One of the country’s best known bakery businesses, Joseph Brennan Bakeries has successfully fought off plans for a 12-storey high 633-unit 'build to rent' scheme which was proposed for a site adjacent to its baking operation in Walkinstown, Dublin.
It follows a refusal by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission to Steeplefield Ltd for the four-block scheme on lands at the former Chadwicks builder’s yard which forms part of the Greenhill industrial estate at Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
The scheme is made up of 292 one-bedroom apartments, 255 two-bedroom four-person units, 25 two-bedroom three-person units and 61 three-bedroom units.
An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission on a number of grounds following a strident objection from Brennan’s Bakery.
In the objection to the scheme, Brennan's Bakery's managing director Gareth Doherty told the appeals board the company is located adjacent to the proposal arguing the development "has the potential to seriously injure the continued operations of our facility which has been operating at this location for 45 years".
In the two-page objection, Mr Doherty told the board that Brennan’s Bakery "is a significant employer in the area, employing over 180 direct employees and 170 distributors".
Mr Doherty pointed out that the area is zoned for industry "and placing a residential development within an established and existing industrial area is completely incongruous and out of keeping with its surroundings".
Business activities
He stated that "it is a concern to us that new residents of this proposed development may object to established activities of our business in the future".
Mr Doherty stated: "We are particularly concerned that with the introduction of residential development in such proximity to our existing facility it will give rise to noise complaints from residents."
He added: "These complaints could lead to an enforcement action on Brennan’s Bakery, which has the potential to affect our ability to trade."
Mr Doherty said the development "opens up the potential for conflict between the residential and industrial uses".
"In such a case, it is submitted that the zoning decrees that the industrial use is paramount," he added.
In its decision to refuse planning permission, the appeals board stated the proposed development in its current form "would be contrary to the REGEN zoning objective for the site".
The appeals board said it had regard to the potential conflict with the proposed BusConnects Core Bus Corridor to the city centre and the car-dominated environment at the Greenhills Road part of the proposed scheme.
The board also refused planning permission after concluding that the proposal would contravene a development plan policy which seeks to ensure that all new residential development within the county is of high-quality design.
A planning statement lodged with the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme stated the proposal "is of a high-quality design which will make a positive contribution to the area and create visual interest in the streetscape, which is currently lacking on Greenhills Road".
The planning report also stated the development "has been designed to an exceptionally high standard to contribute to the urban form of the area and it is considered that the proposal will not give rise to any undue impacts on the amenity of any adjacent properties".
