Stately home scheme appealed

A tourist development by the sons of airline tycoon Dr Tony Ryan on the grounds of the family's stately home, Lyons Estate, outside Celbridge, Co Kildare has been criticised by An Taisce.

Cathal, Declan and Shane Ryan were given planning permission to construct 45 tourist accommodation units at their 600-acre Lyons Demesne in Kildare by Kildare County Council last December.

The site in question incorporates a complex of buildings, which originally functioned as a canal village and depot built by Lord Cloncurry in the early 19th century as part of the Lyons Estate.

An Taisce has appealed the decision to grant permission for the development on a number of grounds, including the scale of the development, excessive post-consent agreement and inadequacy of public notice and advertisement.

In their objection lodged to An Bord Pleanála, An Taisce noted that previous work to the demesne received a Europa Nostra Award in 2003 in recognition of the high quality of work carried out by the Ryan family.

The Ryans bought the Lyons Estate in 1996 for €3.81 million (£3 million) and spent substantial sums of money on refurbishing the 18th century Lyons House. In its submission, the environmental group said that extensive work had been carried out to the buildings to date. It stated that the public notice and advertisement should have been revised to reflect the fact that a substantial element of the development proposed should be described as a retention.

The group also described Kildare County Council's consideration of the application as "inadequate and contradictory", citing inadequate assessment of the applicant's response to concerns raised by the council.

There was also a "specific failure" to address concerns raised by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government about the scale of the development and alterations to protected structures, according to An Taisce.

The application is also characterised by an excessive level of post-consent agreement, including works to Shackleton House, landscaping, and conservation, An Taisce added.

An Taisce has also called for a revised public advertisement to be placed and has recommended that further information be sought from the developers regarding the scale of the development and impact on the historical site.