Latest refusal decisions.

1. Section 3.2 of Volume 2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 refers to garages and stores which should be for domestic use only and for uses that should remain ancillary to the main use of the dwelling house. The garage/store structure should be used ancillary to the enjoyment of a dwelling house, of which there is none on the site. The proposal would therefore be contrary to Section 3.2 of Volume 2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 refers and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The site is largely located within the flood zone A and B. Insufficient information/flood risk assessment has been carried out and submitted with the application that demonstrates the use of the sequential approach in terms of the site layout and design and demonstrating that appropriate mitigation and management measures are put in place. The submitted document also relates to a completely different proposal. The proposed development is therefore contrary to Volume 11 Section 4.5 of the Wexford County development Plan 2022-2028 and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
3. The height of the boundary wall is out of character with this rural area and inconsistent with Section 2.9 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 which states that "New development in rural areas must respect its rural setting and ensure that it does not erode the rural character of the area" and "Boundary treatments must be appropriate to their setting - urban and rural".

The proposed development would create an unacceptable form of standalone backland development which may facilitate a site emerging between the application site and roadway. This form of development is non-sequential and may set an undesirable precedent contributing to unacceptable patterns of development emerging. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

It is the policy of the Council, as set out in Volume 1, Section 4.9.3 of the Wexford County Development Plan to ensure that a proposed development 'would not result in or extend an existing pattern of one-off linear development'. The proposed development would be the 10th entrance to a dwelling in a row and the 6th within 250m and would constitute ribbon development under the meaning of Section 4.9.3 of the Wexford County Development Plan. The proposed development, taken in conjunction with existing development, would constitute an undesirable exacerbation of ribbon development in a rural area, which would further detract from the amenities and rural character of the area. The proposed development is therefore considered contrary to Volume 1, Section 4.9.3 and Objective SH43 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.

The application site is located within the 'Uplands Landscape' of the County, which is one of the areas that is 'afforded a high level of protection' under the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028. Under the requirements of Point 4, Table 4-6 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028, an applicant must never have previously owned a rural house to qualify for a new rural house in this type of rural area. The applicant in this instance has previously owned a rural house. Whilst exceptions to this requirement do exist, the applicant has failed to demonstrate compliance with any of these exceptions. The proposed development is therefore contrary to the Rural Housing Policy as set out in Section 4.9 and Table 4-6 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area if supported.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.

1. The proposal to connect to a private well at this location is contrary to Objective WS07 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 which requires new developments to connect to public water supplies for drinking water where services are available. The proposed development is therefore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The site suitability tests carried out in 2025 were on a different site edged red. It is therefore considered that the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the new site is capable of treating the potential effluent from the proposed development. The proposed development is therefore contrary to public health and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

1. It is the policy of the Council as set out Section 11.10.2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 (Objective L04) 'to ensure that new developments are appropriately designed and sited to ensure that no undue visual impact would result, in order to preserve the rural character and visual amenities of the host landscape', in addition Section 3.1.2 of Volume 2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 states that 'sites should be capable of accommodating a dwelling house which blends into, and is not visually intrusive in the landscape'. The proposed development, by virtue of its overall siting in a remote position away from the public road accessed via an unjustified and excessive private lane through an open field would be visually prominent on this exposed and elevated site and would not be easily absorbed by the surrounding landscape and would set an inappropriate and undesirable precedent for similar type development in the area. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to Policy Objective L04 of Volume 1 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the Design Standards for Single Dwellings in Rural Areas as set out in Sections 3.1. and 3.1.2 of Volume 2 of the Plan, and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The proposed development would create an unacceptable form of standalone backland development. This form of development is non-sequential and may set an undesirable precedent contributing to unacceptable patterns of development emerging. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.

Retention permission is not sought for an access point which has already been constructed. The Planning Authority therefore cannot properly determine an application which does not fully and accurately describe the nature of the development on site and for which permission is sought.

1. The Planning Authority is not satisfied that the development for which permission is sought, is safely accessible from the public road by vehicular traffic given the insufficient provision of sightlines. Based on the information submitted, it is unclear if a shared entrance is to be provided or a new individual entrance, and it has not been demonstrated that any entrance can provide adequate sightlines. Furthermore, insufficient detail has been submitted in respect of surface water management proposals for any proposed vehicular access. In the absence of a suitable means of vehicular access to the site, it is considered that the development for which permission is sought would fail to satisfy the requirements of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028, would interfere with the free flow of traffic, would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. Insufficient information has been submitted with the application to demonstrate that wastewater generated from the proposed development can be safely and adequately treated and disposed of on site. The site characterisation report (dated 2010) is outdated, and based on the details contained therein regarding soil conditions, the Planning Authority is not satisfied that the site is suitable for discharge to groundwater of any treated wastewater. The proposed development may therefore be prejudicial to public health, and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
3. Section 3.2 of Volume 2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 explicitly sets out that any proposed garage shall have a maximum ridge height not exceeding 5.0m. The proposed garage is non-compliant with this policy, and as such is contrary to the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028, and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

1. The works to this building as referred to in the application would result in an adverse impact on the character of this protected structure. Furthermore, a report from a suitably qualified conservation professional detailing the works and evaluating their impact on the protected structure has not been submitted. The proposed development would therefore be contrary to Objectives BH01, BH07, BH08 and BH10 of Volume 1 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. Works to the building appear to have taken place and/or be on-going and the application does not refer to the retention of such works.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.

1. The Planning Authority is not satisfied that the development as proposed would provide adequate amenity for future residents, specifically access to adequate daylight and sunlight access for the apartments and rear open space and would therefore be contrary to the guidelines and standards contained within Section 5.3.7 of the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2024 and Section 2.6 of Volume Two of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028.
2. The proposed bedroom floor area fails to achieve minimum floor area requirements and a minimum depth of 1.5 metres private open space is not uniformly achieved throughout the development which would be contrary to the standards and guidelines contained within the Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2025.
3. Insufficient bin storage and bicycle storage facilities have been provided for the future residents of the proposed scheme. The proposal in its current form would therefore be contrary to the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 in relation to same.

1. The position of the DWWTS proposed for retention is located within 47m of a downgradient neighbouring well. Given the fast percolation <5 and the shale located at 1.25m (according to site assessment submitted under the FI request), the DWWTS may give rise to a public health hazard.
2. The percolation area is undersized given that there is 4No percolation trenches of approximately 10m. Based on the information supplied by the applicant, there is inadequate percolation trench length of the existing wastewater treatment system for the sing le residential unit seeking retention to comply with table 7.2 Percolation Trench length EPA Code of Practice Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses.

1. Habitable room windows and balconies to the apartments in the proposed rear extension would result in significant neighbouring disamenity from overlooking. As such the proposed development would be contrary to Section 2.6 of Volume 2 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The proposed alterations to the second floor of the frontage of the property would create an incongruous feature in this row of prominent properties, which would be detrimental to the visual amenities of the area. As such the proposed development would be contrary to Objectives TV14 and TV15 of Volume 1 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
3. Insufficient information has been submitted with regard to management of surface water for the development within the site. As such the proposed development would be contrary to Objective SWM01 of Volume 1 of the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Refusal reason evidence not yet indexed.