SD21A/0196
Demolition of all existing 1-3 storey industrial/commercial structures and small cafe on site totalling c.5,500sq.m in area; construction of a 1-5 storey nursing home/step-down facility (131 bedspaces) over partial basement (total floor area c.6,743sq.m) with central courtyard (c.519sqm); construction of a deck-access apartment development comprising 139 residential units arranged in 2 blocks (Block A - 8 storeys and Block B - 5 to 6 storeys) with a total floor area of c.10,556sq.m excluding deck access (c.1,141sq.m); 2 commercial units comprising a cafe and pharmacy located at ground floor level facing Cookstown Road in residential Block A ( c.292sq.m in area); the residential development consists of 67 one bed/two person units, 12 two bed / three person units and 60 two bed/4 person units with north, south, east and west facing balconies throughout and residents amenity area at ground floor level; central communal open space (c.1,272sq.m); the basement serving the nursing home consists of a sprinkler tank and pump rooms, tank room, plant room and workshop; provision of dining and kitchen areas, siting/family rooms, activity rooms, coffee dock, hair salon, oratory, lobbies/reception areas, ancillary offices and staff areas, stores, toilets, shower/changing facilities, ESB substation, generator, switch room, service yard and waste areas serving the nursing home; provision of an ESB substation, switchboards, waste areas, water tanks and generator serving Blocks A and B; lobbies, stair/lifts, photovoltaic panels and green roofs throughout; partial provision of the pocket park identified in the Tallaght LAP (c.1,165sq.m); new vehicular access from First Avenue and egress onto Cookstown Road via a one-way system through the subject site; entrance signage on the eastern elevation of the proposed nursing home; all associated site development works, services provision, connection to the water supply, foul and surface water networks on First Avenue and Cookstown Road including partial diversion of the foul line to the north east of the site at First Avenue, attenuation/bioretention systems, vehicular and pedestrian access including internal road and footpaths, public realm upgrade works, landscape and boundary treatment works, tree removal, bicycle storage (307 spaces), car parking (42 spaces), set-down parking spaces including 1 ambulance space serving the nursing home and delivery/loading areas to Cookstown Road and First Avenue.
Core Refusal Reason
The development was refused due to inadequate urban connectivity and legible linkages to the wider area, resulting in physical isolation, and for being premature pending the resolution of documented capacity constraints in the local wastewater network.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed development fails to provide the necessary connections and linkages required by the Tallaght Town Centre LAP, leading to a physically isolated scheme that does not ensure a safe environment for future residents.
- The application is premature due to significant and documented historical capacity issues within the local wastewater network that have not been adequately addressed by the applicant or Irish Water.
- The scheme's intensity, characterized by excessive building heights on tertiary routes and a lack of 3-bedroom units, fails to align with the urban design framework and housing mix requirements of the Local Area Plan.