After a two-year planning battle An Bord Pleanála has given the green light for a residential development at Eaton Brae House (a protected structure) in Shankill, Co Dublin. Edel Morgan reports.

Developers Bernard Costello and Liam Maye were granted planning permission for 16 units in a mix of 12 four-bedroom houses in two terraced blocks and two detached houses on the 1.4-acre site.

They will also restore, refurbish, and convert the two-storey over basement Victorian house into two three-bedroom apartments. There will also be 20 car-parking spaces.

Eaton Brae is a detached three-bay two-storey over lower ground Victorian villa.

The exterior of the house is dominated by an enclosed porch which is noteworthy for its granite columns. The development will involve the demolition of a 1970s extension and outbuildings on the site.

The development was controversial locally with three parties lodging appeals to An Bord Pleanála: Dennis Dwyer, the Eaton Brae Residents Association and the Diana Miller Will Trust.

Dennis Dwyer said the layout, density and design of the terraced housing units and extensive car-parking would be detrimental to the character of the protected structure.

Eaton Brae Residents Association pointed to the potential traffic generation and its impact, and said the setting of Eaton Brae would be diminished by the proposed terraced blocks, especially the three-storey block in front of Shanganagh Cliffs. It said the houses backing on to the grounds at Corbawn Avenue would be overlooked and overshadowed

The Diana Miller Will Trust on behalf of the owner of Eaton Brae cottage, Corbawn Lane - which is adjacent to the development - asked that the three-storey element of the development be reduced to two-storeys.

However, in ruling in favour of the development, the board said it would not seriously injure visual or residential amenities in the vicinity, or detract from the character and setting of the existing house on the site, and said it would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience.

This permission is for a scaled down version of a previous planning application by the developer.

In 2003, An Bord Pleanála refused permission for a development of 38 apartments and 43 car-parking spaces on the site.

However, one of the conditions of the permission was that six of the houses would have to be reduced from three storeys to two.