Controversial proposals for new road access to Howth Castle in north County Dublin, as part of a planned €10 million transformation into a retail, food and tourist destination, will not to proceed following a ruling by planning authorities.
An Bord Pleanála has upheld a condition in Fingal County Council’s planning permission that a “critical” new road to serve the development be excluded.
Plans for the access had prompted Church of Ireland and other local objections to the scheme.
However, applicants Tetrarch Capital and the Michael J Wright hospitality group lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanála seeking to have the new road included. They are also appealing four other conditions attached to the permission.
Consultants for the applicants, O’Neill Town Planning, stated that the imposition of the conditions had unnecessarily compromised the applicants’ plan “to provide a sensitively considered project with adequate services to allow for a sustainable development within the castle and its immediate precincts”.
The consultants stated that from a transport, planning and conservation viewpoint the inclusion of the road was critical.
However, in its decision, the appeals board ruled that the new road could not proceed having regard to the “high amenity” zoning objective for the site, its location within the Howth Castle Architectural Conservation Area and the Buffer Zone for the Howth Special Area of Conservation.
The board found that the works required to construct the road “would result in excessive interventions in the historic landscape and would impact on features of heritage value to the overall character and setting of the Howth Castle Demense”.
In a submission to the appeals board, the council stated that the new road was “unnecessary”. It said the issue was raised initially in pre-planning discussions and the applicant was advised to seek alternative options.
The inspector in the case, Elaine Sullivan, stated that the reasoning behind the proposal for a new road is accepted where the reconnection between the historic castle demesne and the sunken garden would be a conservation gain and would provide a pleasant environment for pedestrians.
However, Ms Sullivan stated that she shared the local authority’s concerns over the level of intervention in the historic landscape required to facilitate the separation of uses within the wider site.
A number of third parties including the Offington Residents Association; the Select Vestry of the Parish of Howth; Green Party councillor David Healy; the Evora Park Residents Association; the Howth Sutton Community Council; and the Grace O’Malley Residents Association all lodged submissions with An Bord Pleanála.
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