A contentious apartment development in the grounds of Montebello House in Killiney, south Dublin opposed by activist Ali Hewson and other local residents, has been refused planning permission.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on Friday told Covelo Developments Ltd it would not sanction the luxury 32-apartment scheme in the heart of Killiney village.
The council said the height, scale and bulk of the proposed apartment block would be incongruous in the context of the protected Montebello House.
The planning authority also found the scheme “would fail to successfully integrate with the historic character of the site”.
RM Block
“Furthermore, the development would result in the significant loss of trees and the erosion of the site’s sylvan character, while also obstructing important views from Montebello House towards Dublin Bay and the Dublin mountains.
“These views are intrinsically linked to the architectural and historical significance of Montebello House, which was designed and positioned to command such vistas”.
In her submission, Hewson, who is married to U2 frontman Bono, had told the council that, alongside other local residents, “we would also like to express our concern that the development of a large block of apartments on this site, of such a scale, density and design goes against the natural character of the surrounding area”.
She said the proposed apartment block would have “a very negative impact on the residential amenity of the area” due to the demand it would place on the capacity of existing highly constrained road and drainage infrastructure.
The scheme proposed a three-storey apartment block comprising 11 one-bed apartments; eight two-bed, three person apartments; 10 two-bed, four person apartments and three three-bed apartments at the site on Killiney Hill Road.
The planning refusal comes 10 months after An Coimisiún Pleanála refused permission to Covelo for four “very large” two-storey four-bedroom flat-roofed houses on the same site.
That refusal said the proposed scheme “would represent underdevelopment” which left the door open for a larger scheme to be lodged with the council.
It had also been opposed by Hewson and other local residents.
