Plans by listed housebuilder Glenveagh to construct a €60 million 135-unit apartment scheme on a site adjoining Howth demesne have been blocked by Fingal County Council.
Glenveagh subsidiary GLL PRS Holdco Limited was seeking to build the apartments in four blocks ranging in height from three to five storeys. The proposed scheme would have seen up to 72 two-bedroom units and 63 one-bedroom homes on the 3.8-acre site.
A report lodged with the application said the proposed development “promotes the delivery of sustainable residential development on a greenfield site which will facilitate increased housing supply and choice along Howth Road and its environs”.
However, the scheme faced strong local opposition. Maria Doyle, of Balkill Park, Howth, contended that if the scheme proceeded, “I feel that the character and uniqueness of Howth will be further diluted”.
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“It is like the powers-that-be are not listening or more importantly not caring,” she said. “It is depressing to enter into Howth now and see huge ugly brutalist apartment blocks that are more suited to a dystopian cityscape than a coastal town like Howth.”
In its objection the Howth and Sutton Community Council claimed the scheme would destroy the visual impact of the architectural conservation area of Howth Castle. Council chairman Andrew Smith said: “The siting of 135 apartments on this site next to a castle of great historic interest is totally inappropriate.”
In a comprehensive rejection of the scheme the council said the planned development’s scale, form, massing and overall height failed to respond to the baseline environment and surrounding historical and natural environment of the site which was located in a designated “highly sensitive landscape”, a buffer zone for the Howth special amenity area, adjoining the Howth Castle architectural conservation area.
It said the scheme would be wholly inconsistent with the established character of this area, would be seriously injurious to its visual amenities and would be detrimental to the character, setting and special interest of a number of protected structures including Howth Castle and St Mary’s church.
The planning authority also found that the proposed development would set a poor precedent for other similar developments.
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