Property developer and hotelier Mr Jim Mansfield has suffered another planning setback. His plan to build a major hotel and business park development on the grounds of a listed country house in Co Kildare has been refused planning permission.
Yesterday An Bord Pleanála reversed an earlier decision by Kildare County Council to grant permission for a 290-room hotel on the grounds of Palmerstown Demense, a 1,200-person conference centre and a 59-unit housing development.
The board did grant permission for an 18-hole golf course, which has already been constructed, and a clubhouse.
The demesne, the former estate of the earls of Mayo, is located at Johnstown near Naas, and alongside the N7.
It includes an 18th century neoclassical mansion where the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, hosted a lunch for his fellow European finance ministers during the Ecofin conference in April.
The planning application for the development, which also includes a 60,000-metre business park and 65 tourist apartments, was made by Bridford Developments, which is owned by Mr Mansfield.
An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development was within a green belt area designated under the strategic planning guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area.
"The proposed business park, creche, hotel including conference centre and detached houses would introduce a form of urban and suburban development of significant scale into this rural area, and would, therefore, conflict with the provisions of the guidelines," the ruling said.
The board said the development would also "constitute a poorly integrated and piecemeal development, which would adversely affect the character of Palmerstown Demense".
It also said the site of the proposed accommodation units was within the historic walled garden of Palmerstown House.
"It is considered that any development within this area must be of high design quality, whilst retaining the character of the garden. It is further considered that the proposed accommodation units do not meet these requirements, and would materially and adversely affect the protected structure." The decision was welcomed by An Taisce, which took the appeal.
Mr Mansfield is also facing the prospect of having to demolish a partly-built convention centre at his Citywest complex after he proceeded with its construction while it was on appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Planning permission for the €50m scheme was refused in April.