Plan for 745 homes on 66-acre site near Drogheda appealed

A massive development of 745 residential units proposed for Oldbridge, Co Meath has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála by a woman who says the area is historically important.

In her appeal letter, Maireád Crinion (with an address in Slane, Co Meath) says that this part of Oldbridge is where "William of Orange landed on the south bank of the river" during the Battle of the Boyne.

Developers Niall Mellon and Pat O'Reilly are proposing a mix of four and five-bed detached and semi-detached houses, two-bed townhouses and two and three-bed terraced houses, as well as 130 apartments for the 66-acre site.

A crèche, outdoor play area, an 8-acre neighbourhood park along the River Boyne and a 3.9-hectare linear park bounding the M1 motorway are also part of the proposal.

Crinion contends that the development would be out of character with its rural surroundings and says its location "so far out of the town of Drogheda is not compliant with regional planning guidelines" which recommend that future growth should take, where possible, a compact urban form.

Another concern is that the 1,132 cars associated with the development could impact on the bridge at Oldbridge, a protected structure "never designed to carry heavy traffic".

She says the area is listed a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and that the Boyne River Islands, or Sally Islands, "are immediately at the north end of the Oldbridge development".