Dublin Bus is challenging an apartment and office development on Conyngham Road, Dublin 8 beside its bus depot saying it would adversely affect the operation and function of the depot and garage.

The bus company is appealing Dublin City Council's decision to grant Petrogas Engineering Ltd planning permission to build 81 residential units, six retail and commercial units, 2,524sq m (27,168sq ft) of offices and a creche in four blocks ranging in height from six to nine storeys.

Petrogas is also proposing a river walk and a new vehicular access off Conyngham Road.

Three parties submitted third party appeals to the board, including Martin O'Meara and Helen Brown.

In its appeal, Dublin Bus says the depot and garage are long established on the site, and "of fundamental importance in the operation of public bus transportation in the city" , serving a fleet of 120 buses.

It says the development would "materially affect the future development of the bus depot" and its noisy environment would result in "poor environmental conditions for future residents of the development".

It says the proposal would constitute over development of the 0.5-hectare site and would be contrary to the development plan, the Heuston Gate Development Framework, and materially contravenes residential density guidelines.

It also says the height and scale of development to the boundary of the depot site would impact on the bus depot workshop by blocking daylight.

Martin O'Meara, a resident of the adjacent Longmeadows apartment complex, said the development would seriously affect the residential amenity of residents by overlooking and overshadowing their properties.

"The floor-to-ceiling south-facing living area is what attracted me to acquire my apartment originally and I feel that the overshadowing will not only result in a loss of daylight but a devaluation of my apartment and my quality of life," he maintains.

In June 2005 An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for a previous proposal by Petrogas for the site that included 143 residential units, 1,222sq m (13,153sq ft) of offices and three commercial units in three blocks rising to nine storeys.

The appeals board said the height of the proposed block facing the river would seriously injure the residential amenity of adjoining residents by reason of overlooking, overshadowing and its overbearing height in relation to the proposed apartments to the north.