2161/21
Site bounded and accessed by both Walkinstown Road and Balfe Road, comprising of Balfe Road Industrial Estate (2-4 Balfe Road), Walkinstown Road Surface Car Park and lands and industrial building (5 Walkinstown Road) to the rear of houses on Walkinstown Road and Thomas Moore Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12. Permission for amendments to development approved under Dublin City Council Planning Reference No. 4364/19 (An Bord Pleanala Reference No. ABP 307186-20) for a mixed-use development. The development will consist of:- Amendments to approved Block 1 (fronting onto Walkinstown Road) consisting of change of use to 1 additional 2-bedroom apartment, the construction of 4 No. additional apartment units at third floor level with external balconies, ancillary circulation, and alterations to facades including: 1) The change of use of permitted Community Room and amendments to layout to provide an additional 1 No. 2 bed apartment unit at Ground Floor Level; 2) Construction of additional floor area at third floor level to provide 4 No. additional 1 bed apartment units (eliminating setbacks at this level) ; 3) Amendments to elevations and sections from the approved part 3-storey/ part 5-storey ( 3-storey plus two setback levels) block to a part 4-storey/ part 5-storey (4-storey plus one setback level) block; 4) All associated consequent ancillary works, landscaping, bicycle parking and site development works and services.
Core Planning Reasoning
The development is recommended for a grant of permission as it is consistent with the Z4 and Z1 zoning objectives of the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022, complies with national policies on urban densification, and does not significantly injure the residential or visual amenities of the area or present a traffic hazard.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The principle of higher-density residential development at this brownfield location is acceptable given its proximity to high-quality public transport (QBC and Luas) and the site's mixed-use zoning.
- The proposed amendments to the third-floor setbacks, which increase the gable heights from 10.9m to 13.75m, are considered a nominal change that does not negatively impact the visual character of the area or cause undue overshadowing of adjacent properties.
- The loss of the previously permitted community room to provide an additional 2-bedroom unit is acceptable because the overall development provides communal open space in excess of 2.5 times the minimum regulatory requirements.