Plans to demolish a four-bedroom detached house in Foxrock, Dublin 18 and replace it with three five-bedroom houses have been criticised by local residents.

Beech Tree Properties was given permission by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to demolish Annamoe, a four-bedroom dormer house on Hainault Road, Foxrock, and replace it with three five-bedroom detached houses. It had originally sought to build four houses.

Located on 0.75 acres, Annamoe dates from the 1950s and sold for €5.4 million last April.

A local residents' committee, Foxrock Area Development Ltd, has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

They contend that the construction of new homes would constitute an overdevelopment of the site and would result in "excessive density".

The group point out that the area is currently designated as a conservation area and is due shortly to be re-designated as an architectural conservation area.

It stated that higher infill developments, such as this, will "destroy" the unique heritage of the area.

In a letter to the board, the residents expressed concern that the development of "over-scaled houses on small sites" could become "the norm for the area" if applications such as this one go unopposed.

Foxrock Area Development Ltd believe that a decision to grant planning permission for the development "would set a serious and undesirable precedent for further such developments".