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Laurence Goodman jnr’s Urban Life property arm has secured planning permission for a contentious build-to-rent apartment scheme for Beaumont in north Dublin. This came as An Bord Pleanála overturned Dublin City Council’s refusal of permission for the scheme at Ellenfield Road in Beaumont, Dublin 9. The project attracted strong local opposition, with TDs Seán Haughey and Róisín Shortall (Social Democrat) among the 165 parties lodging objections against the scheme.
Mr Goodman jnr’s Urban Life (BMD) Ltd initially proposed a 99-unit, two-block apartment scheme, with one block reaching to eight storeys.  
Dublin City Council refused planning permission after concluding that the height, scale and massing of the scheme was excessive and would significantly detract from the visual amenities of the area.
However, in response to a first party appeal by the Goodman firm, the appeals board has now granted planning permission but has reduced the eight-storey block by two storeys.
The appeals board concluded that the scheme “would constitute an acceptable density of development in this accessible urban location, would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.
The board also found that the scheme would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development.
An Bord Pleanála said it was reducing the eight-storey height to six storeys in the interests of visual and residential amenity, traffic and pedestrian safety.
Transient
In her objection, Deputy Shortall claimed that the build-to-rent scheme would create a transient population in the area.
“In chasing a narrow section of society to extract maximum profit, this application would not make a positive contribution to the local area,” she said.
Deputy Haughey said the height and scale of the scheme is totally out of character with the area and constitutes over-development.
A number of members of Dublin City Council also supported locals’ opposition against the scheme.
Last year, Mr Goodman jnr was put in a key succession position in his father, Larry Goodman’s beef-to property empire.
The most recent consolidated accounts for 40-year-old Mr Goodman jnr’s Urban Life Ltd show that in 2020 pretax profits fell by 93.5 per cent to €458,787 as revenues declined by €17.5 million or 69 per cent from €25.27 million to €7.75 million.