Goatstown plans opposed by former minister

A former finance minister, Richie Ryan, has opposed a residential development at Knockrabo, off Heidelberg Road in Goatstown in Dublin 14.

Mr Ryan, a Fine Gael finance minister in the 1970s, is one of 12 parties to appeal planning permission granted to Galway developer O'Malley Construction by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to build 159 residential units on a 4.9 acre site.

The proposal is for five apartment blocks blocks rising from six to eight storeys which would be bounded by Salamanca, Salzburg and Heidelberg Roads in Ardilea.

In their appeal to An Bord Pleanála, Maireád and Richie Ryan, who live at Ardilea, have requested an oral hearing because they believe the scale, height and location of the proposed development on the foothills of the Dublin mountains will have "major local and regional significance."

The Ryans say the high density proposed will be at an unacceptable amenity cost to houses "in a notably quiet verdant environment which should be preserved as an example of good mid-twentieth century architecture."

They say an oral hearing is necessary so the principle of community involvement and understanding can be respected "and be seen to be respected."

An appeal by Ardilea Residents Association refers to Ardilea as "the foremost housing estate of the 1960s" and a model for later estates.

Each road was named after a great university, and it was the first Irish residential estate with underground cabling.

"We anticipate Ardilea will be listed in the Development plan at a future date as a conservation area," say the residents.

The residents believe the tranquillity of their neighbourhood will be affected by increased through-traffic as a result of a new entrance to the proposed development, and say the roads are unsuited to construction vehicles which may enter the estate from Mount Anville Road.

Among concerns of the other appellants, mostly Ardilea residents, are the removal of mature trees, overshadowing and overlooking, from the high rise apartment blocks.

A resident of Heidelberg said increased traffic would affect an "atmosphere of relatively healthy and clean tranquillity."

O'Malley Developments is the third developer to Knockrabo. It bought a portion of the site from Niall Mellon's Knockrabo Developments in an off market deal.

Mellon, who owns Taylor's Three Rock pub and the Henry Grattan pub, purchase the site for €50 million in 2003 from the Merrion Property Group.

He is proposing to build a €250 million 330-unit residential scheme at Knockrabo, which is subject to An Bord Pleanála appeal.

An Bord Pleanála previously blocked a plan by Michael Roden's Merrion Property Group to build almost 600 apartments and houses on the site.

One of the grounds cited at the time for the refusal of approval was the "loss of open space and a significant number of trees" on the former Bank of Ireland sports grounds.