New plan submitted for prominent Stillorgan site

Developer Bryan Cullen of Jackson Homes has come back with another planning application for his 45-hectare site at Beechpark in Stillorgan, Co Dublin.

Last month he was refused planning permission by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for a 437-unit residential development, a 1,310 sq m (14,100 sq ft) gymnasium at basement level, residential care units for six autistic people and 26 old people's apartments.

The development was in 18 blocks ranging from two to eight storeys as well as over 500 car-parking spaces. Among the grounds for refusal was that the unacceptable level of finish "would result in a substandard form of development which would appear visually obtrusive given its prominent location".

Another reason given for refusal was that the traffic generated by the development would be a hazard and would endanger public safety.

This time around Cullen has submitted a slightly scaled-down application for 400 residential units and six autistic person's units, a 361 sq m (3,886 sq ft) crèche, a 1,401 sq m (15,080 sq ft) gymnasium, autistic persons care unit/elderly person's care unit, all in 17 buildings ranging from two to eight stories.

This would involve the demolition of two existing houses No 1 and No 3 Farmleigh Avenue and three vacant school buildings.

Bryan Cullen bought the site beside St John of God Hospital over a year ago for €33 million.