ARDSTONE IS TO lodge plans for a new €300 million apartment scheme near Milltown in Dublin months after An Bord Pleanála conceded a High Court challenge against a previous permitted scheme for the site.

Ardstone subsidiary, Sandford Living Ltd is to lodge a Large Scale Residential Scheme (LRD) application in the coming days with Dublin City Council for a 636 unit scheme.

A statutory planning notice confirms that the 636 unit scheme is of a slightly lower density of the permitted and then quashed 667 unit Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme.

Ardstone spent €65 million in 2019 to buy the Jesuit Order lands at Sandford Road near Milltown and received permission from An Bord Pleanála in December 2021 for a mainly build-to-rent apartment complex on the 10-acre site.

After An Bord Pleanála consented to the High Court challenge against the planning permission last October, Ardstone stated that the decision “will regrettably add considerable and unnecessary delay as well as added expense to the delivery of much-needed housing units in the city centre”.

Plans were first lodged in September 2021 for the quashed scheme.

The planning notice confirms that the new scheme is made up of 227 one bed units, 296 two bed units, 26 three bed units and 87 studios.

The scheme – on a 4.26 hectare site at Milltown Park, Sandford Road – is to comprise of six apartment blocks with the tallest rising to 10 storeys in height.

The quashed SHD Milltown scheme faced over 165 objections and the new scheme will be ultimately determined on appeal to An Bord Pleanála whatever decision the Council makes on the application where parties have the option of appealing LRD decisions to the appeals board.

The appeals board granted planning permission to Sandford Living Ltd in December 2021 after concluding that the scheme would constitute an acceptable quantum and density of development in this accessible urban location, would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area.

Dublin Bay South TDs, Ivana Bacik (Lab), Jim O’Callaghan (FF), Chris Andrews (SF) along with a number of members of Dublin City Council voiced their support of locals’ opposition against the SHD scheme.

The objections lodged from locals also included a number from local residents’ groups.

O’Callaghan told the appeals board that the proposed development “is far too dense and unsustainable” and he supports residential development for the site but that the scale, density and height of the scheme “is excessive”.

In her submission, Bacik stated that issues relating to the site are predicted to have a deleterious effect on the quality of life of residents.

One of the community organisations to oppose the scheme, the Ranelagh Village Improvement Group stated that “it is not acceptable that this development should accentuate the social divide in housing provision in Dublin and create a ghetto of transients with no community life or identity”.

Planners at Dublin City Council had recommended that planning permission be granted.

Board inspector in the case, Stephen Rhys Thomas stated that “a 10 storey landmark building has been proposed at a key urban junction and this is appropriate … I am satisfied that a genuine attempt has been made to respect the surroundings”.