An Bord Pleanála rejects plans for ‘piecemeal’ Kilkenny development after objections

A long-running saga involving plans to build childcare facilities at a housing development in Kilkenny has been refused by An Bord Pleanála after local residents campaigned against its construction.

The national planning authority rejected the “piecemeal” proposed development at Weir View on the Castlecomer Road on appeal.

The Paddy Ragget Homes development had requested permission for two detached two-storey dwellings, with one including a single-storey Montessori building.

In January Kilkenny County Council granted the proposed development planning permission, subject to 12 conditions.

The Weir Estate currently consists of 76 homes, but has a long planning history stretching back to 1995.

In 2002, planning permission was granted for a 179-dwelling development of both houses and apartments. Back in 2019, permission was granted for eight houses on this exact site.

The most recent application was submitted late last year requesting permission for two two-storey homes and a Montessori building.

The initial approved plans for this site included the provision of a creche, but this has never been provided.

An Bord Pleanála decided to refuse the current application on foot of appeals from resident groups in the area.

In arriving at their decision, the planning authority said: “The proposed development will result in inadequate qualitative and piecemeal provision of public open space to serve the Weir View estate.

They added the development “would constitute a substandard layout of the residual public open space serving the area in terms of functionality, usability and passive surveillance”.