Land Development Agency chief executive, John Coleman, said that objecting to housing schemes should carry a “social stigma” where they are “critical to the greater good”. Speaking at an industry housing conference this week, he suggested there should be a “high bar to object”.
One example among many – a 52-apartment scheme in Smithfield blocked following an objection that its height would detract from people’s enjoyment of the outdoor beer garden of a nearby pub – only serves to reinforce his position.
News that an application for a 21-home housing estate on the grounds of a single house in Foxrock did not attract any real local objections is, then, good news, if somewhat surprising. Just two observations were submitted – both seeking conditions on the development, but not objecting to it going ahead.
The developer had amended the proposed development after an earlier plan for the site had been the subject of criticism from local residents and the local authority.
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But that did not stop it being rejected – by planners – on the basis that not enough homes were being planned for the 1.48-acre (0.6-hectare) site.
It is not uncommon for local authorities, constrained by stringent Government regulations on development, to knock back big housing schemes.
In this instance, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the density of the development – at 34.5 units per hectare – did not adhere to planning guidelines promoting residential density of between 50 and 250 homes per hectare.
[ Planning permission refused for estate on site of single house in FoxrockOpens in new window ]
The local authority says it is looking to avoid setting an undesirable precedent, especially as the site is just one of several large houses with land in the area sold in recent years with a view to development. Developers of those sites would undoubtedly cite any decision for lower-density larger homes in support of future applications.
But what would this site look like under the density deemed acceptable with the Government’s Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities – a mouthful?
The options could include a mix of terraced housing, duplexes and low-rise apartments to deliver density of between 50 and 80 units per hectare, or medium- to high-rise apartments delivering density in excess of 200 units per hectare.
Maximising the density in line with the 250-unit-per-hectare upper limit would entail building roughly 150 apartments on the site.
In a two-storey neighbourhood, that Tower of Babel could stretch high into the Foxrock sky. One suspects there might be no shortage of objections, and even judicial review, in that case.
