AN BORD PLEANÁLA has given the go-ahead for a development consisting of 88 apartments at the site of the former Phoenix Park racecourse in Castleknock.

The apartments to be built have either one, two and three bedrooms and will be in four blocks of four, five and six storeys.

The 0.6 hectare site is part of a larger development of about 40 hectares and is located to the south of the N3, east of Castleknock Village and west of the Phoenix Park.

The development also consists of 111 car parking spaces, 96 in a ground level undercroft and 15 on street level.

An accessible landscaped garden deck will also be located at first floor level and at ground level.

Permission for the development had been granted to Flynn & O’Flaherty Construction by Fingal County Council but this decision had been appealed.

The appeal argued that the height and scale of the proposed apartment blocks are out of line with existing developments in the area and are unsuitable for this location.

The appeal raised issues relating to “overlooking, density and open space provision” but an Inspector’s Report said these were “specifically addressed” at an earlier stage of the planning process.

The inspection found that the development is “a significant distance from existing dwellings and will not give rise to overlooking” and is also “consistent with the density standards” in development guidelines.

Flynn & O’Flaherty Construction claimed that the appeal was “vexatious” and that the appellant “has no material interest in the proposed development”.

The appellant denied that the appeal is vexatious or frivolous.

The appeal was made by James Wharton of Ballicky, Bantry, County Cork.