Quarry on Kildare border is part of plan for 46 houses

A revised planning application has been made to Laois County Council to build a housing estate on the site of a disused quarry on the Kildare / Laois border.

It is 20 months since an application for 34 houses and five serviced house sites in Ballylinan village was lodged then withdrawn before decision time. Ballylinan is 24km south of Portlaoise, close to the Kildare border.

This November, a new application has been made by the same developer Liam Kelly / Sammy Kelly Builders, but this time for more houses and minus the self build sites.

The old quarry, currently filled with water, is proposed to be filled, levelled, seeded and planted to become part of the housing development.

The 46 houses would include 40 semi-detached 3 bedroom houses and six detached 3 bedroom bungalows.

The developer says 13 tonnes will be taken from the site as it is developed, and 46 tonnes of inert soil and stones (EWC class 17 05 04) will be imported over a period over 3 years.

The filled quarry will act as "additional recreational area for the enjoyment of the proposed housing development".

Also planned is a new vehicular and pedestrian entrance, internal access roads, footpaths, communal open spaces, connection to foul and stormwater mains, connection to watermains, provision of a pumping station, associated boundary treatment and landscaping.

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The application has been returned as invalid by planners as it is missing a technical detail, but is likely to be resubmitted.

It is the second housing plan application for Ballylinan to be submitted this November. 

A separate plan by De Bhal Construction Ltd seeks to build 32 new homes. It is to complete Rahin Towers housing estate which has been left unfinished since the 2008 crash of the construction industry.