Guesthouse plans for Letterkenny refused by council

by Louise Doyle

GUESTHOUSE plans for Letterkenny have been refused by Donegal County Council on the grounds that it would have an ‘unacceptably detrimental impact’ on the residential area.

Applicant MCT Efficient Developments Limited lodged plans for retention permission in May 2023 for renovation works to convert two dwelling houses into one and change its use from residential to guesthouse.

The proposed plans at Ashlawn, Ballyraine, also comprised connection to all existing services and associated site works.

Turning down the retention permission, Donegal County Council said that having regard to the scale and nature of the development proposed for retention and proposed use for a guesthouse, it would have a negative impact for “third parties by virtue of the noise and nuisance associated guesthouse activity”.

The Chief Executive Order states: “Having regard to the scale and nature of the development proposed for retention and proposed use for a guesthouse and associated activity, together with its location within an established residential development, it is considered that the development would have an unacceptably detrimental impact on the residential amenity of third parties by virtue of the noise and nuisance associated guesthouse activity.

“Accordingly, it is considered that to permit the development proposed for retention would result in a disorderly form of development, injure the residential amenities of the adjacent wider Ashlawn housing development and would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

The proposed application also sought an intensification of an existing access off an existing single width carriage way, which, the Council said would compromise pedestrian and vehicular safety.

“Having regard to the condition and single carriage width of this local road with no pedestrian facilities at the junction with the regional road, and the number of existing and permitted residential entrances to which this local road serves; the adjoining local road is not considered to
have the carrying capacity to facilitate any further development.

“To permit this development along this road would result in an over concentration of multiple vehicular and pedestrian movements, would endanger pedestrian, cycle and vehicular safety contrary to the County Development Plan 2018-2024.”

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