Planning refused for close to 900 homes in south Dublin

An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for almost 900 homes in south Dublin.
The authority turned down plans by Cairn Homes for 355 “built to rent” (BTR) apartments for Cross Avenue, Blackrock. The appeals board has refused planning permission for the so-called “built to rent” component of the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme after concluding that the BTR units would result in an “over-proliferation” of BTR homes for the area.
The decision comes almost 2½ years after the so called “fast track” planning application comprising six blocks up to eight storeys in height was lodged in April 2022 as the board now moves to clear the backlog in outstanding SHD cases.
In a second planning blow to Cairn the appeals board has also refused planning permission for 534 “build to rent” apartments across eight blocks with one block up to 10 storeys high on a site at Winterbrook and Barrington Tower, Brennanstown Road, Dublin 18. The SHD scheme – which was also lodged in April 2022 – was made up of 30 studios, 135 one-bed units, 318 two-bed units and 51 three-bed units.
That proposal faced local opposition with 24 submissions lodged, including one from local TD Richard Boyd Barrett (People Before Profit-Solidarity) and party colleague Cllr Melisa Halpin, who stated the 10-storey proposal was located a mere 200m from an ancient 5,500 portal tomb.
The appeals board refused planning permission to the Barrington SHD scheme due to the overbearing height, appearance and scale of the proposed development, and the excessive direct overlooking between apartments and consequent loss of privacy for future residents.
As part of the Chesterfield, Cross Avenue, Blackrock decision, the appeals board has granted planning for 11 build-to-sell homes.
The appeals board has refused planning permission to the Blackrock SHD scene after co-founder of the Blackrock, Hermitage and Galway Clinics, James M Sheehan claimed the plan “is grossly excessive”.
Over 30 objections were lodged against the SHD scheme, and in his submission Mr Sheehan told the appeals board that “the proposed development is grossly excessive for an area that is already congested with traffic, and is detrimental to the proper planning of mature areas of the borough”.
Mr Sheehan, from Cross Avenue, Blackrock, has stated that “the concept of build to rent for the apartments does not encourage a stable community as many renters are there on a short-term lease”.
Elsewhere in his one-page submission Mr Sheehan states that the scale of the apartments “is grossly excessive and taller than any building in the area”.