2241316

Permission is sought for the demolition of the existing dwelling and outbuilding known as Underwood Villa and the construction of a two-storey part three-storey family dwelling house with access from the Rochestown Road via the existing Underwood roadway with wastewater treatment system and gravel bed percolation filter and all associated site development works.

Refused

Core Refusal Reason

The proposal was refused because it involves the unjustified demolition of a building of local architectural interest, contrary to Cork City Development Plan policies favoring building reuse, and the replacement dwelling is of an inappropriate scale and design that would be visually obtrusive and cause overlooking of neighboring property.

Decision Maker's Conclusion

  • The applicant failed to provide sufficient justification for the demolition of the existing historic cottage, which is considered to be of at least local architectural interest and suitable for retrofit.
  • The proposed contemporary replacement dwelling is excessively scaled and height-dominant, resulting in a visually obtrusive structure that fails to integrate comfortably into the elevated hillside landscape.
  • The design and placement of glazing on the eastern elevation would lead to significant direct overlooking of the adjacent property, negatively affecting residential amenity.

Cited Policies (CDP)

Objective 8.18Objective 8.26Section 8.38Section 11.153Section 11.154Section 11.66Section 12.24Zoning ZO 01

Decision Document Summary

The applicant sought permission for the demolition of 'Underwood Villa', an early 19th-century cottage, and the construction of a contemporary part-two/part-three-storey 4-bedroom house on a 0.15ha steeply sloping site in Rochestown, Cork. The Inspector noted that while the site is zoned for residential use, the existing building holds local architectural merit and should be preserved or retrofitted under the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 policies. The proposed replacement dwelling was fo...
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