Appeals board turns down plans for 452 build-to-rent apartments in south Dublin
An Bord Pleanala has refused planning permission for 452 'build-to-rent' apartments in eight apartment blocks at Cornelscourt village in south Dublin.
They refused planning permission to Cornel Living Ltd for the eight apartment blocks including one reaching 12 storeys in height at Cornelscourt Village, Old Bray Rd, Dublin 18 after Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and locals opposed the plan.
The proposed development - which lies adjacent to the N11 - also included 10 semi-detached homes and six bungalows along with a cafe/restaurant.
In total over 80 objections were lodged against the proposal including ones lodged from the Foxrock South Residents Association and the Grange Castle and Foxrock Wood Residents Association.
Former Fine Gael TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor added her voice behind the bid to stop the development from proceeding.
Now, the appeals board has refused planning after concluding that the proposal fails to provide an adequate level of residential amenity for future occupants of the scheme.
The appeals made that finding after stating that the level of communal open space is below the minimum standard set out in Ministerial guidelines and that the proportion of single aspect apartments - apartments with windows on one wall only - contravenes Ministerial guidelines.
The appeals board also refused planning permission as the proposed development would be premature regarding existing deficiencies in the wastewater sewerage network.
The appeals board’s grounds for refusal echo the some of the reasons put forward by the County Council as to why permission should be refused.
The council told the appeals board that planning should be refused due to the deficient quality and quantity of public/communal space as it would result in an unacceptable standard of amenity for the future occupants of the apartments.
The council also stated that the plan should be refused due to an inadequate amount of dual aspect apartments in the scheme.
A TD when lodging her submission, Ms Mitchell O'Connor told An Bord Pleanala that "the vast majority of the units will be accommodated in eight massive apartment blocks, the height and scale bear no relationship to the adjacent homes”.
She further contended that “the entire development being built for rental is a matter of some concern.
Rentals on this scale attract transient populations and add nothing to the local community.
Ms Mitchell O’Connor stated that she fully supported appropriate development “but agrees with the residents that the development proposed in this application has too many flaws to be appropriate for the area”.
