Sandyford plan for 360 apartments turned down by An Bord Pleanála

Contentious plans for a 360-unit apartment strategic housing development for Sandyford in the foothills of the Dublin mountains have been turned down by An Bord Pleanála.

Refusing to sanction the Zolbury Ltd scheme at Blackglen, Sandyford, on a site 9km south of Dublin city centre, it said inadequate consideration had been given to the design approach at the sensitive location.

The board said the height, scale, design and layout of the proposed scheme failed to enhance the character of the surrounding area and would not make a positive contribution to place-making.

The scheme is made up of nine apartment blocks rising to six storeys. The appeals board found it would be contrary to building height guidelines for local authorities. It also concluded that the proposed density of 97 units per hectare was not supported at this peripheral location.

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The applicant had not adequately demonstrated how the proposed design and layout of the scheme supported or enhanced links to the wildlife corridor which connects the Dublin mountains to Fitzsimons Wood proposed national heritage area.

At the end of her 122-page report, senior planning inspector Elaine Power included a statement that now features as standard in An Bord Pleanála inspectors’ reports confirming that “this report represents my professional planning assessment, judgment and opinion on the matter … and that no person has influenced or sought to influence, directly or indirectly, the exercise of my professional judgment in an improper or inappropriate way”.

The appeals board received 31 third-party submissions on the apartment plan, with local residents claiming the proposed development was out of character with the area; would result in overdevelopment of the site; that the scale and density were not appropriate; and that, due to the elevation, this would be the highest apartment development in the country.

In a separate decision, the appeals board granted planning permission to Glenmount Properties for a large-scale residential development of 159 homes at Skerries Road, Rush, in north Dublin.

Fingal County Council had granted the developer the go-ahead but this had been appealed to the board by a number of objectors including Rush Community Council, Praxis Care, Golden Ridge Residents, Ian and Ciara Worrell and Brookfield Park Residents.