Core Refusal Reason
The development represents inappropriate backland development and overdevelopment of a site within a conservation area, resulting in substandard residential amenity for occupants and a significant negative impact on the character, setting, and amenities of the existing property (No. 74) and neighboring residences.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposal constitutes substandard backland development that removes all rear amenity space from the original house (No. 74) and provides questionable access and egress via a narrow laneway.
- The modified proposal submitted on appeal fails to meet the mandatory qualitative and quantitative standards of the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments (2022), particularly regarding minimum floor areas, storage, and communal amenity space.
- The retention of the development would set an undesirable precedent for inappropriate, substandard residential development in a Z2 Conservation Area and would seriously injure the residential amenities of neighboring properties through overlooking and loss of privacy.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Z2 Zoning ObjectiveSection 14.7.2 (Permissible Uses)Section 15.9 (Apartment Standards)Section 15.13.4 (Backland Housing)Appendix 18 (Ancillary Residential Accommodation)Policy QHSN2 (National Guidelines)Policy QHSN10 (Urban Density)Policy QHSN36 (High Quality Apartment Development)Policy QHSN37 (Houses and Apartments)Policy BHA9 (Conservation Areas)Appendix 3 (Plot Ratio and Site Coverage)
Decision Document Summary
The application seeks the retention of a two-storey/single-storey extension at the rear of No. 74 Drumcondra Road Lower, which has been converted into three residential units. The site is located in a Z2 'Residential Neighbourhoods (Conservation Areas)' zone and the main house is recorded on the NIAH for its architectural interest. On appeal, the applicant proposed modifying the development to reduce the number of units to two to address refusal reasons. However, the Inspector found that even th...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
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View the appeal at An Bord Pleanála