DONEGAL County Council has refused planning for a residential development in Creeslough.

Charles Roarty had applied to build 24 apartments in Creeslough.

Council planners said that within the village quota system, the maximum development, which will be permitted to an individual developer will be limited to 20% of the new house quota. Having regard to the con-current application for 19 dwellings in this control point area by this applicant would therefore exceed his quota by 16 residential units.

The council also referred to the County Development Plan 2006 – 2012 which states that proposals for large scale residential developments, particularly apartment complexes, in smaller towns and villages will be required to be of a form and scale that is not incongruous to the character of the settlement.

"Having regard to the mass, scale and design of the proposed development the council considered that the proposal is wholly inappropriate in this rural village and non-reflective of the existing spatial pattern.

"The proposed development will set an undesirable precedent for similar type developments in rural villages such as Creeslough, which by themselves and cumulatively would not be in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area," the council said.