4052/21
The development will consist of: (i) construction of 1 no. three-storey over basement level residential apartment block accommodating 3 no. three-bedroom apartments, each with front, rear and central balconies and each served by a communal gym at basement level, an area of communal amenity space to the rear (west) of the block, a vehicular parking area, of 3 no. spaces, to the front (east) of the block and bin/bicycle stores at ground level; (ii) provision of new vehicular entrance, of 3.4m width, and new pedestrian entrance, of 1.2m width, to Strand Road; and (iii) all ancillary site development works, inclusive of landscaping, boundary treatment and SuDS drainage, necessary to facilitate the development.
Core Planning Reasoning
The proposed development is refused due to its visual incongruity with the historical architectural character of the Z2 Residential Conservation Area, its overbearing impact on the residential amenity of No. 173 Strand Road, and the failure to provide a Natura Impact Statement to rule out significant effects on adjacent Natura 2000 sites.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed apartment block fails to congruously integrate with the established architectural context and historical significance of the nineteenth-century semi-detached dwellings at Nos. 173 and 175 Strand Road.
- The scale, height, and extent of the development alongside the southern boundary would result in a significant and unacceptable overbearing impact on the outlook and residential amenity of No. 173 Strand Road.
- Due to the proximity to the South Dublin Bay SAC and SPA, the absence of a Natura Impact Statement precludes the Board from definitively concluding that the project would not have a significant adverse effect on the integrity of these European sites.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
The proposal involves the construction of a contemporary three-storey over basement apartment block on a vacant L-shaped site in Sandymount, which is zoned as a Z2 Residential Conservation Area. While Dublin City Council granted permission following Further Information, the Inspector recommends refusal based on multiple significant concerns. The site context features nineteenth-century villa-style dwellings; the Inspector argues that the proposed building's 11-meter height and modern materiality...PDF Document Missing
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View the appeal at An Bord Pleanála