Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development constitutes an unacceptable and unsustainable low density of 34.5 units per hectare on a fully serviced, accessible urban site, which contravenes local density policies and national 'Compact Settlement Guidelines' that mandate a minimum range of 50-250 units per hectare for this 'City-Urban Neighbourhood' category.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed density of 34.5 uph is significantly below the required 50-250 uph range for City-Urban Neighbourhoods, representing an inefficient use of serviced land and setting a negative precedent for underdevelopment.
- The layout results in the loss of approximately 66% of the mature tree population on-site (43 of 65 trees), an impact that is not balanced by a meaningful increase in residential density or optimized site utilization.
- While the site is subject to legal covenants and buffers, these constraints do not sufficiently justify such a low density, and a more compact design involving a higher proportion of duplexes or terraces could achieve policy compliance.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy Objective PHP18 (Residential Density)Section 12.3.3.2 (Residential Density)Policy Objective CS11 (Compact Growth)Policy Objective PHP19 (Existing Housing Stock – Adaptation)Section 12.3.9 (Demolition and Replacement Dwellings)Policy Objective PHP42 (Building Height Strategy)Policy Objective GIB18 (Protection of Natural Heritage)Policy Objective OSR4 (Public Open Space Standards)Policy Objective OSR7 (Trees, Woodland and Forestry)Section 12.3.1.1 (Design Criteria)Section 12.3.7.7 (Infill)Section 12.8.11 (Existing Trees and Hedgerows)Section 12.8.3.2 (Communal Open Space)
Decision Document Summary
The application seeks permission for the demolition of 'The Grove', a single dwelling on a 0.609ha site in Foxrock, to be replaced by 21 dwellings (14 duplexes and 7 houses). The site is located at a transitional point between low-density detached housing in Foxrock and higher-density areas in Cornelscourt. The Planning Authority refused permission primarily based on low density. On appeal, the applicant argued that the density was a 'modest' and appropriate increase given site constraints, incl...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
Note: If code appears below, the council site is blocking the preview. Please open the original file.
PDF Document Missing
The original decision document for this case could not be linked. This often happens for older cases or those with restricted documentation.
Search for case on ABP