An Bord Pleanála has given the go-light to Richard Barrett’s Bartra, for a 38-unit, build-to-rent apartment scheme in Blackrock. After careful evaluation, the appeals board decided that the scheme wouldn’t lead to an excessive spate of ‘build to rent’ developments in the region, and the accommodation would meet a satisfactory standard for potential occupants.
Alongside this, the board concluded that the project wouldn’t over-develop the site in question. The council’s granting of permission was met with five objections from local residents, that included a retired local judge, Patrick J McMahon and Ann McMahon, as well as Terence Hayden, Nicholas and Susan Blake Knox, Denis and Aoife O’Connor, and Niall and Elaine Doyle.
While the matter was under Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council’s purview, Judge McMahon objected, stating that the development would cause havoc and ruin in the immediate area, with the towering height of the building being particularly problematic.
Judge McMahon, a district court judge until 2013, also served a subsequent government role in 2014 as the Confidential Recipient for Gardaí and testified at the Disclosures Tribunal concerning his role. The proposed scheme, with senior citizens as its target demographic, was in the Woodlands Park in Blackrock and includes two rooftop hot tubs. The plan was submitted initially in March 2022 and had been under review with An Bord Pleanála since November 2022 as an appeal.
The board awarded planning permission post the conclusion of its case inspector, John Duffy, who found the design and scope of the planned project appropriate for the substantial central town site. He labelled the proposed project as an“efficient use of residential zoned lands”. Mr Duffy mentioned that 473 Build To Rent apartments received approval within a 1km radius of the appeal site, which in his view, did not denote an extreme abundance of build to rent in the region.
Furthermore, he concluded that the project wouldn’t damage the visual charm of the area majorly. “The proposed apartment building is a high-quality, well-designed modern development,” he stated.
Mr. Duffy expressed his contentment, asserting that the planned development would not significantly harm the local facilities to a degree that could negatively impact the property prices in the surrounding area.