Ratoath

More than 130 submissions were lodged with Meath County Council in relation to a controversial planning application for 141 homes at the Ballybin Road in Ratoath. Concerned locals have also held a number of meetings on the plans by Marshall Yards Development Company Limited for the site which is adjacent to Fox Lodge Manor. Meath County Council planners recently requested further information on the plans and the applicant now has six months in which to respond.

Marshall Yards Development Company Limited is seeing permission to build 141 homes on a 13.5 acres site, which is located to the east of the town centre with access proposed from the R125 to the south and the Ballybin Road to the east.

Also forming part of the proposal is the realignment of the Ballybin Road and the creation of a new signalised junction with the R125.

The planning application seeks permission for the demolition of two houses and an agricultural shed and the construction of 141 residential dwellings with a gross floor area of 12,428 square metres in buildings of two and three storeys.

The homes include 117 houses made up of 57 two-bed, 52 three-bed, seven four-bed and one five-bed, as well as 24 duplex units made up of 18 one-bed units and six three-beds units.

Also included in the proposal are 228 car parking spaces; cycle parking spaces; communal amenity space and private amenity space (as rear gardens and terraces/balconies facing multiple directions); demolition of the wall at the north-west corner of the site interfacing with Fox Lodge Manor and the amalgamation of existing public open space in the estate and proposed public open space.

Residents in the area have objected to the proposal on several grounds and a total of 133 submissions were made . Many are against the proposal to replace the existing roundabout with a four arm signalised junction fearing it will cause traffic congestion on what is a relatively free-flowing route, while a plan to amalgamate the open space in neighbouring Fox Lodge Manor with the open space in the proposed development has also proven controversial.

Local councillor Gillian Toole is among those who made a submission. She said one of the most contentious elements is the realignment of the R125 and the proposal to replace the roundabout at the entrance of the new Glenveagh site with a four way signal controlled junction. She pointed out that the traffic modelling in relation to this was done before the Ratoath outer relief road opened and said that this has not been taken into consideration.

"Ratoath is also funnelling traffic from Skyrne and Navan and North Co Dublin to Intel and there is a lot of commuter traffic so it is important that it flows."

She said there is also a very busy bus stop which currently has a slip road into it but it is now proposed to put it on the road which she said would cause traffic delays when the bus stops to pick up passengers.

Cllr Toole also said that a primary concern for many is the proposal to to take out the boundary wall with Foxlodge Manor and merge the open space there with the open space requirement for the new development.

Many feel the housing density per acre is too high for Ratoath and that the infrastructure is not there, while concerns were also raised in the submissions about the lack of passive surveillence in some of the open space areas. Other points raised included the removal of mature trees and hedgerows, the design of the houses and car parking provision.