Green light given for major housing development and community facilities in Westport
Planning permission has been granted for a major residential development at Carrowbaun in Westport, which will see the construction of 97 new homes.
The proposal, submitted by Carrabaun Developments Limited, was approved by Mayo County Council subject to 28 conditions.
The development will comprise a mix of housing types, including:
19 four-bedroom detached housing units
33 terraced housing units with a mix of two, three and 4-bedroom
Nine own-door apartments with a mix of one and two-bedroom units
18 two-bedroom ground-floor terraced own-door apartments
18 three-bedroom own-door terraced duplex apartments
In addition to the residential units, the development will include a two storey crèche / community building catering to children between 0 and six years old.
A new site access point for both vehicles and pedestrians will also be constructed.
The proposal provides for full site landscaping, boundary treatments, public lighting, connections to existing services, and all associated site works.
The 3.77-hectare site will accommodate 167 car parking spaces, including 17 designated for electric vehicles, with room to add more in the future.
In addition, 49 cycle parking spaces will be provided.
As part of the development, 19 units will be delivered under a Part V agreement, as per the Planning and Development Acts 2000–2021, which require 20pc of residential developments to be allocated to social and affordable housing.
The Part V units are proposed to comprise of six one-bedroom ground-floor apartments, three two-bedroom first-floor apartments, and 10 two-bedroom ground-floor apartments.
One submission was received regarding the application, raising concerns about increased traffic volumes in Westport and congestion during peak travel times.
The submission, made by John Kelly, expressed concern that increased traffic could impact residents in the N59 area, requiring them to use alternative modes of travel, including walking or cycling.
Mr Kelly stated that there is currently “no safe pedestrian access to other parts of the town” from the area.
He noted that while the Westport Local Transport Plan identifies the need for improvements to pedestrian access and safety, these works are not yet funded, and there is no timeline for their delivery.
Mr Kelly raised concerns that pedestrian and cyclist visibility to motorists along the N59 Leenaun Road could be further reduced once the development is completed, due to buildings and landscaping potentially blocking light and sightlines.
His submission suggested constructing a footpath alongside the N59 boundary of the proposed development to mitigate the risks to pedestrians.
He also noted that the site plan includes a future provision for cycleway access to the N59. He suggested that this access point should be made available to residents of Willow Lane and Leenaun Road if the cycleway is not in place when the development is completed.
Appeals against Mayo County Council’s decision to grant permission may be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of the decision, which was issued on February 4, 2026.
Carrabaun Developments Limited has previously constructed a large-scale housing development at Carrowbaun in Westport.
On September 4, 2023, planning permission was granted by Mayo County Council for the development of 81 residential units on a 3.77-hectare site.
That development comprised 19 detached houses, 14 semi-detached houses, 24 terraced houses and 24 apartment units.
The application was appealed to An Bord Pleanála; however, the board upheld the council’s decision to grant permission, despite a recommendation from its planning inspector to refuse the proposal on the grounds of excessive housing density of 22 units per hectare.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.