Planning committee asked to refuse Tyrella eco-pods

Planning committee asked to refuse Tyrella eco-pods

6 March 2024

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee will this morning be asked to finally rubber-stamp a planners’ recommendation to refuse permission for a proposed eco-pod glamping site near Tyrella beach. 

Approval was being sought for the pods, an amenity room, car parks and site works on land at the Clanmaghery Road.

Eco pods are sustainable wooden and glass houses and are an increasingly popular choice for tourists on glamping holidays.

A number of weeks ago, Planning Committee members discussed the refusal recommendation and agreed to visit the proposed development site ahead of today’s meeting.

Planners have received 47 objections to the proposal which they argue is contrary to planning policy and that the proposed development is not located in an area that can absorb it “without adverse impact on visual amenity and rural character”.

They say the location, layout and landscaping are not based on an overall design concept that respects the surrounding landscape and rural character and the site relies on new planting for integration.

In addition, planners say the proposal is unable to provide a suitable degree of enclosure for the buildings to to integrate into the landscape and is considered to be a prominent feature.

Planners argue the new buildings would rely primarily on the use of new landscaping for integration  into the landscape and result in a “detrimental impact on rural character in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

No objections have been lodged by key consultees to the Clanmaghery Road proposal including the Environment Agency, Department for Infrastructure Roads and the local council’s Environmental Health Department.

Objectors believe the proposal would “fundamentally change” the character of the area and “destroy the the rural peaceful and unspoilt nature of the site”.

In addition, they fear the proposed works will be of a much greater scale than what is proposed as it is “most likely to expand to provide services like a shop and believe there will be a potential impact on shingle beds at the Rathmullan and Ringsallin ends of Tyrella beach and protected species and nesting birds.

Objectors also believe the plans are not clear and are “ambiguous” and there has been no clarifications following a previous plan.

Planning agents for the applicants say permission is being sought for “three modest eco-pods” in a rural area that has already experienced a range of developments.

O’Callaghan Planning say the applicants would have been happy to revise the layout and are amenable to compromise, notwithstanding the fact the site lies in a large field in which there is an abundance of space that could be utilised for recreation.

Planners claims the eco-pods are “akin to mobile homes” but the planning agent said they are in fact half the size of these structures and the applicants would have been prepared to reduce their scale further if afforded the opportunity.

The planning agents say the proposed pods are designed to be disabled-user-friendly and there are no other disabled friendly sites in the area, with the pods “better suited” than the traditional mobile home/trailer park at nearby Minerstown.

“Planning officers feel the proposal will be prominent in the area. However, they make no mention of the fact the development site lies in a hollow in the terrain, or then ground rises up to a crest on the coastline,” the agents continue.

They say the applicants have gone to “significant expense” in submitting ecological reports and additional information and went above and beyond the need to demonstrate to objectors “there was nothing scientifically wrong with the application”.

The agents say the fact there have been so many objections is countered by the fact that no consultees have any objections, despite the site’s environmentally sensitive location.