Winter Newsletter
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Santa Visits On December 3rd at 3.00pm! Winter 2017 Newsletter Foxrock Area Community & Enterprise Limited (F.A.C.E) Dear Foxrock Residents, CONTENTS It has been a challenging year Christmas Past & Future 2 particularly with the maintenance of our Area Conservation Status in the face of constant attempts at increasing the density of development in Foxrock Village. We can never prohibit progress, nor should we, but be assured that as your representative committee, we in Area Conservation 3 & 4 Foxrock Area Community & Enterprise Ltd (F.A.C.E.), will work tirelessly to represent your interests, not just in keeping a close eye on local planning but in considering all aspect of the environment in which we live and where our families are raised. Best wishes, New to Foxrock In particular I would like to draw your 4 & 5 attention to page three where our planning consultant Feargall Kenny details submissions we have made on Frank Hearne behalf of all Foxrock residents. Chairman. Village Car Park Events 6 Your Village 7 With the car park now fully up and There’s a special daily rate of only running we would like to remind €3.00 and a 5 day rate of €12.00 people of the location and price. Community Games 8 The car park is FREE all day The car park is located just inside Saturday and Sunday. the entrance of Leopardstown Golf Centre on the left hand side. It is a pay and display and the charge is We would encourage all visitors ONLY €1.00 per hour Monday to to the village to use the car park Friday between 08.00 and 19.00 especially if attending the fabulous hours. restaurants in the area. www.foxrock.ie [email protected] 1 Christmas eats. Plenty of stalls bearing Christmas gifts, books, lucky dip, bric à brac, and a raffle - just some of Christmas Future nice things to be found at this fun morning for all the family. This year there will be a weekend of festivities starting with a Christmas fair in Tullow Church on Saturday morning followed by Santa’s big arrival to Foxrock vil- Foxrock Annual Santa Visit, Foxrock Village lage on Sunday afternoon. This year’s annual Santa visit will take place on Sunday December 3rd from 3pm to 5pm. There will be plenty of Christmas Fair, Tullow Church entertainment from meeting Mrs Clause to face painting. Start your Christmas off at Tullow Church Christmas Fair Nibbles and beverages will be available. This year’s on Saturday 2nd December 10am to 1pm. Be tempted Christmas charity is Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice by cakes, cakes and more cakes along with all sorts of and their outstanding work. Christmas Past One of the highlights of ever year for our little ones must be Santa coming to Foxrock Village!!! Last December was no exception. Plenty of laughter, mince pies and mulled wine was had by young and old. We would like to thank everyone who helped out on the afternoon, especially all the business owners who contributed their time and premises to make it a special afternoon for everyone. Here are a few photos from last year’s festivities. 2 www.foxrock.ie [email protected] Planning Background to County Development Plan & Architectural Conservation Areas (ACA) by Feargall Kenny The Planning and Development Act 2000 requires a planning authority to make a new Development Plan for their area every 6 years. The current Development Plan for the County of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown was adopted in March 2016 and covers the period up to 2022. The Planning legislation gives legislative force to the concept of Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs). The Act allows for a Development Plan to include an objective to preserve the character of an area that is of special architectural interest if the planning authority is of the opinion that its inclusion is necessary for the preservation of the character of the place. Such a place will be referred to as an Architectural Conservation Area. 1. The proposed development of eight semi- The Act obliges a planning authority or Bord Pleanala detached, three storey dwellings, set forward of the on appeal, when considering planning application for building line on Torquay Road and which includes the permission for development on land situated in an ACA removal of a significant number of trees, at a location to take into account the material effect that the proposal where it is an objective to preserve trees and woodlands; will have on the character of the ACA. represents an extremely poor design response at this sensitive and prominent location, fails to give cognisance Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has to its receiving environment and does little to preserve recognised that the Foxrock area has unique qualities or enhance the special character of this Architectural which require special protection under the planning Conservation Area. The proposed development there- system and as a result the core area of Foxrock, fore materially contravenes the objectives of the Dun comprising Torquay Road, Westminster Road, Brighton Laoghaire Rathdown County Development Plan, 2016- Road, Kerrymount Avenue and their immediate 2022, and is contrary to the proper planning and environments, were designated as an ACA in July 2007. sustainable development of the area. This designation has been carried forward into the current Development Plan. The Development Plan Policy 2. The proposed development by reason of its in relation to the ACA obliges the planning authority to height, design and proximity to boundaries would protect the character and special interest of the area and appear visually overbearing and incongruous when to ensure that all development proposals are appropriate viewed from adjoining residential properties and from to the character of the area. the public realm. The proposed development would therefore seriously detract from the visual and residential The Foxrock ACA is a low-density residential area dating amenities and would depreciate the value of property from the 1860s onward, and it is characterised by large in the vicinity and would, therefore, be contrary to the single-family dwelling-houses on generous sites in a proper planning and sustainable development of the sylvan setting of mature trees and hedges. This type of area. suburban development is a recognised urban design type called “Arcadia”. The essential feature of the 3. The Council’s Decision was appealed to Bord Arcadian suburb is the low density of development and Pleanala by the applicant. Along with many other the use of landscape to enclose the buildings, creating interested parties, F.A.C.E. formally objected to the the illusion of a rural environment in a residential area. original application and have followed this up with a Because present day land values and the principles of submission to Bord Pleanala. A decision on this case has sustainable development preclude the development of been deferred by the Bord until November 22nd at the new areas at such densities, it is extremely important latest. therefore that a unique existing area of this type of development such as Foxrock should be conserved. Clonbur, Torquay Road: (County Council reference number D17a/0441; Bord Pleanala reference number UPDATE ON CURRENT PLANNING PL06D.249014) APPLICATIONS: A planning application for eight four storey town-houses Unfortunately the very qualities of Foxrock that have on this important site at the heart of Foxrock Village and led to its designation as an ACA are also qualities which the ACA was refused planning permission by the County attract developers to acquire sites within the area for Council on 10th July. The Council’s reasons for refusal intensive redevelopment. There are currently several were as follows: planning applications for development of this type within the ACA which are under consideration by the County 1. The proposed development of eight four-storey Council and Bord Pleanala. They are as follows: terraced houses, set in close proximity to the footpath edge on Torquay Road represents an overbearing and Carrigmore, Torquay Road: (County Council Reference extremely poor design response at this sensitive and Number D17a/0160; Bord Pleanala Reference Number prominent location, fails to give cognisance to its Pl06D.248513): receiving environment and does little to preserve or enhance the special character of this Architectural A planning application for the demolition of the Conservation Area. The proposed development would existing house and the construction of eight three-storey therefore adversely affect the Foxrock Architectural semi-detached houses on a prominent site within the Conservation Area and materially contravenes Policy ACA on the corner of Torquay Road and Golf Lane was AR12 of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County rightly refused planning permission by the County Development Plan, 2016-2022 and policies contained Council on 19th April. The Council’s reasons for refusal in Chapter 9 of the Foxrock Architectural Conservation were as follows: Area - Character Appraisal. The proposed development www.foxrock.ie [email protected] 3 is therefore contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. New To Foxrock 2. The proposed development, at a density of thirty two (32) units per hectare, is not considered to be of a sufficiently high density as envisaged by the We are delighted to welcome four new businesses to 2016-2022 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Develop- the village. Here’s a snippet about each: ment Plan at this location. The proposed development therefore contravenes Policy 2.1.3.3 of the 2016-2022 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan and Jess Day Nutrition Profile would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The Council’s Decision was appealed to Bord Pleanala by the applicant on 8th August.