Appeal lodged against plans for units at protected structure

AN APPEAL has gone in against South Dublin County Council’s decision to grant permission to develop 11 residential units surrounding a protected structure.

Brenda Weir was given the go-ahead by the local planning authority for the plans at Rookwood off Stocking Lane in Ballyboden.

Proposals are for filling-in of an existing swimming pool on site, demolition of a portion of the west flanking courtyard wall to re-establish a historic courtyard entrance.

Included in the plans are 22 car parking spaces, landscaping, services, new pedestrian footpaths and an internal road network.

The 11 proposed residential units are gate lodge, mews housing, semi-detached and detached dwellings.

Property surrounding Rockwood House (pictured here in 2002) is subject to the application with no works to the house proposed (Image: South Dublin County Libraries)

The setback, widening and relocation of a site entrance northwards along the public road, allowing for improved site lines and it’s repositioning, reordering and construction make up part of the plans.

Rookwood is a registered protected structure on South Dublin County Council’s record.

A protected structure is a structure which is considered to be of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest.

Rookwood is a two-storey Georgian country house which was built around 1820.

As stated in the planning documentation, when the applicant, Mrs Weir purchased the property with her husband Professor Donald Weir in 1961, the house was laid out as two flats and was in “relatively poor condition”.

Mrs Weir, who is a founder member of the Irish Tree Society and the Irish Georgian Society, and is a member of the International Dendrology Association, restored the house and commenced landscaping on the property.

Grounds to the south of the original house were sold in the preceding years along with Rookwood Lodge.

In December 2019, the Weirs commissioned a heritage assessment of the property to assess the sensitivity of the site and “its capacity to absorb new development without adversely impacting on its heritage value”.

While the surrounding property is subject to the application, the current owners of Rookwood House intend to remain living there with no works to the house proposed.

The council granted permission on April 11, 2022 subject to 25 conditions.

One of the conditions is that the applicant is required to submit revised plans that incorporate a number of amendments.

Windows at the first floor level of units two, three and four shall be permanently fitted with “obscure glazing” and the internal junction needs to provide a “strong, direct, pedestrian connection from north to south” as part of these amendments.

Unit six it to be omitted altogether, unit nine is to be turned 90 degrees to minimise impact on units 10 and 11 while provision of a pedestrian access/footpath to the potential future access to adjoining lands around unit four needs to be provided for.

In response to a further information request, the applicant proposed that two connections to sites to the south-west/west could be facilitated in the future and that this is “somewhat provided for on the plans, with one vehicular connection and one pedestrian connection”.

It is this aspect of the condition that forms the nature of the third party appeal which was made to An Bord Pleanála on May 9, 2022.

Matt Barnes Architect is the adjoining landowner, at Coolamber on Stocking Lane, and is requesting that the part of the condition which focuses on access points to adjoining lands be removed.

“It is submitted that the local authority did not assess the principle that these proposed public connections were not identified in the development plan and as such connections requires consent between property owners,” the appeal reads.

“The owner of Coolamber does not offer consent to a new planning application establishing a link.”

They continued: “It is submitted that the condition, requiring a link to Coolamber, would severely prejudice the development potential on the Coolamber site and would seriously devalue this property.”

ABP will now consider the appeal and is due to make a decision on the case by September 7, 2022.