D21A/0958

The Inspector recommended that the Planning Authority be directed to amend Condition 2 by omitting subsection (a), which required the amalgamation of units to achieve a 50% two-bed unit mix. The Inspector concluded that the proposed unit mix (54% one-bed) is acceptable given the reduction in building height compared to the previous grant, the minimal cumulative impact on the local area, and the existing preponderance of larger family-sized units in Blackrock.

• The provenance of the proposal—being a revision of an approved scheme to allow for a reduction in height without materially altering internal layouts—justifies the slight deviation from standard unit mix requirements.
• The cumulative impact of the proposed one-bedroom units represents only a 1% increase (from 34% to 35%) in the Blackrock area, which is considered non-significant and will not lead to a proliferation of such units.
• While the scheme is technically at variance with certain parameters of the 2022 County Development Plan, these are not interpreted as mandatory, and discretion is warranted given the site context and the variety of unit types in the vicinity.