Local TD Deirdre Clune has said that the decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for a housing development which included 140 houses in Ballygarvan Village will be welcomed by local residents.

In refusing permission for the development An Bord Pleanála ruled that it would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. They believed that the building of such a large estate would be premature until infrastructure projects such as the Ballygarvan Relief Road had been completed.

An Bord Pleanála also refused planning on the basis of environmental concerns regarding the risk of pollution and ongoing study into the flood risk management in the Owenboy River catchment area which is yet to be completed.

Like many areas throughout the country over the last decade or so the growth of Ballygarvan Village has surpassed the infrastructure in the area. The local primary school and road infrastructure have been pushed to breaking point to meet the demands of a population far in excess of that which they were built for.

It would have been short-sighted if An Bord Pleanála had continued to authorise the construction of houses in Ballygarvan Village without requiring that local infrastructure was first upgraded.

Many local communities are now suffering because of the planning mistakes of the past when houses were built without proper infrastructure first being provided to cater for the increased population.