Refusal decisions · 17–23 Aug 2026

The proposed change of use to a takeaway, by reason of its location within the primary retail core of Athlone Town Centre, would result in an undesirable over-concentration of takeaway and fast-food uses in the area, to the detriment of the vitality, viability and retail function of the town centre. The site occupies a prominent location within the Athlone Architectural Conservation Area and adjacent to recently completed public realm and regeneration works. It is considered that the nature of the proposed use, together with the proposed signage proposals, would detract from the character, appearance and visual amenities of this Architectural Conservation Area, undermine the substantial public investment in the regeneration of the town centre, and fail to contribute positively to the quality of the pedestrianised streetscape. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and contrary to the provisions of Section 12.16.7 of the Athlone Town Development Plan and policy objective CPO 16.40 of the Westmeath County Development Plan which seeks to prevent an excessive concentration of takeaways in any given area in order to maintain a balanced mix of retail, commercial and community uses, while also safeguarding the character, vitality and night-time amenity of the town centre.

1. Having regard to the location of the proposed development in proximity to the existing host dwelling and relative to the adjacent properties, it is considered that the proposed development would constitute overdevelopment of the site and would result in a substandard pattern of residential development that would provide an unsatisfactory and sub-standard form of residential development, that would significantly impact on the residential amenity for future occupants of the existing dwelling, and would seriously injure the neighbouring residential amenity of existing residents by a lack of private open space, and the lack of light penetration to the main host dwelling. It would depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity and set an undesirable precedent for other similar type development. Accordingly, to permit the development as proposed would contravene Councils policy objectives CPO 16.10 and CPO 16.13 of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027 and would be contrary to the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2024 and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The proposed development, by reason of its overall scale, design and layout which encompasses the majority of existing private rear garden open space will result in an inadequate provision of remaining private open space for both the existing host dwelling and the additional unit of accommodation. The proposed development built in close proximity to the existing main host dwelling with a 2m separation distance will impede light penetration to the ground floor of the main host dwelling and result in a significant loss of natural light. The proposed development would provide for significant opportunities for overlooking and will directly impact the residential amenities of the host dwelling and neighbouring adjacent property to the south-east, and would provide an inadequate provision of refuse and bicycle storage facilities, and would therefore, seriously injure the amenities of existing and future residents of the area contrary to policy objective CPO 16.10, CPO 16.14 and CPO 16.20 of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027. Accordingly, the proposed development is contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The proposed development, by reason of its piecemeal and ad hoc backland character on a narrow and constrained site, its dependence on a lengthy access road traversing unzoned lands and extending between and to the rear of existing residential properties, and its poor integration with the established settlement structure, would constitute an inappropriate and unsustainable form of development. The proposal would represent an illogical and fragmented extension of the settlement, create an undesirable precedent and result in an adverse impact on the residential amenities of adjoining properties. The proposed layout is overly dominated by access roads and car parking, resulting in a poor-quality residential environment. The generic design approach, unsympathetic relationship with adjoining single-storey dwellings, inadequate boundary treatments, and fragmented areas of public open space fail to achieve an acceptable standard of urban design, placemaking, and residential amenity. In addition, a portion of the proposed development is located on lands not zoned for residential use, contrary to the land use zoning objectives of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027. Having regard to the foregoing, the proposed development would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and would materially contravene the provisions of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027, and would be contrary to policy objectives CPO 4.7, CPO 4.11, CPO 4.13, CPO 15.2, CPO 16.10 and CPO 16.11.