Plans for five holiday pods in rural Wicklow location refused on appeal
The appeal was submitted by Niall Davis, who wanted each pod to accommodate a studio-style holiday dwelling containing a bedroom, kitchenette and toilet with shower and wash-hand basin. The plan was for each pod to be clad in timber and metallic sheeting and covered with a mono-pitch roof.
Planning was also sought as part of the appeal for a sauna (126sqm), with a mono-pitch roof to be finished in metallic sheeting. The pod units were due to be served by a communal wastewater treatment system, with potable water supplied from a new well.
The proposed development was to be served by an existing entrance and driveway, with a new vehicular driveway and five car parking bays to be provided.
The development was initially refused by Wicklow County Council due to its rural location removed from any settlement, as objectives of the County Development Plan generally require tourism and recreation related developments to be within existing towns and villages.
Exceptions can be made where the nature of the activity proposed renders this unfeasible or undesirable, but generally the authority only permits the development of a tourism or recreational facility in a rural area in cases where the product or activity is dependent on its location in a rural situation.
The appeal to An Bord Pleanála was made on several grounds, including the fact that there were no council objections to the design, access, foul and surface water drainage proposals or landscaping proposals. The appeal also emphasised the importance of rural tourism to the economy, with opportunities for rural employment in tourist activities.
The inspector investigating the appeal recommended that planning be refused due to its location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where there is existing tourism development including walking routes and mountain biking trails.
The inspector noted that the requirement to locate the proposed development in this 'unique, scenic location has not been justified and the proposal does not contain a significant public element which would add to the public amenity and enjoyment of the area'.
Having regard to the location of the site, nature of the proposed use, together with adjoining land uses, which are within the Wicklow Mountains SAC and Wicklow Mountains SPA, it was considered that the proposed development could indirectly result in the continued significant loss of habitat and could indirectly give rise to continued increased disturbance to wildlife, including the merlin and peregrine falcons, which are a protected species.
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