A DEVELOPMENT COMPANY has been granted permission to build an apartment block containing 94 homes in Dublin 4, despite dozens of objections from local residents.
Dublin City Council gave the Donnybrook Partnership permission to build the seven-storey building at the junction of Donnybrook Road and Eglinton Road near Donnybrook village, following more than 60 objections earlier this year.
The proposed development, which is currently occupied by six derelict semi-detached properties will contain 94 apartments and a ground floor café.
The complex will consist of 15 one-bedroom apartments, 60 two-bedroom apartments and 17 three-bedroom apartments, all of which will have balconies or roof terraces, and range in height from three storeys to seven storeys.
However, two residents groups and more than 20 individual residents appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála following that decision.
Removal of trees
Objections were raised over the proposed height of the new development, which local residents argued is not in keeping with the council’s Development Plan.
Locals also claimed the complex will overshadow the rear gardens of a number of adjoining properties, saying this could lead to the devaluation of their homes.
In a third-party application on behalf of more than a dozen residents and two residents’ associations, town planning group Kiaran O’Malley & Co raised concerns about how the development will also lead to the felling of trees currently situated in public areas.
One resident argued the proposal was an overdevelopment and will have a negative visual impact on the surrounding area, while another claimed the apartments would add a significant volume of vehicles to an area which already had heavy traffic.
Two more residents expressed concerns that the proximity of the access to the complex to the access of Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club would lead to problems with traffic safety.
Further concerns were also raised about the demolition of habitable buildings on the site and the overall lack of quality of the proposal, as well as claims that the design and height of the proposal was out of character with its location.
Higher density housing
In response, an architect on behalf of the Donnybrook Partnership refuted the arguments of the complainants, saying the height and design of the proposal would be appropriate for the area.
The submission to An Bord Pleanála said the proposal was compliant with the council’s Development Plan, which allows for higher plot ratios and higher density housing.
The architect also said the proposal accounted for the privacy of nearby properties and that it would provide adequate parking and the provision of private and public open spaces.
In his conclusions, An Bord Pleanála’s planning inspector Colin McBride granted permission for the complex, finding that its development would be in accordance with the council’s Development Plan.
He added that the complex would not detract from the visual amenities of the area, and that it would be acceptable in the context of the amenities and traffic safety in the local area.
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