Navan Railway – Strange goings-on at Kilmessan

This project has been deferred/suspended whatever but it remains very much a live issue for all landowners affected by the proposed railway order, in that their properties are devalued and presumably any planning applications along the route could be expected to be turned down. Well, that's what you'd think anyway, but it's not turning out quite like that for one planning application at Kilmessan.

First it might be helpful to consider Iarnrod Eireann's plans for the village.



Second, the 2009 Kilmessan Local Area Plan



The flashing red area on the above map is the present proposed site boundary for a [URL=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/524936/191416.png[/URL] to see that generous provision was made to accommodate a wide elevated access onto the proposed realigned road. This is all the more surprising given the lands are in exclusively agricultural use at present with no existing dwellings/buildings.

Now, the Council did subsequently refuse the application (although the reasons given for refusal had absolutely nothing to do with the points raised above) and the applicant has appealed that decision to An Bord Pleanala. I am an observer on that appeal (hence the username!) and I highlighted these issues among others in my submission. I was reasonably confident that the Board would turn down the appeal however I'm beginning to feel my confidence was misplaced as the process has dragged on and the Board have requested revised plans which have made the whole thing even more bizarre than it was to begin with. To be honest, I can't understand how this got through pre-planning at the Council level never mind getting what at least appears to be a receptive hearing at An Bord Pleanala.

The Board requested proposals for safe pedestrian access to the village plus connection to the public sewerage network. Those revised plans are viewable below:

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Why are we even talking about gravel path nature trails with bollard lighting? Why has it got as far as this? Surely it makes no sense to grant permission for a development like this in such close proximity to a proposed major public transport project which has yet to go through an oral hearing. The site is also outside the Development Plan Boundary in unzoned agricultural land. Is this the correct way to decide the appropriate land use zoning for lands surrounding the proposed rail line and station?