A large-scale housing development made possible by the €15m sale of convent lands by an order of nuns has provoked widespread local opposition in the Co Wicklow village of Delgany.
In 2019, the Carmelite Order of nuns in the town cashed in after selling convent lands to a developer.
Now an Bord Pleanála has given the green light to Eddie Holly and Ronan O’Caoimh’s Drumakilla Ltd for 232 homes on the lands.
Newly released records by the appeals board show the fast-track Strategic Housing Development (SHD) proposal secured planning in spite of more than 160 objections lodged against the scheme on the 15-acre site.
Board inspector Stephen Rhys Thomas said most of the 167 submissions “were made by individuals worried about their locale and containing similar themes and concerns”.
“For the most part, observers are against the scale and density of the development and the problems that will result in terms of traffic congestion and a perception that the character of Delgany Village will be lost,” he said.
As part of the ‘fast-track’ planning application, Drumakilla has put a €7m price tag on 24 apartments it is proposing to sell to Wicklow County Council for social housing.
The appeals board granted planning permission in spite of the strong recommendation by the county council to refuse on four grounds.
The council said the density of the development would contravene the zoning objectives for the lands.
It also said a number of apartment units would form a dominant feature and affect the setting of the Delgany Carmelite Monastery House.
The management of Delgany National School objected and said the village was gridlocked several times a day and cannot accommodate extra traffic.
Irish Independent
Source: Irish News
