2405/21
PROTECTED STRUCTURE: Planning permission for alterations to the design of the permitted two-bedroom house fronting Cambridge Road (Reg. no. 4099/18) at the rear of and within the curtilage of 44 Belgrave Square, a Protected Structure, Rathmines, Dublin 6. The proposed redesigned house is to accommodate three bedrooms and to be three storey, including a developed attic storey under a partly pitched roof. The proposed development incorporates solar panels, velux roof lights, balconies, a side passageway and a car port accessed via a slight widening of the existing vehicular gates on Cambridge Road, as well as associated site works.
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development is refused due to its excessive height, bulk, and massing, which would be out of character with the surrounding pattern of development, overbearing to neighbors, and detrimental to the architectural heritage and character of the residential conservation area and nearby protected structures.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The three-storey height and bulk of the proposed building would be overly dominant and would fail to maintain a subordinate relationship with the primary protected structure at 44 Belgrave Square.
- The development would negatively impact the residential amenity of neighboring properties, specifically appearing overbearing to the occupant to the north.
- The proposal represents a significant departure from mews development standards and would set an undesirable precedent for similar developments in a sensitive conservation area.