But the objectors say that the council hasn't gone far enough, although they do welcome the response.

"The failure to address the height and scale of the largest block is unacceptable," said spokesman for Ballia Marina Action group Joe Cahalane.

Included in the request for more information are land registry details and proof of consent for the proposal if all the site isn't owned by the developers.

The council is also seeking a flood risk assessment compiled in conjunction with the OPW, and a waste management plan.

The planning authority has also expressed concern about the height of parts of the development, the mix of residential units, the impact on traffic and road safety, tourism and fisheries and on local residents, and has asked for a revised Visual Impact Statement.

Mr Cahalane described the council's letter as "a litany of the concerns we have repeatedly raised since the development proposals were launched last year. The request is an unequivocal endorsement of local residents' concerns. It's the design, scale and mass of the development that has continued to cause so much concern and the extraordinary pressure on what is already an over-burdened services infrastructure.

"But," he added, "the solutions proposed do not go far enough. One particular example is a failure to address the scale and mass of the largest and highest apartment block. This is unacceptable. A common theme of the objections of the local community and various organisations is that the scale and density is totally unsuitable and is disproportionate to the scale of the heritage towns of Ballina / Killaloe."