Application for 50 new homes in Aghacommon approved by planners

Lodged by agent Clyde Shanks Ltd on behalf of applicant Acorn Developments NI Ltd, the application seeks to build 50 residential dwellings including garages and garden stores at lands to the rear of two and four Laurelmount Meadows on the Kilvergan Road and to the south west of 1-7 McGreevy Drive and 68-79 McGreevy Park on the Derrymacash Road.

The application was approved a meeting of the council’s planning committee, with a proposal to approve the application brought forward by Councillor Sam Nicholson and seconded by Councillor Paul Duffy.

Originally, permission had been sought for 52 new homes on the site but this amended application is seeks approval for 50 dwellings. In total, six house types are planned in the development with both semi-detached and detached offerings available.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application notes the proposed site is approximately 2.65 hectares, is roughly ‘L’ shaped and slopes downwards from the south east to the north west.

It also notes local shops are within 200m of the site as is a church, school and local public house with bus stops positioned along the nearby Ballynamoney Road.

With regards access to the development, the design and access statement notes a “single access point off Kilvergan Road, with the inclusion of necessary road widening to accommodate this along with a public footpath” is planned.

The existing boundary vegetation is to be retained to help “integrate the new development into the surrounding context, while augmenting it to provide buffer planting along the edge of the settlement development limit to the north west”.

As for car parking, “proposed in curtilage parking will comply with the standards set out in creating places” and in summary the design and access statement claims the proposed development will “create a quality and sustainable residential environment” that will not result in “unacceptable damage to the local character, environmental quality or residential amenity of the area”.

At the planning committee’s meeting on Wednesday, January 11, a report from planners confirmed they were of the view the application complied with relevant planning policy and should be approved.

Councillor Declan McAlinden noted the Kilvergan Road was heavily used at present and is in close proximity to the local primary school and church and asked if there were any plans for traffic calming measure on the road.

“I would be concerned with the volume of houses and the increase in the volume of footfall in this area as a result if there were no traffic calming measures in place,” he said.

A planning officer confirmed the road would be widened and a footpath would be built at the front of the site. Cllr McAlinden said despite this he would still have concerns about the volume of traffic and the speed at which it will be travelling.

“It is an issue I am heavily lobbied on,” he said. “A number of children would use that road on a daily basis and residents have raised concern about the volume and speed of traffic.

“I have seen it too often, these developments are finished and then later there is a survey done and traffic calming measures are brought in and I am just wondering can they be incorporated with the application?”

The officer said the developer has done all they are required to do under this application and it has been signed off by DfI Roads and said it has been “thoroughly looked at in regards to any mitigation work” and said officers cannot “reasonably ask for anything else”.

The committee’s vice chair, Councillor Kevin Savage asked for assurance that there would be no issues around access to the Kilvergan Lane and was told this application does not provide access to Kilvergan Lane so it would not be an issue.

Praising the “very detailed and well worked out report” produced by the planning officers, Cllr Nicholson said he was of the opinion that as it stands “the recommendation to approve the application was the correct one” and proposed the application was approved.

Councillor Paul Duffy seconded the proposal to approve the application and the committee voiced its support for Cllr Nicholson’s proposal.