Proposed boat shed on seaward side of road at Carnlough refused
A planning application for construction of a boat shed in Carnlough has been refused by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
The application is for the retention of a concrete slab and the erection of a boat shed to replace an existing store at Bay Road. The proposed shed would measure approximately five metres x 2.8 metres and is 2.85 metres in height.
Department for Infrastructure Rivers has stated the site is “wholly within a coastal floodplain”.
A development management officer’s report said the site is an “open parcel of scrub land on the seaward side of the road”. Currently, there is a wooden open-sided structure and concrete slab on the site.
The report added the location is within Larne Coast Special Countryside Area and Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It stated all proposals for development in the countryside must be “sited and designed to integrate sympathetically with their surroundings and to meet other planning and environmental requirements, including those for drainage, access and road safety”.
“A Special Countryside Area (SCA) is designated on the Larne Coast in order to protect the exceptional landscape, unique amenity, value and environmental assets associated with the natural and historic environment of this area.
“This SCA forms part of the Causeway Coastal Route and is a unique amenity value for tourists and visitors. The proposed boat shed would adversely impact the SCA by reason of its impact on the undeveloped character of the coastal area.
“The proposed shed is incompatible with the unique scenic value and character of this area of the AONB. The shed would be visually intrusive when travelling along the road and is not sited or designed to integrate with the landscape.
“It is considered that the proposed shed would appear visually obtrusive and prominent in this sensitive landscape. Key views of this coastal site would be significantly harmed and would result in a detrimental adverse impact on the high scenic quality and character of the AONB.”
The report said the proposed “design, materials and finishes are not of a high quality and are more akin to an industrial style shed”.
“The proposal would have an adverse impact on the undeveloped character of the coastal area and on the views along the coast and out to sea.”
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter