Permission for Sandyford Gateway, a large mixed use development at Beacon Court, has been rejected by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council, writes Edel Morgan.

DÚN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN County Council has refused Landmark Developments planning permission for its Sandyford Gateway development at Beacon Court, Dublin 18.

The council says the size of the development proposed is in excess of anything estimated under the Sandyford and Stillorgan Land Use and Transportation Study published in December 2006.

Landmark Developments, controlled by Paddy Shovlin and brothers Pat and Tony Fitzpatrick, was looking to build 35,077sq m (377,565sq ft) of office accommodation, 375 apartments, a library, creche, local shops, cafe and 7,745sq m (83,366sq ft) of open landscaped space.

The tallest building would have been 24 storeys and there would also would also have been 19 floors of residential units and a sky garden.

Three other buildings of between 12 and 16 storeys would have residential units.

In its decision, the local authority says that as a result of the massing, scale, height and siting at this pivotal location on the periphery of Sandyford Business Estate, the proposed development would be "intrusive, overbearing and would be perceived to overshadow and depreciate the value of adjacent properties".

Another reason given was that it would be visually obtrusive and to permit it would set an undesirable precedent for similar developments within the Sandyford Business Estate.

It also said the existing road network, public transport and environmental infrastructure does not have the capacity to cater for the scale of development proposed.

The developer's original proposals for the 6.4-acre site were refused permission by the council last year on a number of grounds, including height and lack of open space.

That scheme incorporated a 23-storey tower, 565 residential units and office and leisure facilities in eight blocks.