Westmeath County Council grants permission for 52-home scheme at Charlestown, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

In context

It is one of 36 housing scheme applications Westmeath County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,577 nationally. Of the 3,037 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 28 August 2026. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Westmeath County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

Demolition of an existing residential dwelling house (169 sq.m); Construction of 58 no. two-storey dwelling house units, consisting of; o 43 no. 3 bed dwellings, o 15 no. 4 bed dwellings. Construction of 16 no. three-storey duplex units, consisting of; o 6 no. 1 bed dwellings, o 10 no. 2 bed dwellings. Provision of ancillary facilities for the duplex units including communal amenity space, secure bicycle parking and bin storage facilities; Provision of car parking arrangements (104 no. on curtilage parking spaces for 52 no. dwellings; 32 no. grouped parking and 6 no. visitor spaces for 22 no. dwellings; 2 no. accessible spaces); Provision of new vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist access provided from/to the existing R-390; Provision of vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist connections to the eastern and western boundaries of the site for future connections to adjoining landholdings to be facilitated; Provision of pedestrian and cyclist pathways to the southern boundary of the site to facilitate future connections to the Royal Canal; Provision of public open space (3,828.02 sq.m or 17.1%) located in the central and southern portions of the site including landscaped elements (children’s play areas, landscaped vegetation, associated boundary treatments, footpaths and pathways, public lighting, bin stores, car and bicycle parking and site services); Provision of all associated surface water, foul drainage services and connections with associated site works and ancillary services to include the provision of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) features; All ancillary and associated site development works. The planning application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement