Flood fears stop over 40 houses in south Kildare
Photo for illustrative purposes only
AN application made almost two years ago to build 43 houses in Castledermot has been refused by an Bord Pleanáala (ABP), after a similar decision by Kildare County Council was appealed.
Housing developer Corestone 11 Limited made the application for the 2.19ha (5.5ac) site between Oak Road, Beech Close and the Athy Road (R418) in February 2023 which was refused by the council 13 months later.
After the appeal ABP upheld the Kildare decision and made it public just two days before Christmas.
The plan was for a mix of bungalow and two-storey houses in a rough circle, with the green area in the middle, three new bridges over the stream – two for pedestrians – and 55 car parking spaces.
Council planners ruled that Corestone’s plan to deal with expected surface water and potential flooding was to install four large storage tanks on the site, one under the car park, and a further three under the planned green space in the centre of the development.
However, the planner believed that these latter three tanks “could have a significant impact on this space, particularly in terms of malfunction or maintenance … nd will not be accepted as part of a SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) solution”.
The planners also noted that the Abbeylands estate, just 400 metres south of this location hade recently experienced flooding, and cited the proximity of both the Lerr River and the Ballyvass Stream.
ABP also ruled that the layout was “inadequate … (as it) fails to provide for a level of passive surveillance of the proposed park… (and) does not provide a high standard of urban design or architectural expression”.
