2460288
(i) Demolition of the existing two-storey mixed-use building and removal of the existing private vehicular entrance off Main Street; (ii) construction of a three-storey over lower ground floor mixed-use building accommodating 6 no. apartment units (5 no. two-bedroom, 1 no. one-bedroom) and a retail unit (41sq.m) at ground floor level with separate pedestrian access for both retail and residential via Main Street; (iii) provision of a car park (6 no. spaces) for residential use to the rear of the building, accessed via an existing access ramp from Main Street; and, (iv) all associated site works inclusive of boundary treatments, SuDS, drainage, landscaping and ancillary works. Each residential apartment will be served by private amenity space in the form of a balcony off the rear elevation, will be provided with a dedicated store area at lower ground floor level, will have a secondary pedestrian access point at the rear of the building at lower ground floor level, and will have shared access to a bin store and bicycle store (12 no. parking spaces) at lower ground floor level
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed demolition of a character-contributing building and its replacement with an incongruous design that fails to provide sufficient retail frontage or a required pedestrian link within an Architectural Conservation Area.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The demolition of the existing 19th-century building is unjustified as it contributes positively to the character of the Wicklow Town Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).
- The proposed replacement building's design, scale, and finishes are incongruous with the streetscape and fail to provide adequate active retail frontage at a prominent town centre location.
- The proposal fails to incorporate a specific objective for a pedestrian link between Main Street and South Quay, thereby contravening local development plan policies.