Fingal council recommends refusal for €1bn Donabate housing development

Plans for a proposed €1 billion Corballis East housing development in north Dublin should be refused planning permission, Fingal County Council has recommended.

An Bord Pleanála last week notified parties that it would not yet be in a position to make a decision on the "fast track" planning application for 1,365 housing units near Donabate. The Corballis East strategic housing development by Aledo Donabate Ltd is thought to be the second biggest proposed housing development in the State – behind only the proposed 1,600-unit Holy Cross development in Drumcondra.

The Donabate scheme includes 14 apartment blocks ranging in height from four to five storeys.

Planning report

A report by planning consultants Declan Brassil and Company with the application says the proposed development “will facilitate the sustainable growth of Donabate in a coherent, plan-led manner and will protect and maximise opportunities presented by the unique natural and built environment of the town”.

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They said the development would deliver “an exemplar quality of life for its residents”.

However, Fingal County Council says the scheme would set “a poor precedent” for similar development for Donabate. It said the scheme fails to respond to the baseline environment, topography and surrounding natural environment due to its form, massing and overall height.

The local authority concluded that the proposal would cause serious harm to the visual amenities of the area, in particular the Malahide estuary. They maintain it materially contravenes the Fingal Development Plan.

The scheme also faces local opposition. Consultants for Donabate Portrane Community Council say the scale of the proposed development will fundamentally alter Donabate, delivering an estimated additional population of 3,000 people "into this already overstretched area".