Residential Zoning of Lands in Killenard
Residential Zoning - Site at Killenard, Co. Laois
Landowner/Applicant: Mr. Matt Colgan
In relation to the above site and as located on the attached map, we wish to request that the zoning for this site be residential in the Draft County Development Plan 2021-2027. Under the current 2017-2023 Plan, the 6.7hectare site is inside the Killenard development boundary and is largely zoned residential with a section to the east as Community, Educational and Institutional.
In the Draft County Development Plan the above site is proposed as ‘Strategic Reserve’ and is outside of the CSO settlement boundary. We request that the entire site be zoned as residential in the next Development Plan. Planning Permission was granted in 2007 on the site for a residential development and for a Retirement Home complex on the Community, Educational and Institutional portion of the site. Since then, a large Retirement Complex has been granted permission in Killenard which negates the need for the Community, Educational and Institutional zoning on the site. Residential houses are in strong demand and in short supply with the proposed development at an advanced design stage.
Under the current Plan, on behalf of Matt Colgan, we have developed a high quality, residential housing scheme for the overall site. A pre-planning meeting was held in December 2019 with the intention of lodging a planning application. The application has been delayed by the requirement for obtaining a service wayleave through adjacent land for foul and surface water connection.
The required wayleave has recently been agreed with the adjacent landowners and we are now ready to lodge the planning application.
I understand that the planning application will be assessed under the current Development Plan, but if there are delays during the process, we would request that the zoning remain as residential under the next plan to facilitate the application. On behalf of our Client we have brought the proposal to planning application stage and have had consultations with the planning, housing, roads and sanitary sections of Laois County Council. We have also obtained a Certificate of Feasibility for the site from Irish Water, as attached.
