Sligo Council grant planning permission for 35 houses in Tubbercurry

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Sligo County Council have this week granted planning permission to KDM Construction Ltd for a development at Fairways, Oghambaun, Tubbercurry that will consist of 35 houses.

The development will consist of 35 dwellings consisting of six semi-detached four Bedroom Units; 22 semi-detached three bedroom units; five semi-detached two bedroom units and two semi-detached one bedroom units with connection to services and associated site development works.

A number of objections were lodged with Sligo County Council in relation to the development with existing residents of the Fairways estate expressing safety concerns in relation to the increase in the volume of traffic that will occur during construction and its aftermath when new residents move into the estate.

A submission from Fearghal O’Caheny took issue with the fact that the entrance for residents of the new development will be the same as that used by existing residents of the Fairways development.

"The current proposed development I believe should be completely separate from the current Fairways Estate and should have its own entrance and exit points as per the old plans onto the Ballymote Roadway. This would help ease the volume of traffic making use of the original entrance and keep the proposed new development as its own independent estate separate to the Fairways estate.”

A submission lodged by Fintan and Karen Gallagher stated, “Even with current occupancy, the volume of traffic is already high, with an estimated 150 vehicles using these roads daily, as most households have more than one car. The safety of children is a major concern. Children regularly play throughout the estate, including at various points near roadways and bends. Introducing construction traffic and, later, the increased number of vehicles from 35 additional properties presents a serious risk of accidents, particularly given the restricted visibility on many of the estate’s roads. Construction machinery and heavy vehicles required for the proposed development would further exacerbate these hazards.”

Porick Murray, also a resident of the Fairways estate in Tubbercurry expressed his concern in relation to the development in his submission which stated, “The current roads are just wide enough for two vehicles to pass, and with the introduction of more traffic there is huge risk of collision, the estate has grown and has a lot of children who play on roads with bikes etc. If this planning is granted with the use of the current entrance to fairways, I can see it being very dangerous and a risk to safety for all.”

Valentin Mirt also outlined his fears in relation to the development saying in his submission, “The development does not adequately address pedestrian safety, traffic calming, or safe play areas, and therefore creates an unacceptable risk.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.