Developer Bryan Cullen's 437-unit development at Beechpark, Stillorgan, has been turned down because of poor design. Edel Morgan reports

Developer Bryan Cullen has been refused planning permission by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for a major scheme of over 437 residential units at Beechpark, Stillorgan, Co Dublin because its external finish is not of a sufficiently high quality.

Among the grounds for refusal is that the unacceptable level of finish "would result in a substandard form of development which would appear visually obtrusive", given its prominent location.

It did concede that the design for the development is "bold and would have a great physical presence at this location".

Cullen had sought to build an 18-block development on the 11-acre site beside St John of God Hospital.

He bought the site over a year ago for an estimated €33 million.

The proposal also involved a children's play area, a crèche, a 1,310 sq m (14,100sqft) gymnasium at basement level, residential care units for six autistic people and 26 old people's apartments in blocks ranging from two to eight storeys.

There would also have been two single level basement car-parks with over 500 car-parking spaces - 376 of which are at basement level.

The development would have entailed the demolition of houses at numbers 1 and 3 Farmleigh Avenue .

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

The block of residential care units and apartments "due to its mass, height and proximity to both existing residents and proposed residences" would detract from the layout and residential amenity of adjoining properties, said the county council.