In a controversial decision, Nenagh town council had earlier given the go-ahead for the scheme at Abbey Field in the Tipperary town, which the local area development plan describes as coming within a zone of archaeological potential associated with Tyone Abbey. The entire Abbey Field area is indicated as being part of a recorded monument as set down in the Office of Public Works record of monuments and places.

In a submission to the planning board, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government outlined its opposition to the proposed development, pointing out that a geographical survey "indicates the presence of substantial subsurface archaeological remains within the Abbey Field".

Objections to the development were also registered by a number of residents in the nearby Knights Crescent residential area and by Labour senator Kathleen O'Meara, who lives locally. The senator expressed concerns that as well as impacting negatively on the historic ruins, the proposed development would exacerbate already significant traffic problems in the area.

O'Meara claims that allowing the development to proceed would have placed huge demands on local infrastructure. And she says the council should now buy the site with a view to developing a town park there.

"It would be an ideal site for a park because it is so close to the Nenagh river and in line with objectives set out in the town development plan. Part of the area near the river is already designated by the town council for a linear park.

"Obviously, given that the Bord Plean�la decision points to the presence of significant archaeological remains, the area can never be dug up. And the town is badly in need of public-amenity green space."

The proposed mixed-use development was to have included 148 houses and apartments in two-, threeand four-storey blocks, a cr�che, medical suites and office space measuring 387sq m.

The developers, Tyone Developments, had argued that the planned construction would not directly impact on the abbey or on an adjacent graveyard.

They undertook to monitor and record "any site features, if necessary" prior to construction work taking place.

They had also proposed to extend the separation space between the development and the Abbey from the 40m initially planned to 100m, a move they said would "significantly reduces the impact of the development".

The planning board stated that the environmentalimpact statement submitted with the developer's application, and specialist reports commissioned by the applicant, did not satisfactorily establish that the archaeology on the site is appropriate for preservation for record only.

The board claimed the applicant had failed to establish that preservation work on the site would not be required.

In its judgement, the board ruled that the development would injure or interfere with a historic monument which stands registered in the Register of Historic Monuments under Section 5 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987, and is situated within an archaeological area associated with a national monument."

The board's rejection of the proposal will be seen as a setback for Nenagh town council which had aimed to levy the developer for funds to build a new road through lands leading from Tyone to the Dublin Road.