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An Bord Pleanála has given the green light to fast-track plans for 227 apartments at Knockrabo at Mount Anville Rd, Goatstown in Dublin 14.
The appeals board has granted planning permission to Knockrabo Investments DAC for the four apartment block scheme rising to eight storeys despite local opposition and the strong recommendation of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council that lanning permission should be refused.
The site already had planning permission for 93 units. The scheme will be made up of 76 one-bed units, 145 two-bed apartments and six three-bed homes..
The appeals board granted permission after concluding that the scheme would constitute an acceptable residential density at this location and would not seriously injure the area’s residential or visual amenities.
Structures
The board has granted planning permission after its inspector in the case, Una O’Neill, found that the scheme would “not significantly detract from the visual amenities of the area, and will not detract from the character and setting of existing protected structures”.
Ms O’Neill also concluded that the scheme would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development.
Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews objected to the scheme pointing to what he believed was the excessive density of the proposal and its negative visual impact.
The Birchfield Residents Association Committee claimed that the scheme “is an obvious attempt by the developer to cram in as much as possible before expiry of the current Strategic Housing Development process”.
The committee also said that it was “neither appropriate nor beneficial to the wider Goatstown community and should be rejected”.
The Birchfield Residents Association Committee also argued that the proposed building – with heights of eight storeys – is twice the recommended maximum height in the Local Area Plan and completely out of character with the surrounding area. 
Refusal
The council recommended refusal on a number of grounds including that the proposed development is considered monolithic and imposing when viewed from within the site and surrounding areas. 
It also concluded that the proposed development would have a detrimental impact on the setting and amenity of protected structures, Cedar Mount House and Knockrabo Gate Lodge West.
The council also stated that the eight storey proposed development would create a visually dominant and overbearing form of development when viewed from a number of points and would significantly injure the visual amenities of the area.