Locals object to Stepaside scheme

Stepaside locals have opposed another attempt by Richmond Properties to build a neighbourhood village centre at Mountain View Pitch and Putt in the locality.

Stepaside Park Residents Association, which says it wants to save "one of the few remaining authentic villages", has lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the scheme.

Richmond Properties was previously granted permission by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to build shops, a new pub to replace the existing Mountain View pub, a restaurant, and 26 dwellings on the site off the Enniskerry Road.

In its appeal, Stepaside Park Residents Association says the scale of the proposed development is "inappropriate and excessive" and would lead to a loss of character for the area.

It says the design is ill-conceived and falls short of the criteria for a village.

Another concern is that traffic at the crossroads at Stepaside is already heavy and additional traffic generated by the development would exacerbate this.

In February, An Bord Pleanála refused Richmond Properties permission to build 75 apartments, 12 retail units, a convenience store and crèche on the 1.37-acre site.

Richmond Properties, whose directors are Larry Crowe, James Flannery and Robin Payne, made a first party appeal to An Bord Pleanála against a number of conditions imposed by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Among the grounds for appeal is a " discrepancy" between the financial contributions imposed by the local authority and those calculated by the developer.