Planning permission granted for 20 ‘tourist’ apartments in Mayo village
Planning permission has been granted for 20 tourist apartments in Mulranny Village, a development broadly welcomed by local residents amid growing demand for visitor accommodation in Mayo.
The application, submitted by Angela Grealis and Cathal Hanley, received strong community support during the process.
Several submissions in favour of the development highlighted the shortage of local accommodation, pointing to rising tourist numbers in the area as well as an increase in “west of Ireland style” weddings being held in the village.
The plans include the construction of two two-and-a-half-storey terraced buildings. The development will comprise 10 own-door, one-bedroom ground-floor tourist apartments and 10 own-door, two-bedroom duplex units.
Additional features include a covered bicycle shed to the rear of the apartments and 27 off-site parking spaces.
The proposal also incorporates access ramps, a landscaped plaza, a pollinator-friendly planting area, and all associated works, including drainage, boundary treatments and landscaping.
Among those supporting the development was Paul Crawford, general manager of the Mulranny Park Hotel, who described the project as a “God send” that would provide much-needed overflow accommodation.
Mr Crawford said the current availability of B&B accommodation in the area is insufficient, particularly in light of the hotel’s busy wedding trade. He noted that the hotel hosts between 120 and 150 “substantial west of Ireland style” weddings each year.
“With two or three weddings a week on average, catering for between 250-320 guests and with only 39 bedrooms, the demand for accommodation, well outstrips its availability,” he said. The hotel expressed its full support for what it described as a “much needed development” in Mulranny. Cheryl Cobern Browne, director of the Mulranny Arts and Cultural Centre, also backed the proposal.
She said the centre attracts visitors from across Ireland, Europe and the United States, and often experiences accommodation shortages in the village.
“The addition of high-quality, well-located housing within the village would be a significant assest to our operations, enabling us to expand our programme and better accommodate our guests locally,” she said.
A submission lodged by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) raised concerns that insufficient information had been provided to demonstrate the development would not adversely affect the capacity, safety or efficiency of the nearby national road network. TII recommended that a Road Safety Audit be carried out in accordance with its guidelines.
In response, the applicants submitted additional documentation, including plans for access and exit junctions, a zebra crossing, visibility splays, forward visibility measures, and vehicle tracking analysis prepared by traffic and transport consultants.
Following a request for further information from planners at Mayo County Council, revised layout plans were also submitted to address outstanding concerns.
These included measures to ensure compliance with the Mayo County Council Development Plan 2022-2028, improve pedestrian connectivity, and provide safe access from the northern side of the N59, including a zebra crossing designed to meet TII standards.
Planning permission was granted on Monday, April 20, subject to 18 conditions. Any objections to the development must be lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanala within four weeks of the date.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.