An Taisce has welcomed An Bord Pleanála's decision to refuse planning permission, for the second time in two years, for a suburban-type development in the picturesque canal-side village of Vicarstown, in Co Laois.
Overturning a decision by Laois Co Council to approve the scheme of 20 houses, the appeals board said it failed to respect the design and character of the village.
The sewage treatment system proposed was also unsatisfactory.
An Taisce, which had appealed the original decision with the support of residents, said the scheme was "completely inappropriate for such a tiny village".
It called on Laois Co Council to sit down immediately with the residents of Vicarstown to agree on a sustainable development plan for the village, along the lines of a document they had drawn up two years ago which it had so far declined to discuss.
Ms Breda Keena, one of the residents, said those who opposed the housing scheme by Corrigeen Construction - developers of the Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise - had come under pressure from councillors and others who "fiercely" backed it.
There is disagreement in Vicarstown over the type of development that would be most appropriate for a village of less than 20 houses. Some favour building as many suburban-type houses as possible while others merely want to cater for local housing needs.
The Vicarstown Village Residents' Association has proposed that up to 10 new homes should be designed to enhance the streetscape and maintain its character as the only canal-side village in Co Laois, which attracts boating enthusiasts, walkers and anglers.
However, Ms Keena said the local development lobby wanted to cash in on Vicarstown's location 50 miles from Dublin by targeting new homes at people commuting to the city by car.
"The traffic is so bad now that the journey can take up to three hours." Noting that an earlier plan by Corrigeen Construction for 26 houses had been rejected by An Bord Pleanála two years ago, she said it was "unfair to local communities when they are under constant threat of having their built and natural environment destroyed".
