Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is to commission its own tall buildings study in the wake of having so many of its decisions to grant planning permission for high-density housing schemes overturned by An Bord Pleanála. Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, reports

In the meantime, the new county manager, Owen Keegan, has asked the council's planning department to ensure that the scale and height of new developments is appropriate and complies with the principles of good urban design.

This was interpreted by some observers as an implicit criticism of the policies being pursued by Michael Gough, the council's director of services for planning and economic development, and chief architect of its high-rise agenda.

In his first public statement on the raft of refusals by An Bord Pleanála for major housing schemes in the area, Keegan said the planners would "reassess" how they are applying provisions in the county plan to protect existing residential amenity.

"I am very conscious of the fact that the handling of some major residential planning applications is proving contentious with some residents and councillors," he said, adding that this had been highlighted by the appeals board overturning planning decisions.

But Mr Keegan said he believed that the council must continue to encourage and facilitate high-density residential development, especially in areas well served by public transport. "This is essential if we are to ensure that the county develops in a sustainable manner."

However, notwithstanding the merits of this policy, he said it was clear that high density development "is proving very unpopular with many existing residents who are now confronted with major developments in their neighbourhoods after years of relative inactivity. These residents are hostile to the planning and development control policies of the council and suspicious of our motives. A far greater effort has to be made by the council to explain the rationale for high density development to residents and the benefits it offers."

Mr Keegan pointed out that there are a number of provisions in the county plan specifically designed to protect the interests of existing residents and to ensure that the scale and height of any development is appropriate. "These are potentially very powerful safeguards."

It was also important that the council sets the context for higher density development. "It is not appropriate that decisions in these areas be developer-led," he said. Instead, local area plans would be prioritised and a tall buildings study commissioned.

He also noted that the Department of the Environment is expected to publish draft guidelines on internal space standards for apartments in April and revised residential density guidelines, including a best practice manual, for all residential development by the end of this year.

Mr Keegan, who was previously director of traffic with Dublin City Council, also stressed the need for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown to meet its "legal and moral obligation to those in housing need, primarily through the provision of social and affordable housing".

Despite the council's best efforts, it was failing to achieve even the modest targets for such housing set out in its Social and Affordable Housing Action Plan 2004-2008, and he would be bringing forward proposals to "recover lost ground" in this area.

"The provision of affordable and social housing is crucial to the achievement of balanced residential development in this county and it is unthinkable that, as a county, we would fail to meet our obligations in this area," he declared.