Board favours Nenagh Golf Club plan

Appellant claimed 50-100 balls landing in property per week

An Bord Pleanála has ruled in favour of a Nenagh Golf Club development following an appeal made by an adjoining landowner.

Tipperary Co Council granted conditional planning permission to the club for a six-bay covered practice area with ancillary site works at Graigue, Nenagh. The council's decision was appealed by David Reddan of Beechwood, Nenagh, who raised several concerns with the golf club plan.

Mr Reddan's biggest issue was that of “errant golf balls” landing in his property north of the subject site. He claimed that “a minimum of 50 to 100 golf balls a week” were being struck into the property.

The appellant wanted to know why the “driving range” plan did not include a landing area for the golf balls. He raised further concerns over the site layout plan, ownership, wastewater treatment, and increased footfall as a consequence of the proposed practice area. He questioned the building of a new car park of 40 to 50 spaces “without any planning permission”.

In assessing the case this year, the Bord Pleanála inspector noted that Nenagh Golf Club, which has around 1,100 members, was established in 1929. The land accommodating the practice bays was acquired by the club in the early 1990s and has been used since then by members as an uncovered practice ground.

Mr Reddan acquired “a small agricultural landholding” adjoining the club's practice ground and the first hole in 2019. “Clearly, the varied golf activities of the Nenagh Golf Club had been established and operational for a considerable period of time prior to the third party appellant acquiring his property,” the inspector stated.

“Nenagh Golf Club has never disputed that occasional poorly-hit golf balls may enter adjoining properties. Further, I believe this incidence is not unique to the Nenagh Golf Course, but must reasonably be anticipated at all ‘Golf Courses’ and particularly where adjacent, neighbouring land use is ‘residential’.”

MITIGATION STEPS

The inspector found that the club had nevertheless taken steps in trying to mitigate the impact on its neighbours.

This included locating the practice area more than 50m away from the shared boundary and orientating it so that the “expected trajectory of golf ball flight” would be taken away from the appellant's boundary. It was further noted that the men’s ‘tee-box’ on the first hole was brought forward by 25m to “a less challenging hitting area, where the potential for drives to be sliced from the ‘tee’ would be much reduced”.

“In as much as influence by the applicant is at all possible, I believe these attempts towards mitigation of threat of impact to be reasonable,” the inspector concluded.

The board directed that permission be granted subject to a number of revised conditions. The golf club was to agree details with the council for “an effective, natural barrier of mature trees to provide effective mitigation as a ball stop” to Mr Reddan's property.

The opening hours of the six-bay covered practice area were to be the same as the Nenagh Golf Club opening hours, 7am to 9.30pm during summertime and 9am to 4.30pm in winter.

Among other conditions, the board directed that the existing car park, for which ‘retention’ permission was sought, be provided in accordance with a detailed car parking layout.