Residential development in industrial estate gets go-ahead
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE chairman of a local residents’ association has expressed his disappointment at An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant permission for a residential development in Cookstown Industrial Estate, after three community groups lodged an appeal against the development.
The Belgard Heights Community and Residential Association, the Ambervale Cairnwood Community Group and Tallaght Community Council lodged appeals with An Bord Pleanála in March, against South Dublin County Council’s decision to grant permission for the development.
An artist impression of the apartments planned for Cookstown
The proposed development, which is to be located on Second Avenue in Cookstown Industrial Estate, received planning permission from the council last February for the construction of 107 apartment units, the majority of which are to be one- and two-bed units.
The apartment units, which include 16 three-bedroom units, are to be housed across three five-storey blocks, and provision for two commercial units, a gym, a crèche and an underground car park were included in the application.
The three community groups cited concerns about the lack of family housing in the area and the “out-of-character” height and design of the development in relation to neighbouring areas as part of their grounds for objecting to the development.
Peter Forde, the chairman of the Belgard Heights Community and Residential Association, told The Echo: “The development isn’t catering to family units, the great majority of the apartments are one- and two-bed units, there are no spaces for families, even though we have a serious deficiency of housing for families.
“It’s going to be five-storeys high, so it won’t slot in with the surrounding developments. It’s intrusive, it doesn’t fit in with the locality.”
Mr Forde added that the residents’ association also has concerns around the low level of commercial use that is planned for the development, stating that “what we need in central Tallaght is family accommodation and jobs.”
An Bord Pleanála (ABP) granted permission to Prymont Property Development Limited for the development this month.
ABP stated in their board direction that the development “would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area” and that it “would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience.”
Several conditions formed part of ABP’s grant of permission, including the stipulation that the planned crèche cannot open on weekends or bank holidays, and that the number of children that can be accommodated in the crèche cannot exceed 41 at any time on any day.
The developer will also be required to submit details of all external shopfronts and signage and a comprehensive boundary treatment and landscaping scheme, while each apartment is to have one parking space permanently assigned to it as part of the conditions of the grant of permission.
Mr Forde said: “We’re disappointed that it has been granted permission. They’ve attached conditions, but we don’t see them as being significant.
“We were hoping for a rejection, for a more imaginative development that would cater for families, which we are of the view that this development doesn’t do.”
Fianna Fáil councillor for Tallaght central, Charlie O’Connor, said: “I expect that there is disappointment in the community about An Bord Pleanála’s decision.
“I will be examining the findings of An Bord Pleanala and gauging the reaction from the community.”
