Planning permission has been refused for a developer to build 360 apartments in 9 blocks off Blackglen Road in rural Sandyford. An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the development, as recommended by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
Reasons for planning refusal
The 3 reasons given by An Bord Pleanála set a strong precedent. All 3 reasons were based on the County Development Plan 2022-2028, a plan democratically approved by DLR councillors last year.
The 3 reasons for refusal were:
- Design: An Bord Pleanála agreed with the council’s report that the design of the proposed development was in breach of planning rules on height and density in rural areas. They also found that it was incompatible with the Barnacullia Landscape Character Area.
- Housing mix: Not enough 3 bed apartments. The evidence shows that we need a lot more 1 and 2 bed homes. However, the County Development Plan 2022-2028 requires a minimum of 20% of apartments in new developments be 3-beds.
- Wildlife Corridor protection: The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Biodiversity Action Plan 2021-2025 includes the site on a wildlife corridor. The applicant didn’t do enough to show that the plans enhanced or supported the wildlife corridors. I’m particularly happy with this reason as I made changes to the County Development Plan to strengthen protection for wildlife corridors.
You can see all planning documents for this Blackglen Road planning application online here. You can skip straight to An Bord Pleanála’s decision letter (only 7 pages long and the decision rationale is on pages 5-7).
While An Bord Pleanála refused planning application for these apartments on Blackglen Road, the land is still zoned for residential development. Chances are that another application will be made in future. Future planning applications on this site should be of a higher quality and address the 3 reasons for refusal above.
The Irish Times has reported the planning decision here, without going into as much specific detail as I have.
