3406/23
PROTECTED STRUCTURE RPS Ref: 3238 : Permission is sought for revisions to the granted residential development Reg. Ref. 4105/15 (An Bord Pleanala Ref. PL29N.246430) as extended under Reg. Ref. 4105/15/x1. Permission is sought to omit the granted 4-storey 69 no. bedroom nursing home to facilitate alterations and an extension to the previously permitted Block B. Alterations include an increase in height of permitted apartment Block B from 4-storeys to 6-storeys (five storey with sixth floor set back) over basement, with associated internal and external elevational and layout changes providing for a residential development comprising 99 no. apartments (41 no. one beds and 58 no. two beds) each with associated balcony, to all elevations, in lieu of the permitted 20 no. apartments (1 no. one bed, 18 no. two bed and 1 no. three bed units) and the 69 no. bedroom nursing home. The proposed development will include revisions to the permitted basement car park to now provide 72 no. car parking spaces (with 9 no. visitor spaces, 3 no. disabled parking spaces and 14 no. electric vehicle charging points), 3 no. motorbike parking spaces and 212 no. bicycle parking spaces (200 no. at basement level and 12 no. at surface level). Access to the basement level has been altered with vehicular access now proposed along the western boundary of Block B and pedestrian access to the northwest. Access to the proposed Block B is from Grace Park road as permitted under Ref. 4105/15. Planning permission is also sought to move the permitted ESB substation to the north of previously approved in addition to all ancillary site, landscaping and engineering works necessary to facilitate the development.
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development, by virtue of its excessive length (72m), height (20m), and overall massing, represents overdevelopment that would be overly dominant, fail to integrate with the local character, harm the setting of adjacent protected structures, and provide a substandard level of residential amenity for future occupants.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The 72-metre block length and 20-metre height fail to satisfy the performance criteria for enhanced height and density set out in the Development Plan, creating an insensitive and overbearing impact on the existing character of the area.
- The proposed residential layout, particularly units fronting onto a ground-floor underpass and the reliance on opaque glazing to manage privacy, results in a substandard quality of accommodation and poor outlook for residents.
- The omission of the previously permitted 69-bed nursing home is considered a significant loss to the community, and the proposed replacement with 99 apartments constitutes overdevelopment that does not appropriately respond to the site's historical and residential context.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
The application at the former Carmelite Convent in Drumcondra sought to modify a previously granted residential scheme by omitting a 4-storey nursing home to facilitate the extension of 'Block B' from 4 to 6 storeys, increasing the total to 99 apartments. The site is a sensitive residential area containing protected structures and is zoned for sustainable residential neighborhoods. While the Inspector noted the site's high accessibility near major bus corridors (N2, N1, and future BusConnects), ...PDF Document Missing
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