The Crosstown and Ardcavan areas of Wexford are earmarked for further major residential development as County Council planners consider an application from a Dublin-based company to build 222 new homes and a six-classroom creche.
he latest application by Dronoe Ltd, with a registered address in Lucan, follows a recent unrelated planning request to build 191 houses and a public coastal park on a 25-acre site owned by the St John of God Sisters on the far side of Wexford bridge, which is also under consideration by the local authority.
The 18-acre Dronoe site at Crosstown, Ardcavan is owned by well-known Wexford solicitor Liam Hipwell and James McGillycuddy, director of Ferrybank Enterprises Ltd, who have given their consent for the planning application.
Dronoe are seeking permission for a Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) comprising 222 dwellings, a creche, an open space and a retail unit.
The residential units include 34 four-bedroom houses, 126 three-bedroom houses, six three-bed duplex apartments, 24 two-bed duplex apartments, six two-bed apartments and 26 one-bed apartments around a central public open space with a couple of “pocket parks” within the development.
The proposed development includes 436 car parking spaces and 158 bicycle spaces with new pedestrian, cycle and vehicle entrances from the R741 road from Wexford to Castlebridge to the east of the site and from Riverside North to the north.
The development company has committed to providing 20% of the residential units to Wexford County Council for social housing. The plans were lodged by Manahan Planning of Dublin on behalf of the applicant company which is listed as having one director, John O’ Reilly. The drawings and plans were prepared by CDP Architects.
The site is an area of agricultural land at Crosstown surrounded by residential, recreational, agricultural and business use with the River Slaney estuary to the south.
Dronoe have submitted a large number of additional information and reports with the application including a Natura Impact Statement, an Ecological Impact Assessment, a Traffic Impact Assessment, Urban Design Statement, Bat Survey Report, Bird Survey Report, Tree Survey, Outdoor Lighting Report, Waste Management Plan and Fire Safety Design.
Pre-planning and LRD meetings were held with the local authority which said the layout of the site meets with planning requirements and suggested a density of 30 units per hectare.
” It is noted that the density and layout of the development seeks to retain mature landscaping along a number of the boundaries of the site and to provide strong useable open space. Whilst the site’s proximity to the town centre would normally command a much higher density there is a need to have regard to the existing character of the area which is predominantly very low density”, the Council advised.
“The childcare facility must be completed as an early phase of the development. The
combination of the childcare and retail units located at the main entrance to the site is
welcomed”, it added.
The overall layout and design would create a sense of place within the development. The layout is considered to be acceptable to the planning authority.”
All application documentation is available for public viewing at www.ardcavanwexfordlrd.ie and also on the Wexford County Council planning website.