Bord Pleanala Reject Development on Royal Canal - Victory for local residents

28 February 2007

by Cllr Joe Costello

Residents of the Mountjoy Area scored a remarkable victory when An Bord Plenala refused permission for a two storey development on the site of the Royal Canal to the rear of 16-23 St Ignatious Road Dublin 7.

The planning application for the demolition of the existing factory building and the construction of a two storey development with 12 units (7 studio/gallery units and 5 two-bedroom units) on the site was lodged in March 20006. Residents objected to the development of this site on the following grounds:

It was located in a conservation zone with Z9 (open space zoning), and so would contravene the Dublin City Development Plan (2005-2011)
The use of the vehicular access would also cause noise and disturbance and during the construction phase would breach the three tonne limit.
The development would not meet the provisions of legislation and of the development plan in respect of affordable housing, waste storage, and road and footpath standards.

I supported the residents' objections to this application and submitted an objection to Dublin City Council. Despite the objections, Dublin City Council granted planning permission on 27 July 2006 subject to a number of mainly standard conditions. Residents appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala and again I supported the residents appeal.

I am pleased to inform you that An Bord Pleanala have notified us on 26 February of their decision to Refuse Permission for this development. The Bord accepted the residents objections and refused permission for the following reasons:

The site is located in an area zoned Z9 in the Dublin City Development Plan, 2005-2011, where it is the objective of the planning authority to preserve, provide and improve recreational amenity and open space. It is considered that the proposed residential development would contravene materially the zoning objective of the development plan and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The site is located within a designated conservation area, which includes the Royal Canal and its banks, where it is the policy of the planning authority, as set out in the development plan, to have particular regard to the effect of the proposal on buildings and the surrounding environment, in terms of compatibility of design, scale, height, plot width, roof treatment, materials, landscaping, mix and intensity of use. The proposed development would not be compatible with the surroundings in respect of several of these aspects including design, scale, roof treatment and materials and would, therefore, conflict with the provisions of the development plan, would seriously injure the amenities of this conservation area and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Having regard to its siting close to the adjacent residential properties in Saint Ignatius Road, and taking account of its scale and design, it is considered that the proposed development would seriously injure the amenities of those properties by reason of visual obtrusion and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The proposed live-work units would be likely to generate vehicular traffic and a requirement for parking space for which no provision would be made, creating increased pressure on the limited parking space available in Saint Ignatius Road or in the laneway leading to the site and resulting in obstruction of road users and road safety hazards. The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.