Moycullen health centre and houses get go ahead

Plans to provide a primary care health centre along with almost 50 houses in Moycullen have been given the green night – overturning Galway County Council’s decision to reject the project earlier this year.

An Bord Pleanala granted planning for the development on the five acre site, rejecting the Council’s belief that it would cause a traffic hazard along the main N59 through the village.

The same site was previously earmarked for an Aldi supermarket but those plans were also rejected by Council planners.

However, Baile Bhruachlain Teoranta – headed up by Ronan Barrett of Citadel Corporate Finance – sought permission to develop the 5.2-acre site at Kylebroughlan off the N59 on the western side of the village.

The plans involved the demolition of an existing house and the construction of a two-storey primary care centre as well as 49 homes.

The residential element of the plans involve the construction of 33 three-bed houses; four two-bed houses; six two-bed apartments and six one-bed apartments along with 135 parking spaces.

At the planning stage, Transport Infrastructure Ireland – formerly the National Roads Authority – believed the development would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network.

They recommended that a Road Safety Audit be carried out at the developer’s expense and any recommendations be included as an amendment to the application.

County planners refused permission, pointing out that the site is located along the route of the proposed Moycullen inner relief road.

Planners were of the view that the development would  fail to compliment the village   in terms of character and  would have an adverse visual impact on it.

They also stated that the design and layout of the residential element lacked diversity in terms of style, character and housing type and offered individual units limited rear garden or private amenity space and usable public open space.

Planners believed that the plan as proposed would result in a substandard form of development which would seriously injure the residential and visual amenities and depreciate the value of property in the vicinity.

However, this decision has now been successfully been appealed to An Bord Pleanala who ruled that the development would not impact negatively on the proposed Inner Relief Road for Moycullen.

They were also of the view that it would not seriously injure properties in the vicinity or cause obstruction for road users. They did not agree with county planners that it would result in a traffic hazard.

In the appeal, the developers stated that the primary care centre would be located in the village core and would be similar to other such facilities in that are located in towns around the county.

The developers also carried out a road safety audit and said that a pedestrian crossing is to be provided between the local filling station in the village and the proposed development, which is located within a 50 km/h speed limit zone.