Targeted Investment Opportunities is seeking planning permission to demolish Rockall, The Birches, Foxrock, a dated bungalow it purchased last year for €3.39 million.

The property was previously bought in 2012 by a canny investor for €1.4 million, and was subsequently flipped to the property fund last year.

Last year the fund was denied planning permission for a development of 46 apartments on the 1.59-acre site, presumably to the relief of the 30-plus locals who objected.

Most noteworthy was an objection on behalf of developer Johnny Ronan who owns Weston, 10 The Birches, next door to Rockall through his company Academy Geographic.

The property fund’s new plans have been adapted to address concerns raised by residents last year, in particular protecting the privacy of Ronan’s house.

There will be 35 apartments in the proposed development, including seven one-bedroom units (63-67sq m), 21 two-bedroom units (91-95sq m) and seven three-bedroom units (111-117sq m).

Modern design

The development would be the first apartment block built in prime Foxrock in a modern design.

Developments such as Hollybrook and Grove House are examples of blocks in the area that have been constructed in recent years with faux-period designs.

However this new development will appeal to buyers seeking more modern features, such as floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor balconies.

A number of the apartments will also feature views across Foxrock golf club.

The Birches came into existence in the 1980s when individual sites were sold with the stipulation that buyers would build substantial two-storey dwellings surrounded by granite boundary walls.

Since then it has been home to successful business people and some of the biggest names in property, including the aforementioned Ronan, Sean Dunne and Paddy McKillen.