2561097
for 1. Construction of a residential development comprising of 74 no. units in total, consisting of 16 no. three storey duplex units (8 no. two bed units and 8 no. three bed units), 16 no. four storey duplex units (8 no. three bed units and 8 no. three bed units), 29 no. three bed two storey houses and 13 no. four bed units in a mix of two and three storey houses; 2. Individual vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist access from a number of points from existing estate road at Riverside Crescent to the east of the application site. 3. Provision of public open spaces totalling 2,347 sq.m. 4. The inclusion of a total of 115 no. car parking spaces to serve the development, in addition to 126 no. bicycle spaces, and bin store areas located at various points around the development. 5. Infrastructure works to serve the proposed development to include the internal road and footpath network, ESB substations/switchrooms, lighting, site drainage works, hard and soft landscaping, boundary treatment, and all ancillary site services and development works above and below ground
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development fails to meet critical requirements for sustainable drainage (SuDS), urban design quality, and biodiversity protection, specifically regarding the inappropriate use of underground attenuation tanks and the premature clearance of site vegetation.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposal relies on underground attenuation tanks located beneath public open space with a near-complete absence of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), materially contravening multiple infrastructure and environmental objectives.
- The layout lacks a clear hierarchy of streets and adequate permeability for pedestrians and cyclists, resulting in a vehicle-orientated design with fragmented and substandard public open space.
- The extensive clearance of natural vegetation and hedgerows prior to ecological assessment undermines the site's role as a stepping-stone habitat and fails to provide meaningful compensation for the loss of biodiversity.