Churchtown scheme appealed

The former Premier Dairies site in Churchtown, Dublin 14 is the subject of further planning controversy.

Locals have appealed planning permission granted to St James Developments by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for a residential development of 266 units - made up of 204 apartments in blocks rising to five storeys and terraced houses.

Last month, almost a year after it was criticised by An Bord Pleanála for the small size of apartments in a proposed scheme of over 400 units for the site at Whitehall Road, the developer got the green light from the council for a scaled-down proposal.

However, two parties have submitted appeals to An Bord Pleanála - Churchtown West Residents Association and Margaret Walsh and others - maintaining that the density of homes proposed for the site is still excessive.

Churchtown West Residents Association, which represents over 1,200 households, says the scheme is out of scale with established development in the area, largely bungalows and two-storey houses.

It says the zoning of the site is "to protect or improve residential amenity" but the scheme would cause overlooking from apartment balconies, an increase of traffic posing a hazard to the children attending the Good Shepherd primary school opposite and the height would cause a loss of views of the local church spire and the mountains.

In their appeal, Margaret Walsh and others say the provision for public open space in the development is minimal and no playground is proposed. It says the public transport service in the area is poor with the 16A bus the only means of accessing the city centre by public transport.

St James Developments, whose directors are Liam Kelly, Edward Keegan and John O'Connor, is looking to build a scheme of 62 terraced houses and 204 apartments in three blocks rising to five storeys.

In November last year An Bord Pleanála turned the developer down for 407 homes, citing the small size of apartments, traffic dangers and poor design.

The smallest single bedroom apartment in the Churchtown development was just 38sq m (409sq ft). The biggest one-bed apartment was just 50sq m (538sq ft).

The planning board also ruled that the development would endanger the public by creating a traffic hazard and serious traffic congestion close to a school on narrow residential roads.