AN appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála following Cork County Council’s refusal of planning permission for a holiday home development in Ardagh on Bere Island.
BY TILLY ROBERTS
The development proposes four two-bedroom houses for short-term letting, with internal roads, eight parking spaces, and an on-site effluent treatment system.
Cork County Council refused permission for the development, citing that its location was outside a defined settlement boundary and removed from the village of Rerrin.
The site is within a ‘Tourism and Rural Diversification Area’ and is considered a ‘High Value Landscape’ according to the Cork County Development Plan 2022. The council also stated the proposal does not satisfy a housing need, and is not part of a recognised farm complex, failing to meet their own requirements for ‘Tourist Facilities’.
Concerns were also raised by the Council regarding the visual impact of the homes on the landscape, as the site lies between the road and the sea and so is against certain objectives of the Development Plan as well, which aims to preserve the character of all important land and sea views and prospects.
In response, the appellant is contending that Section 2.22.11 of the Development Plan, which is specific to West Cork’s islands, states that zoning and settlement boundaries are not considered appropriate in an island context.
The appeal also challenges the assumption that Rerrin is a village nucleus, instead highlighting the horseshoe-shaped settlement area around Lawrence Cove, locally recognised as a community area.
The appellant also adds local context to the proposal, explaining how the four houses will expand a long-established and highly rated eco-conscious agri-tourism business (Bere Island Holiday Homes) and would create employment for an island resident.
The appellant, a native of Bere Island, states it would enable a family member to return to the island to live and work.
Planning permission was originally denied in March, and appealed to An Bord Pleanála in early April.
A decision is due by early August.
