An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead this week for a major housing development near Athlone.
A planning application for the 426 home development was lodged with the appeals board in July of this year by Castlestar (Athlone) Ltd.
The application used a fast-track process as part of the Strategic Housing Development scheme.
This scheme fast-tracks large-scale housing plans to An Bord Pleanala, bypassing the normal local authority process.
The development which has been given the green light will see 237 houses and 189 apartments built on a 15 hectare site within the townlands of Cornamagh, Clonbrusk, and Coosan area.
It will also involve the construction of a 430 metre section of a new road linking Coosan and Cornamaddy.
Over 70 submissions had been made on the plans with many residents citing concerns about the traffic congestion, the size of the development and its design.
Bord Pleanala ,in granting permission for the project, has made some conditions involving a phased basis of building, mitigation measures to protect the environment and the building of a two-metre wall along the north and eastern boundaries which run alongside farmland and sporting grounds.
In its decision published this week Bord Pleanala says it believes the development "would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area, or property in the vicinity".
The decision also states that the appeals board believes the development "would respect the existing character of the area, and would be acceptable in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety and convenience".
