Planning permission has been refused by Waterford City and County Council for a proposed development of a number of glamping pods on the Ardmore Cliff Walk.

Applicants David and Laura Mulcahy had sought to construct five glamping pods and five car parking spaces at a 0.36 hectare site at Dysart, Ardmore.

Plans also included a designated biodiversity zone and associated works both above and below ground.

The plans were lodged on May 14th and a decision was due from the local authority on or before July 8th of this year.

Multiple submissions were made by local residents in opposition to the development.

In a ruling on July 8th, Waterford City & County Council moved to refuse permissions on a number of grounds.

The local authority determined that ‘the proposed development would result in a haphazard, piecemeal and unsustainable form of development in a scenic rural area and would contribute to the encroachment of random rural development in the area and would undermine the settlement strategy and tourism policy objectives as set out in the Waterford City & County Development Plan 2022-2028.

They also ruled that the proposed development would set an undesirable precedent for similar type development and be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.’

The Planning Authority considers the proposed development would set an undesirable precedent that would be detrimental to the high scenic quality of the area and would be contrary to Policy Objectives of the Waterford City & County Development Plan 2022-2028 regarding the protection of the landscape character and scenic values of visually vulnerable landscapes.

Given that the site is bounded by agricultural lands and coastline and is situated at the end of a culde-sac serving a rural residential community, removed from the village, the Planning Authority also considers that the proposed development would conflict with and materially and negatively affect the residential and rural amenities.

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