Refusal decisions · 31 Aug–6 Sep 2026

1. Policy HO P11 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 seeks to facilitate proposals for dwellings in the countryside outside of settlements in accordance with the National Planning Framework Policy NPO 19 in conjunction with the rural housing policy zone map and accompanying Schedule of Category of Applicant and Local Need Criteria. In order to establish genuine local need, the Applicant was assessed against Category B (i) of Zone 1 as set out in Table 3.4 of the Plan. Based on the information submitted with the application, the Applicant has not sufficiently demonstrated that they have grown up and spent 16 years living in the rural area of Kildare under Strong Urban Influence as identified in the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029. The proposed development is therefore contrary to policy HO P11 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. Objective HO O44 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 seeks to restrict residential development on a landholding, where there is a history of development through the speculative sale or development of sites to an unrelated third party. Having regard to the planning history of the original landholding it is noted that the speculative sale of sites and property to unrelated third parties appears to have occurred, which has increased the level of piecemeal and haphazard development of the landholding which is contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Policy HO P26 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 (as varied) seeks to sensitively consider the capacity of the receiving environment to absorb further development. It is considered that the proposed development, in conjunction with the level of existing and permitted development in the vicinity, would further exacerbate an excessive density of development in this rural area and would contribute to the increasing suburbanisation of the area. In addition, objective HO O59 seeks to carefully manage Single Rural Dwelling Densities to ensure that the density of one-off housing does not exceed 30 units per square kilometre. Having regard to the foregoing, the proposed development would materially contravene policy HO P26 and objective HO O59 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 (as varied) and would therefore be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area.