Permission refused for Harold’s Cross apartments scheme

An Bord Pleanála has refused permission for contentious plans that saw a 194 unit apartment scheme planned for Harold’s Cross in Dublin.

Earlier this year, The Adroit Company Ltd lodged “fast track” plans for four apartment blocks with one reaching to nine storeys high at Clare Villas, southwest of the junction of Harold’s Cross Road and Parnell Road/Grove Road at Emmet Bridge.

The scheme was made up of 105 two-bedroom apartments, 80 one-bedroom apartments, six three bedroom-apartments and three studios.

However, the appeals board refused planning permission after local opposition to the scheme and despite the recommendation of its own inspector, Rónán O’Connor to grant permission after a 146-page report on the application.

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The appeals board determined that the buildings, individually and cumulatively in terms of scale, would not deliver an enhanced or cohesive urban design context at this prominent location and would constitute poor design and would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area.

The board also determined that the seven storey block in the scheme “would not only be highly visible but would also be over bulky in its specific design form and would not integrate in a cohesive manner at this location”.

Leaving the door open for a revised scheme to be lodged for the site in the future, the board did make clear it did not disagree with the inspector that a development on this site, incorporating increased density and height could be acceptable in principle.

Those to make third party submissions included the Harold's Cross Village Community Council and the Residents of Parnell Road.

In total 20 submissions were lodged with An Bord Pleanála and third parties concerned that the scheme was an over development of the site and had excessive height.

Locals also expressed concerns over the impact the scheme would have on residential amenities and claimed that a permission for the scheme would set a dangerous precedent for similar backland sites outside of the canal ring.

In its own submission, Dublin City Council had concerns concerning the bulk, scale and massing of the development in particular two blocks over the surrounding low density development.