Residents group claim new D12 apartment scheme will devalue adjoining properties

Gordon Deegan

A residents’ alliance has claimed that the overbearing nature of a new 208-unit apartment scheme for Dublin 12 will hit the values of adjoining properties.

The Kimmage Dublin Residents Alliance made the claim during the course of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against Dublin City Council's decision to grant permission Lioncor for the ‘social and affordable’ apartment scheme.

Last month, the council granted planning permission for the Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) despite strong local opposition where the planning authority received in excess of 45 third party submissions.

The scheme comprises five blocks rising up to six storeys, made up of 104 one-bed and 104 two-bed apartments, on the ‘Carlisle’ site located to the north and east of the Ben Dunne Gym, at Kimmage Rd West, Terenure.

In the appeal, lodged on behalf of the Kimmage Dublin Residents Alliance, planning consultant Anthony Marston contended that the proposed development will have a negative impact on the value of properties adjoining the boundaries of the site given the profound overbearing nature of the proposed development due to the decrease in light and privacy, and significant loss of residential amenities which will occur as a consequence of the proposed development.

Mr Marston argues that "there are strong and unambiguous grounds for refusing permission for this LRD application".

He contended that “the proposal constitutes a serious overdevelopment of the site that fails to adequately respond to its neighbouring buildings in all directions and will have a seriously negative impact on local residential and visual amenity”.

Mr Marston stated that “the excessive massing and scale will be incongruous when viewed from all surrounding properties and will be highly overbearing that will result in a serious loss of residential amenity”.

The appeal also claimed that the proposed development “will result in a serious traffic hazard due to overflow car-parking on surrounding streets to the detriment of surrounding residential amenity”.

Mr Marston also claimed the scheme is premature and incapable of being served by the existing surface water infrastructure which would increase the potential for flooding in the area.

A second appeal has been lodged by Brookfield Green resident, Elizabeth O’Callaghan.

Ms O’Callaghan has told the appeals board that in her opinion, the site represents a fantastic opportunity to create a meaningful housing development with a positive impact on the immediate environment and wider city, especially in this time of housing crises.

The Kimmage resident stated that however she believes that there are major/minor flaws with the scheme that will result in inadequate and low quality housing which will unnecessarily negatively affect the lives of the future residents in the development itself and those in the wider neighbourhood.

The council's planning report, which recommended planning permission, stated the redevelopment of the vacant site for residential development “is welcomed and represents a more efficient use of the lands”.

The report also stated that the heights and quantum of development are appropriate at this location within an established residential area of Kimmage.

Last year, Lioncor secured planning permission for a €106 million apartment scheme which also contained 208 units for the same site under An Bord Pleanala’s ‘fast-track’ process.

However, that permission was challenged in the High Court by way of Judicial Review by the Kimmage Dublin Residents Alliance CLG.