Plans to turn Ballintyre Hall into a single residence have been refused because it would take communal land away from homes nearby
DÚN LAOGHAIRE Rathdown County Council has refused planning permission to turn Ballintyre Hall in Dublin 16 into a stand-alone dwelling on a one-acre site.
Ray Grehan’s Glenkerrin Homes was seeking permission to revert the use of Ballintyre Hall – the period house at the heart of the upmarket Ballintyre residential scheme – back to a house, with a view to selling it as a family home.
Previously the developer had sought permission to turn the 609sq m (6,555sq ft) listed house into 12 apartments but eventually only secured permission for four.
This application has not been acted on and currently the house is in its original state.
In refusing Glenkerrin’s application, planners at the council said the proposal to remove one acre of common landscaped grounds would result in a significant reduction in the communal open space of the overall Ballintyre scheme.
The development would “detract from the open character” and “diminish the overall quality and attractiveness of the open landscape”.
The imposing Ballintyre Hall is the final piece in the jigsaw of the Ballintyre site off Ballinteer Avenue.
The 24-acre site was bought by Ray Grehan in 2003 for around €51 million and 118 houses and 375 apartments have been built here so far.
Directly adjoining Ballintyre Hall, kitchen, stores, wine cellars and servants’ quarters, have been developed into mews-style homes.
Meanwhile, over in Dublin 6W Sheelin McSharry’s plans to turn Bushy Park House into 14 apartments has been met with opposition from the management company of the adjoining residential development, Bushy Park Management (No 3 ) Ltd.
In a letter to An Bord Pleanála the management company noted that although the developer had committed to use the listed house for technology/education purposes, it was currently being used as a store for second-hand furniture.
The company has raised concerns about damage to the architectural integrity of the house and the construction of apartments at basement level.
