By Louise Doyle

RETENTION planning permission granted by Donegal County Council for a bed and breakfast have been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála on the grounds of severe environmental issues.

In a April of this year, applicant Liam Duffy lodged retention permission for an attic utilisation within an existing building to provide four extra bedrooms, general storage and accommodation areas for bed and breakfast use at Drumnacroil House, Ballintra.

The replacement and upgrade of the existing septic tank and installation of a sewerage system unit and all associated elevation changes and site development works were also included in the proposed application.

A submission was made by Mr Aiden McGrory, citing a serious road risk to occupants and road users of the N15 National Primary Road.

“Location of Dwelling does not have any safe access to local village for occupants to avail of all the services they need. Pedestrians cross the N15 Road and walk along the hard shoulder of this road for approximately 850m.

“This involves pedestrians crossing the notorious Drumncroil Junction where there have been fatalities in the past,” the submission states.

Concern was also raised that the wastewater treatment plant proved inadequate, and was upgraded by the owner following capacity issues and became a Public Health and Environmental Health Issue in 2022.

“In December 2022, it was apparent that there a major issue. Donegal County Council Environmental Compliance Officer visited the site, installed the Dye in his system to trace the route of the leachate and quickly found the leachate which appeared in the water table ditches adjacent to the public road outside his boundary, close to the river. Picture shows a pool which was located on his neighbours land.”

Retention permission was granted by Donegal County Council in July, with five conditions attached. One condition cites that a wastewater treatment system (independently certified by IAB, BSI or ISO EN) suitable for a population equivalent of 66 persons shall be operated and maintained in strict accordance with the supplier’s instructions and the 2021 Environmental Protection Agency Code of Practice.

An appeal to the granting of retention permission has been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála by Mr McGrory

“The conditions set out on the granted retention document do not address nor consider the severity of the environmental issues raised in the submission. It also seems to have ignored the fact that required protocol and specifications was not adhered to.

“It does not appear that a geotechnical investigation had been carried out for a wastewater characteristic report in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“The public road drainage has been used as an extension and drain off for the percolation area,” the appeal states.

An Coimisiún Pleanála is due to make its decision on December 16, 2025.