Bord rejects Denis O'Brien's Donnybrook plan

An Bord Pleanála has overturned planning permission granted by Dublin City Council to businessman Denis O'Brien for a six-storey office block in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, saying it would constitute "an incongruous and jarring" element in the area.

This is the second time O'Brien has been refused permission for a development on the site of the former Bizquip retail outlet at 25-27 Donnybrook Road and 1-3 The Crescent. In 2005 An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for a 26-storey tower which would have incorporated 36 apartments, offices and retail space, a gym and a roof garden.

This time around O'Brien's Partenay Ltd was proposing a 4,959sq m (57,378sq ft) block on the site with five offices, two retail units and 36 car-parking spaces.

Three parties submitted appeals to An Bord Pleanála, including a number of residents of The Crescent and Upper Leeson Road Area Residents Association.

Among their concerns was that the development would tower over buildings in the area and dwarf the residential terrace adjoining The Crescent.

Another was that the development did not comply with special standards applying to medium-rise buildings, including positive design, incorporation into the urban grain and creating positive urban spaces.

An Bord Pleanála ruled that by reason of the development's "height, mass, bulk and prominent location and contextual relationship to adjoining buildings" it would constitute "an incongruous and jarring element in the townscape that would appear out of scale and out of character with adjoining properties and properties in the surrounding area".

Another reason was that the six-storey block would have an overshadowing and overbearing impact on the rear gardens of those properties and this would be "seriously injurious to the amenities of occupiers".