Local concerns fail to halt Mayo housing project

A Westport housing development has been approved for planning permission despite some local concerns.

Permission has been granted for the 15-unit Westlands Housing Estate on Quay Road in Westport.

The proposal had been the subject of a further information request by Mayo County Council planners amid concerns over the proposed housing mix.

However, the council's Director of Services for Planning Catherine McConnell deemed that the housing mix was appropriate for the area and requested planners to prepare conditions for a grant of permission.

If a request for further information is sought in a planning application, the applicants have up to six months to respond and the council has a further four weeks to make a decision.

Permission was granted for the development 97 days after the application was lodged at the end of September.

The housing project will be made up of one two-storey, four-bedroom detached unit; five two-storey, four-bedroom terrace units; eight two-storey, three-bedroom semi-detached units; and one two-storey, three-bedroom detached unit.

The Westlands Residents' Association submitted an objection to the plans on October 30, 2025, citing concerns that the new units would interfere with the estate boundaries and walls, encroach on recreational areas, and create new traffic hazards for both residents and children.

The association stated that traffic from the new housing units would add to the already high levels exiting onto the Quay Road, which was described as a blind exit leading into fast-moving traffic. Concerns were raised that this would increase the likelihood of traffic accidents.

Residents also said the proposed road and pathways for the development would cut through and remove a large part of the recreational green area at the top of the Westlands estate.

The submission noted that over the years, residents have invested time and money into maintaining the space, which is used by children and seniors as a picnic and meeting area. The group emphasised the importance of preserving the area “as it is now”.

The group further stated that the development would cause “huge inconvenience” to both residents and estate road users, and it would “pose additional hazards at an already dangerous junction in the estate”.