This article is from page 12 of the 2006-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A SMALL group of residents from one of Ennis’ oldest residential areas has succeeded in their battle to prevent a “mini Ballymun flats complex”.
Ennis Town Council sold lands at Drumbiggle for €830,000 to four developers, Donie Dillane, John Dillane, Alan Collins and Pat Hansbury and subsequently granted planning permission for the developer’s contentious four-storey apartment block complex.
However, the decision was appealed by residents from the Buttermarket area of Ennis, concerned at the impact the development would have on their properties and day-today living.
Now, in a comprehensive ruling, the appeals board has overturned the council’s decision and ruled that the “proposal would also set an undesirable precedent for similar infill schemes within Architectural Conservation Areas of Ennis and elsewhere and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.
The appeals board ruled that the proposal, due to “its monolithic layout and form overshadowing of adjacent existing dwellings on Buttermarket Street, would seriously injure the existing built form, character, setting, heritage and residential amenity of the Architectural Conservation Area within which the site of the proposed development is located”.
The ruling came after a strong recommendation from inspector in the case.
The inspector stated: “I consider that in this instance the Applicant has missed the opportunity to create a new building of high quality on the site, whether of contemporary design or otherwise.
“The result is both inappropriate and unacceptable. Whilst the redevelopment of the subject site will contribute significantly to its urban setting, and is being actively sought by the Planning Authority, and is clearly acceptable in principle, I do not consider that this should be at the expense of the visual, environmental and residential amenities of the area, and of the future occupants of the proposed residential units, as I consider occurs in this instance. I therefore recommend a Refusal of Permission for the proposed development.”
The inspector remarked that the design requirements of the scheme had more in keeping with a multilevel development than to the sensitive and high-quality design and aesthetics required for this area, and the protection of the residential and other amenities thereof.
Local resident, Stephen Loftus said that the residents were pleased with the decision, describing the development of a “mini-Ballymun”.
Mr Loftus’s description of the proposal was supported by the Inspector who compared the proposal to “the undesirable form of early multi-storey public housing schemes”.