Appeals stall Naas housing project

 A NEWBRIDGE-based firm who got planning permission to build 120 houses in a €40m double development in Naas, will have to put at least one bottle of champagne on ice, after a few sizeable ointment flies have appealed against the larger of the two sites.

Tapeford Ltd, with an address in Courtyard House in Newbridge, made two separate applications on 5 July last year to build 49 homes on 1.9Ha (5ac) on a site south of the Tipper Road, and concurrently another 65 on lands north of An Post depot, east of Naas IDA Business Park, and west of Mountain View.

For both applications the council initially had “serious concerns with regard to the piecemeal development with regard to the concurrent application”.

In regards to the Tipper Road application, the council requested for 14 items of ‘further information’ and the 65-unit application a further 16 requests.

However, with the assistance of Roughan and O’Donovan Engineers, Panther Ecology, and Osborne Morrin Denniffe Solicitors in Naas, Tapeford got all their ducks in a row, and received the green light for both applications almost a year exactly (2 July 2024) after their initial applications.

Almost immediately, a total of 28 appeals were made to An Bord Pleanala.

Objectors include the Department of Housing, Irish Water, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), cllr Ann Breen, an adjoining factory, neighbouring residents’ associations, and a scattering of independent residents.

However, as the first of these was only lodged on 10 July, an Bord Pleanala has not been able to give an indication as to when this might be decided.