Core Refusal Reason
The retention of the apartment was refused as it fails to meet the minimum mandatory floor area standards (45 sqm for a one-bedroom unit) and aggregate room size requirements set out in the Fingal Development Plan 2017-2023 and the 2020 Apartment Guidelines, resulting in a substandard level of residential amenity for occupants.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The apartment falls significantly short of qualitative and quantitative standards, providing only 36.51 sqm of floor space where 45 sqm is required, and lacks any dedicated internal storage or private amenity space.
- The unit's lower ground floor location and single-aspect windows result in poor natural light and ventilation, further diminishing the standard of residential amenity.
- Granting permission for the retention of this unit would contravene material planning objectives and set an undesirable precedent for substandard residential development in an established area.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Fingal Development Plan 2017-2023Objective DMS24Table 12.2Objective CH07Objective DMS22Objective DMS30Objective PM41Zoning MC
Decision Document Summary
This appeal relates to the retention of a lower-ground floor apartment at No. 23A The Old Vicarage, Swords, a site located within an established residential scheme zoned 'MC' (Major Town Centre). While the applicant contended that the unit should be classified as a studio and assessed under standards prevalent at the time of its 1997 construction, the Inspector determined that the internal layout functions as a one-bedroom apartment and must be judged against current 2020 Apartment Guidelines an...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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