Appeal against plans for former home of Katharine Tynan
THE Kingswood Heights Residents’ Association has lodged an appeal against two aspects of South Dublin County Council’s decision to grant permission for the refurbishment and restoration of the former home of poet Katharine Tynan.
Known as Whitehall House, plans for the property to be restored and used as a community centre by developer Hibernia REIT were granted permission last month.
Local residents have long campaigned for the restoration of the former home of the prolific novelist and poet, where she hosted numerous literary greats including William Butler Yeats and AE Russell, in the late 1800s.
The restoration of the historic home was originally part of plans to develop the Newlands Farm site, a controversial planning proposal put forward last year by developer Hibernia REIT for 3,500 residential units, a sports hub and the restoration of Katharine Tynan House.
However, these plans were shelved after the Newlands Farm site in Kingswood was not rezoned for residential use by councillors in a County Development Plan meeting last June.
In the same month, Hibernia submitted a planning application for the refurbishment of Katharine Tynan House.
According to the planning application submitted by Hibernia REIT, works will include the refurbishment of the roof and external walls, the reinstatement of windows, external doors, ceilings, floors, a conservatory and glazed porch.
The house around 1902
New internal stairs and doors will also be fitted and two new single storey open-fronted structures on part of the footprint of earlier outbuildings.
The refurbishment will also include the historic garden walls and gates.
Last January, the council granted permission for the change of use of Katharine Tynan House from a disused dwelling to a community centre.
This month, the Kingswood Heights Residents’ Association submitted an appeal against the grant of permission, with their points of concern being the proposed vehicular access from Ballymount Road and the restoration and conservation of Whitehall.
In relation to the proposed vehicular access, the appellant stated that creating a crossroads configuration at Ballymount Road “is not appropriate and unsafe for pedestrians”.
They instead suggested providing a vehicular access point from the Belgard Road as it could “comfortably sustain a left-turn arrangement without any significant impact”.
In terms of the restoration of Whitehall, the residents’ association said they “very much welcome” the proposed restoration of the structure, but were seeking a stipulation that a thatched roof be installed in order to “provide an authentic window to life of the late 1800s”.
They added that this would also act as “an appropriate tribute to the literary achievements of Katharine Tynan”.
A decision on the appeal, which was lodged on February 7, has yet to be made by An Bord Pleanála.
