Fingal County Council has recommended that plans for the proposed €1 billion Corballis East housing development in north Dublin be refused planning permission.
Last week, An Bord Pleanála notified parties that it would not yet be in a position to make a decision on the ‘fast track’ planning application for 1,365 housing units near Donabate in north county Dublin.
The Corballis East Strategic Housing Development (SHD) by Aledo Donabate Limited is thought to be the second biggest such scheme in the State, second only to the 1,600-unit Holy Cross development in Drumcondra.
The Donabate scheme includes 14 apartment blocks in height from four to five storeys.
Fast track application
A planning report lodged by planning consultants, Declan Brassil+Company with the ‘fast track’ application states that “the proposed development "will facilitate the sustainable growth of Donabate in a coherent, plan-led, manner and will protect and maximise opportunities presented by the unique natural and built environment of the town".
The consultants state that the scheme “will deliver a major amenity and recreational park, and connectivity and community infrastructure; and, will deliver an exemplar quality of life for its residents”.
However, in a comprehensive report lodged with An Bord Pleanala, Fingal County Council has stated that the scheme would set “a poor precedent” for similar development for Donabate.
The council has stated that due to the proposed development's form, massing and overall height, the scheme fails to respond to the baseline environment, topography and surrounding natural environment.
Malahide Estuary
The local authority concluded that the proposal would cause serious harm to the visual amenities of the area, in particular the Malahide Estuary.
The council planners contend that the scheme materially contravenes the Fingal Development Plan which aims to protect sensitive landscapes from inappropriate development.
The scheme is facing local opposition. Marston Planning Consultancy on behalf of Donabate Portrane Community Council state that the scale of the proposed development is of a significant magnitude which will fundamentally alter Donabate delivering an estimated additional population of 3,000 people “into this already overstretched area”.
The consultants also state that the proposed development site “is not an appropriate location for the scale and density of this significant residential, creche and retail unit development”.
