An appeal by Travellers on a Waterford city halting site against planning permission for an adjacent housing estate has been rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
A group representing residents of the Kilbarry halting site, the Waterford Traveller Interest Constituency (WTIC), had asked the board to reject the 255-house development on several grounds, including scale.
It also objected to the erection of a two-metre boundary wall between the halting site and the estate, claiming this reinforced segregation of the Travelling and settled communities.
The board has decided, however, that the development by Noel Frisby Construction would not seriously injure the amenities of the area and would be in accordance with proper planning and development.
In a statement, the WTIC said while it welcomed certain conditions attached to the planning permission, it was disappointed that one of its key concerns, the two-metre boundary wall, had not been reflected in the decision.
It claimed the membership of An Bord Pleanála should be extended to include expertise in the areas of social inclusion and minorities. The WTIC had also, in its appeal, criticised the lack of provision for social housing in the project.
The group's concerns had been rejected in a submission to the board by Ms Stephanie Taheny, a planning consultant and Mr Noel Frisby's wife and business partner. There would be no visual barrier as it had been agreed to punctuate the wall with railings, she said.
Mr Frisby had no problem with social housing which was "just as lucrative as private housing", the submission added. It also claimed the developer's decision to buy land in Kilbarry for private residential development represented "the greatest initiative in social housing in Waterford city in 30 years".
The submission asked the board to direct the group to compensate Mr Frisby "for the expense occasioned to him." There is no reference to the request in the order made by the board.