The decision by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission for 284 homes at Terenure College runs contrary to local and national planning policies, according to an appeal from the developer.
Lioncor has lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanála about the decision last month by the council to refuse planning permission for the scheme for Fortfield Road, Terenure, Dublin 6.
The scheme comprises 265 apartments and 19 four-bed houses, with the apartments located across four blocks and one block rising to six storeys.
The council refused permission to the Lioncor subsidiary, 1 Celbridge West Land Ltd, after concluding it had “failed to demonstrate that the range of travel needs of the future resident population can be met by the proposed development”.
In the one reason for refusal linked to transport issues for the new scheme, the council found that the proposed car parking provision was inadequate to serve the needs of future residents of the development.
The planning authority said the proposal would give rise to unacceptable levels of overspill and haphazard parking on adjacent roads and bus corridors.
The 11.5-acre development site is located to the northwest corner of the grounds of Terenure College senior school. The main part of the site is an open field that was formerly used as playing pitches associated with the now closed junior school.
The scheme was ‘build to sell’ compared to the ‘build to rent’ 364-unit scheme and 21 houses that were refused planning permission two years ago by An Bord Pleanála.
In the comprehensive appeal drawn up McGill Planning associate director Brenda Butterly, she points out that every department at Dublin City Council with the exception of the transport planning department believed that a grant of permission was appropriate.
Ms Butterly said it was “very disappointing” that the council did not seek further information on the plans or include a condition on the issue of parking.
Ms Butterly said claims that the development would lead to overspill and hap-hazard parking were "unsubstantiated".
She said the appeal board’s previous refusal for the site was made on three grounds and none related to parking.
Ms Butterly said all the grounds of refusal for the previous scheme had been addressed.
She said the proposal was “a high attractive apartment development in an established, highly accessible and well serviced urban location within Dublin City”.
Ms Butterly said the proposal would “provide for an effective and efficient use of these currently vacant, serviced lands”.
The appeals board is due to make a decision on the appeal in July.
