Dublin City Council has refused planning permission to Lioncor's contentious plans to build 284 residential units on lands at Terenure College.
In refusing planning permission to the Large Scale Residential Development (LRD), Dublin City Council found that the plan by applicant firm, Lioncor subsidiary, 1 Celbridge West Land Ltd had "failed to demonstrate that the range of travel needs of the future resident population can be met by the proposed development".
The scheme for Fortfield Rd, Terenure, D6 comprises 265 apartments and 19 four bed houses with the apartments located across four blocks with one block rising to six storeys.
The 11.5 acre proposed development site is located to the northwest corner of the grounds of Terenure College Senior school and the main part of the site is an open field that was formerly used as playing pitches associated with the now closed junior school.
The new scheme was 'build to sell’ compared to the ‘build to rent’ 364 unit scheme and 21 houses that were refused planning permission two years ago by An Bord Pleanala.
In the one reason for refusal linked to transport issues for the new scheme, the council found that the proposed car parking provision is considered inadequate to serve the needs of future residents of the development.
The planning authority said that the proposed development would as a result give rise to unacceptable levels of overspill and haphazard parking on adjacent roads and bus corridors.
The council said that this would seriously injure the amenities of the area and would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and obstruction of pedestrians, bus services and other road users.
The council received 86 third party submissions with the bulk of submissions from local residents opposed to the scheme.
The council planner’s report which did recommend a refusal on the transport issues did find that the scheme would provide for an acceptable standard of residential amenity to future occupants and would have no undue adverse impact on the residential amenities of adjoining occupiers.
The planning report concluded that the proposal would provide for a planning gain to the area by opening up the existing boundary wall which separates the site from Fortfield Road and provide for new public open space and linkages through to the existing lakeland amenity in the eastern area of the site.
On behalf of Terenure West Residents Association and the College and Wainsfort Residents Association, planning consultant, Anthony Marston contended that the scheme would have a negative impact on property values of properties adjoining the site.
Mr Marston said that the hit on property values will arise from "the profound overbearing nature of the proposed development, the decrease in light, privacy and significant loss of residential amenity"
The Dept of Education has also made a submission where it stated that it would like it noted in the context of the overall 50 acre size of the Terenure College site that it was not opposed to the development of 6.5 acres of lands at the College for uses other than educational.
A submission from the department stated that it was now satisfied from its consultation with the School Trustees that there was sufficient scope in the balance of lands at Terenure College - circa 44.5 acres - to cater for wider educational needs of the area, if and when they are required.
In a letter lodged with the application, Provincial of the Irish Province of Carmelites, Fr Simon Nolan stated that "the college Board of Management and the Carmelite Order recognises the enormous benefit that this proposed development has for the school and the Order".
Fr Nolan said: "It will allow for a capital injection into Terenure College and secure the College's future viability as a secondary school as well as benefit the ongoing work and ministry of the Carmelite Order in Ireland, Zimbabwe, and other parts of the world."
CEO of Lioncor, John Maxwell today declined to comment on the council refusal.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
