Ali Hewson and other Killiney residents face a fresh battle in trying to halt a luxury residential scheme for the grounds of Montebello House.
This follows developers Covelo Developments Ltd lodging a first party appeal with An Bord Pleanála against Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s refusal issued last month to construct four “very large” two-storey four-bedroom flat-roofed houses for Killiney Hill Road, Killiney.
The Council refused planning permission after the wives of U2 band members, Bono and The Edge, Ali Hewson and Morleigh Steinberg lodged objections against the scheme.
In total, 37 submissions were lodged by local residents with the Council.
The Council refused planning permission, however, not due to objectors’ grounds over loss of privacy, overshadowing, negative visual impact and impact on the local character of the area, but on the sole ground that Covelo Developments Ltd did not plan more residential units for the site.
In its formal refusal the Council stated that notwithstanding the site sensitivities and constraints, it considered that the provision of four units on the site “would represent underdevelopment of an accessible site with convenient access to frequent public transport services via Killiney DART Station and facilities in the nearby neighbourhood centre”.
The 26 page Council planner’s report which recommended refusal stated that the proposed density of four units for a 1.13 acre site “constitutes an unsustainable use of land”.
In her objection, Alison Hewson stated: “The proposed very modern style of the four houses appears to be inconsistent with the existing architectural and historical fabric of the area.”
“We are concerned that this development, by way of its very modern style, flat roofs, and its use of materials could be significantly out of character with the prevailing architectural styles of the surrounding properties,” she told the Council.
“We feel that this development, by introducing modern housing in such close proximity to Montebello House, would significantly alter the character of its setting, thereby contravening these guidelines,” she said.
“In addition, it is clearly the intention of the applicant to apply for further additional development in closer proximity to Montebello House and we are concerned that this is only a part of a wider scheme to tale over the site with an inappropriate housing density,” she added.
Ms Hewson further stated: “We feel it is highly questionable as to whether there is sufficient capacity in the current urban drainage network to accommodate the increase in residential use proposed”.
“The systems historically in this area are subject to problems. We note that the houses each have six bathrooms which would amount to 24 bathrooms overall which is a significant increase in the loads into the system – equivalent to about 12 houses as opposed to four applied for,” she stated.
Morleigh Steinberg objected on similar grounds and stated: “We are concerned that the removal of mature trees will have a significant negative effect on the local environment and its biodiversity”.
Planning consultant for Covelo, Kevin Hughes of Hughes Planning and Development Consultants (HPDC), told the council that “the proposed development comprises the development of four contemporary and modestly scaled residential units within the curtilage of the protected structure at Montebello”.
“We consider that the proposed development would deliver a high-quality residential scheme at an appropriate residential density, on a constrained site, would not detract from the visual or residential amenities of the area, would deliver a satisfactory level of private open space to future residents of the development, and will complement the built character of the area,” he said.
“Finally, it must be reiterated that the proposal will have no impact on the residential amenity of the area, with the proposed houses appropriately orientated and positioned to have an almost entirely imperceptible impact on the public realm,” he added.
Objectors to the scheme will now be able to make observations to An Bord Pleanála on the content of the appeal lodged.
A decision is due on the appeal in September.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
