An Bord Pleanála has overturned planning permission granted for a controversial apartment scheme in Dublin 4 proposed by the son of Treasury Holding's boss Johnny Ronan.

John Ronan Jnr and Shane Whelan were granted approval by Dublin City Council to build an apartment block on a vacant site in March at the corner of Appian Way and Upper Leeson Street.

However, An Bord Pleanála has ruled that the scale, bulk and extent of the development of 17 apartments would constitute overdevelopment of a restricted site. Nine appeals were submitted to An Bord Pleanála in response to the granting of planning permission, including Courtney House Management Ltd and Mitchell House Management Committee.

The developers were seeking to build the 65sq m (699sq ft) to 149sq m (1,604sq ft) apartments in a six-storey block on the prime 0.23-acre site beside the 1960s Mitchell House apartment building, which has extensive frontage onto both Appian Way and Upper Leeson Street.

The site was left undeveloped when Mitchell House was built and was used as a park by residents until 2004.

It was subsequently re-zoned by Dublin City Council to allow for residential development.

The planning board said in its decision that it wasn't satisfied that the extent of the basement excavations proposed "would not compromise the viability of a number of important trees along Appian Way".

It also said the proposed development would unduly impact on the residential amenity of the adjoining apartment development as a result of traffic movements and resultant disturbance and congestion.