Disputed plans to construct a new road leading to Howth Castle in northern County Dublin, as part of an intended visitor-friendly overhaul budgeted at €10m, have been halted following a decree from planning regulators. The Fingal County Council’s planning permission has been endorsed by An Bord Pleanála, which insists on the exclusion of the “vital” road planned for the establishment. The scheme was met with resistance from the Church of Ireland and other local groups.
Tetrarch Capital and the Michael J Wright hospitality group, the applicants, contested to An Bord Pleanála with a request to incorporate the new road. They are also disputing four other stipulations tied to the permission. According to O’Neill Town Planning, the consultants for the applicants, these conditions undermined their strategic plan “to create a thoughtful development with sufficient facilities ensuring functionality within the castle and surrounding compounds”.
They stated that the road was essential from the perspective of transport, planning, and conservation. Nonetheless, the panel’s decision rejected the new road in light of the site’s designated zoning for “high amenity”, its location within the Howth Castle Architectural Conservation Area and the Howth Special Area of Conservation’s Buffer Zone.
The panel concluded that the construction of the road “would necessitate extensive interference with the historical landscape and would affect heritage features integral to the overall character and setting of the Howth Castle Estate”.
The council submitted to the panel that the new road was “not required”, highlighting that alternatives were suggested during preliminary planning consultations. Elaine Sullivan, the inspector on the case, contended that the rationale for a new road is acceptable where it benefits the link between the castle estate and the sunken garden, contributing to the conservation effort and providing a delightful setting for pedestrians.
Ms Sullivan confirmed her agreement with the local government’s apprehensions about the degree of alteration necessary to the historic landscape in order to accommodate various functions across the expansive site. Various interested parties such as the Offington Residents Association, the Select Vestry of Howth Parish, Green Party Councillor David Healy, Evora Park Residents Association, Howth Sutton Community Council, and Grace O’Malley Residents Association, forwarded their submissions to An Bord Pleanála.