_____________________________________________________________________ An Bord Pleanála Inspector’s Report Ref.: PL06S. 236231 Development: 973 No. residential units, commercial space, retail space, creche, community building, management suite, new road, 1,493 No. car parking spaces, pedestrian crossing. PLANNING APPLICATION Planning Authority: South Dublin County Council Planning Authority Ref.: SD09A/0149 Applicant: Shelbourne Developments Ltd. Type of Application: Permission Planning Authority Decision: Grant subject to conditions APPEAL Type of Appeal: First Party V. Conditions Third Party V. Decision Appellants (Third Party): Chartridge Developments Ltd. Electricity Supply Board Councillor William Lavelle & Senator Frances Fitzgerald Councillor Derek Keating on behalf of Cllrs. Catriona Jones, Derek Keating, William Lavelle, Guss O’Connell & Eamon Tuffy Siobhan Donnelly and Others (Combined Griffeen Planning Action Group) Observers: None. INSPECTOR: Robert Speer Date of Site Inspection : 30 August, 2010 PL06S. 236231 An Bord Pleanala Page 1 of 93 _____________________________________________________________________ 1.0 SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION 1.1 The proposed development site is located in the townland of Kishoge, South County Dublin, and is positioned between the existing established urban centres of Lucan to the north-west; Clondalkin to the south; the developing town centre of Liffey Valley to the north and the new community of Adamstown to the west. The site itself is bounded to the north and west by established low-density two-storey housing, to the south by the Dublin-Kildare railway line and to the east by the Outer Ring Road (ORR). It has a stated site area of 19.5 hectares, is irregularly shaped and is bisected by the Adamstown Link Road (ALR) which travels through the site in a northeast- southwest alignment. The lands are primarily greenfield and comprise a series of fields bounded by hedgerow and other vegetation. They are characterised by a gently undulating topography with ground levels at the eastern end of the site situated a notable level below the adjacent Outer Ring Road. A 220kV electricity supply line traverses the site with an existing ESB substation compound situated within the centre of the landbank although this is located outside of the application site boundary. A gas wayleave is positioned along the south-eastern boundary of the site. 1.2 The site has been divided into three development ‘zones’ with those lands to the south of the ALR identified as Zone A and the remaining lands to the north of the road designated as Zones B and C. 1.3 Zone A is essentially triangular in shape and is bounded by the rail line to the south, the ORR to the east and the ALR to the northwest. The recently completed new railway station at Kishoge is situated on the opposite side of the tracks to the southeast of Zone A, although this station is not yet in operation. Zone A generally comprises open greenfield lands with instances of stockpiling of aggregates etc. although a car parking area secured by palisade fencing has been constructed within the south-eastern corner of the site which is presently used for the storage of construction plant and machinery. 1.4 Zone B adjoins the established residential areas of Oldbridge and Tullyhall to the north and west and the ALR to the southeast and presently comprises undeveloped greenfield lands. Zone C is similarly undeveloped and is bounded to the north by Griffeen Avenue, to the west by the Oldbridge estate and to the east by the ORR. Notably, to the immediate west the site abuts the local Educate Together National School which is accessed from Griffeen Avenue. 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 2.1 The proposed development consists of the construction of a mixed-use neighbourhood (Kishoge Cross) comprising residential, retail, commercial, crèche and community floorspace which represents the initial phase in the development of the Clonburris Eco-District as envisaged in the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone Planning Scheme and Local Area Plan, 2008. 2.2 The proposal (Gross Floor Area: 151,505m 2), as initially submitted to the Planning Authority on 14 April, 2009, includes for the construction of the following: PL06S. 236231 An Bord Pleanala Page 2 of 93 _____________________________________________________________________ • 973 No. residential units (55 No. one-bed apartments; 481 No. two-bed apartment and duplex apartment units; 276 No. three-bed apartment and duplex apartment units; 63 No. three-bed houses and 98 No. four-bedroom houses). • 6,089m 2 of commercial / office floorspace • 2,569m 2 of retail floorspace • 503m 2 of floorspace allocated for community use • A 408m 2 crèche facility • An 80m 2 management facility. 2.3 It also includes for the construction of a new road identified as Station Road which extends eastwards from the ALR to connect with the Fonthill Link Road to the east of the ORR via a new underbridge beneath same with retail space to be provided along the northern side of this bridge. The ALR will be widened to facilitate a new four-arm junction with Station Road to provide access to Zone B to the north with access points to Zone A to be provided off Station Road. Vehicular access to Zone C will be via the Griffeen Avenue roundabout whilst a pedestrian crossing over the ALR will be provided to link Zones B and C with Zone A (in addition to the signalised junction of Station Road / ALR). 2.4 In order to achieve the renewable energy requirements of the Local Area Plan it is also proposed to construct a centralised energy plant (523m 2) within the southern end of the site adjacent to the rail line which will house a series of Biomass boilers to burn biomass woodchips or wood pellets to provide hot water for a District Heating system. It is estimated that 4 No. deliveries per week of wood chip etc. will be required during the heating season with fewer deliveries in the summer. Modular natural gas boilers will provide 100% backup to the District Heating system and will also accommodate peak demand for hot water. 2.5 A total of 1,491 No. car parking spaces will be provided within the scheme at surface and basement level within which a 350 No. space park and ride facility is proposed. These spaces will generally be located at basement level in the vicinity of the train station and will operate on a dual usage basis with the commercial elements of the scheme. In addition, pending completion of the scheme, a temporary surface car park of 101 No. spaces will be provided alongside the rail line within Zone C to facilitate the use of the rail station at the early stage of construction ( N.B. Proposals for a secondary access to the rail station from the commercial core of the neighbourhood are to be provided on foot of a subsequent planning application to be made in association with CIE). 2.6 With regard to the overall design and layout of the scheme this is based on a series of perimeter blocks ranging from 2 to 8-storeys over basement in height set within a hierarchy of street types which are designed to ensure a high degree of permeability and connectivity throughout the scheme in addition to contributing to traffic management and reduced vehicle speeds. Each of the development zones has been provided with a dedicated neighbourhood park and provision has been made for pedestrian linkages to adjoining housing estates to the west and north. Cognisance has been taken of the need to protect the amenities of adjacent housing with two-storey units proposed to be located alongside these site boundaries. In general, building heights generally increase on travelling south-eastwards towards the railway station PL06S. 236231 An Bord Pleanala Page 3 of 93 _____________________________________________________________________ save for a number of examples where landmark or gateway buildings are proposed to be developed such as at the site entrance from Griffeen Avenue. Zones C and B are principally residential in character whereas the commercial element of the scheme is primarily concentrated in the southeastern corner of Zone A in the vicinity of Kishoge rail station. 2.7 Pursuant to a request for further information, on 3 December, 2009 the applicant submitted amended proposals which include a number of modifications to the original scheme. The overriding concept and layout of the proposed development remains unaltered and the principle components of the revised scheme can be summarised as follows: • A reduction in the overall scale of the proposal to 898 No. residential units (64 No. one-bed apartments; 388 No. two-bed apartment and duplex apartment units; 295 No. three-bed apartment and duplex apartment units; 61 No. three- bed houses; 90 No. 4 bedroom houses). • 6,259m 2 of commercial floorspace • 2,516m 2 of retail floorspace • A 515m 2 community building • A 390m 2 crèche facility • A 140m 2 management facility • A total of 1,459 No. car parking spaces • A temporary surface car park of 106 No. spaces • The extension of the site boundary to include adjacent lands in the ownership of Castlethorn Construction in order to facilitate the development of the Station Link. • The extension of the site boundary to include for the proposed road improvement works at the junction of Griffeen Avenue with the Outer Ring Road. 2.8 Notable alterations to the scheme include the omission of the pedestrian / cycle links between the proposed development and the adjacent housing areas of Oldbridge Grove and Oldbridge View in addition to the redesign of Block B2 and the proposed ‘Park Link’ with the Oldbridge estate. Blocks A1 and A2 along Station Road have also been redesigned in order to reduce gaps in the building frontage whilst perhaps the most significant alterations in terms of building heights have been employed in Zone C where the perimeter blocks have generally been reduced in height although the six-storey element of Block C3 located at the entrance from Griffeen Avenue has been retained.