Dwelling and domestic garage at Land immediately west of 113 Omagh Road, Drumquin

What was proposed

The application sought outline permission for a dwelling and domestic garage on land west of 113 Omagh Road.

“The site is located at land immediately west of 113 Omagh Road, Drumquin. This area is designated as open countryside, in the FODC LDP/Omagh Area Plan. The site will be accessed directly off the public Omagh Road. The site is a rectangular plot part of a larger agricultural field. The boundaries are defined by close board fence along the northern roadside boundary, the eastern and southern boundary is undefined and to the east is the neighbouring dwelling.”

Officer report

Earlier planning history

Earlier permissions included replacement and domestic dwellings, while a 2025 application for a single-storey dwelling and garage was invalid.

“PLANNING HISTORY Application Number: K/1995/0467 Decision: Permission Granted Decision Date: October 1995 Proposal: Replacement dwelling Application Number: K/2002/0137/O Decision: Permission Granted Decision Date: April 2002 Proposal: Domestic dwelling and garage Application Number: K/2004/0940/RM Decision: Permission Granted Decision Date: September 2004 Proposal: Proposed dwelling & domestic garage Application Number: LA10/2025/0458/O Decision: Application…”

Officer report

Why officers recommended refusal

Officers found the proposal contrary to countryside housing and design policies because it would be prominent, erode rural character and lack a site-specific personal need.

“DE01 – General Amenity Requirements The site is located to the west of No. Omagh Road and will not create any adverse impact on any neighbouring properties by way of overshadowing, loss of privacy, dominance, overshadowing, odour, noise, vibration, forms of pollution or disturbance. This is due to the separation distance between the proposed site and any neighbouring properties.”

“DE05 – Rural Character This proposed development is not considered acceptable in the countryside as it will cause detrimental change to, or further erode, the rural character of an area as it will become unduly prominent in the landscape and will result in a suburban style build-up of development.”

Officer report

Housing policy concerns

The site was not within a substantial continuously built-up frontage and developing it would remove an important visual break and create ribbon development.

“Paragraph 2 – Infilling Infilling will be permitted by paragraph 2 of HOU13 within a line of buildings where the proposed site is a small gap suitable to accommodate only two dwellings within an otherwise substantial and continuously built-up frontage which will not detract from the rural character of the area.”

“Paragraph 4.5.1 of Buildings on Tradition provides useful guidance on what a ‘visual break’ is. It states that ‘As a general rule of thumb, gap sites within a continuous built- up frontage exceeding the local average plot width may be considered to constitute an important visual break’. This is supported by the comments in the Duff judgement (Para 60) “it is a matter of common sense that the larger the site, the more likely it is to offer an important visual break”.”

Officer report

Public representations

No letters of representation, objections, supports or petitions were received.

“May 2025 Date of Press Advertisement: May 2025 ES Requested: No Consultations: DFI Roads – content NI Water - content Representations: None received Letters of Support 0.0 Letters of Objection 0.0 Petitions 0.0 Signatures 0.0 Number of Petitions of Objection and signatures…”

Officer report

Who spoke

The Principal Planning Officer presented the refusal reasons, and the agent was expected to refer to confidential supporting information.

Decision held back

Members agreed to hold the decision for two weeks to discuss possible alternative options or solutions with the applicant or agent.

“The Director of Regeneration and Planning noted that, while in Confidential Business, Application LA10/2025/0494/O was discussed and Members agreed that the issuing of the decision on the application be held for a period of two weeks as allowed in the Planning Committee Protocol to allow discussion of potential alternative options or solutions with the applicant/agent.”

Minutes