A proposal for a major housing and tourist development on the field where Orangemen gather at their annual parade in Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal, has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Planning permission was granted by Donegal County Council in February for the development of 54 houses, a 22-bedroom hotel, a seven-bedroom guesthouse with restaurant, five shops and 12 apartments.
The proposed site is very close to the sea in a field where Orangemen traditionally gather after their July parade each year. It is believed that the developers, Mr Brian Britton, who owns the nearby Sand House Hotel, and his brother, Barry, have agreed to give the Orangemen the use of a nearby field. The objection to An Bord Pleanála has been submitted by 14 named members of Rossnowlagh Residents' Association.
Their submission argues that "a development of this scale, density and magnitude, situated in a locality that is still without the benefits of sewage, or a properly functioning mains water system," was not in compliance with the principle of sustainable development.
It claims the council's granting of planning permission "makes a mockery of its own stated policies".
Donegal County Council approved the plans with 14 conditions. These state that no development can be carried out until the suitability of the wastewater treatment system is established. In the event that a public sewer was available before occupation, connection would be made to it and the existing treatment system would be decommissioned.
Prior to work starting the developer would also have to pay various sums to the county council to defray the costs of public services which facilitate the proposed development. These are €31,170 for water works, €107,900 for sewerage works and €251,408 for town and village renewal works.
The objection to An Bord Pleanála highlights the lack of local infrastructure. It says there are now more then 150 houses in the townlands of Rossnowlagh Upper and Lower, and most have been built over the past 10 years. Only about 20 of these properties are occupied throughout the year.
One of the objectors, Mr Tim Hinchliff, who has lived in Rossnowlagh for 13 years, said "what was all green hillsides are now covered in holiday homes".
Rossnowlagh has always been very popular with Northerners. Mr Hinchliff said that in the past people from places like Omagh and Enniskillen would at least visit every weekend from Easter to September, but in more recent years houses had been built by people from Dublin and Belfast who only visited for two months of the year.
He said he believed the new development, if it went ahead, could be a ghost town for 10 months of the year. The experience over recent years was that young people from the area could not afford to buy newly built houses.
Ms Barbara Mahon, who is also objecting, grew up in the area. She said Rossnowlagh was always a traditional seaside resort for families on day trips. "There used to be wide open green spaces, but they are nearly all gone. This site is one of the last open spaces there are," she said.
The submission to An Bord Pleanála says Donegal County Council did not have plans to install a sewerage system for another five years and there were also problems with water supply. Pressure in the mains had decreased to such an extent that for many local residents during July and August it was "non-existent".
Other issues raised include traffic congestion on Rossnowlagh's country roads and the possible effects on the beach's Blue Flag status and on Durnesh Lough, a protected habitat near the site.
Rossnowlagh's appeal in the past was due to "the simplicity and non-commercial aspect of the area", with the absence of amusement arcades or simulated "waterworlds". The submission argues that the development "would destroy the ambience that this small resort has enjoyed". The development would "impose a suburban intervention" on the Rossnowlagh landscape.