Apartment plan for former Drumquin toilet set to be refused

PLANS to turn a former public toilet in Drumquin into an apartment have hit a major blockage.

The owner of the derelict public loo at Omagh Road had applied for planning permission to transform the building into a one-bedroom flat. While the final decision on the application rests with members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s planning committee, council planning officers have recommended the application be refused.

In recent correspondence with the applicant’s planning agent, a council official said the recommendation to refuse the plans for the new apartment was due to ‘road safety issues and the limited and poor quality of amenity space available’.

The future of the long-closed toilet, which was sold by the council last year, has divided opinion in Drumquin.

Two people living beside the derelict property lodged objections to the apartment plans.

One of the residents claimed the extension to the building could block the view from their property.

However, local Sinn Fein councillor Ann-Maire Donnelly submitted a letter to the council in support of the apartment plans.

In her letter, she said the refurbishment of the former public toilets into an apartment would ‘enhance the property and provide additional housing’ in the village.

“The change of use from public toilets to an apartment would be preferable to the building falling into a state of dereliction and disrepair which would detract from the character of the local village,” wrote Cllr Donnelly.

As part of the planning process, a number of public bodies were asked for their views on the application.

After looking at the plans for the Drumquin loo, NI Water recommended that the application be refused.

In a written submission to the council’s planning department, an NI Water spokesperson said a public sewer close to the toilet building ‘cannot adequately service this proposal’.

“The receiving foul sewerage network has reached capacity,” the spokesperson said.

“The public system cannot presently serve this development proposal without significant risk of environmental harm and public dis-amenity including pollution, flooding and detrimental impact on existing properties.

“NI Water has no plans to upgrade the sewage infrastructure in this Drainage Area, and as a result are unable to approve any new connections to this network.

“To resolve the issue/s listed below, NI Water require sufficient capital funding to invest in our Wastewater infrastructure.”

In correspondence with the council’s planning department earlier this month, the planning agent for the toilet’s owner argued against the reasons for the recommendation to refuse the apartment application.

The agent claimed that when in use, the toilet block had been visited on average 280 times a week.

“This generated significantly higher vehicular and pedestrian activity than the proposed single apartment.

“A Freedom of Information response from PSNI confirms that no recorded injury collisions have occurred within 50 metres of the site over the past 5 years. This provides strong empirical support that the site access is not inherently unsafe.”

The agent also argued the proposed apartment would be a positive addition to the village.

“The proposal involves the sensitive reuse of a disused and deteriorating structure in a prominent location,” he wrote.

“The development avoids demolition, reduces waste, addresses a public health risk, and returns a vacant building to productive use providing a residential home to meets the housing needs of the village.

“It also improves the safety, appearance, and environmental quality of this part of the village.”

The agent has requested a meeting with council officials if the decision to recommend refusing planning permission for the apartment is upheld.