In January 2022, Balally Residents submitted an observation to An Bord Pleanala regarding Marmalade Lane Strategic Housing Development. This was mentioned in the Irish Times on 04 February along with the objections of other residents associations in the local area. Here’s the details of our submission.
- The scale and size of this proposed 10 storey development of 531 buy to rent flats (which is taller and of greater density than previously proposed) will without question have a negative impact on the value of all homes in the surrounding area due to issues relating to overlooking, overbearing height, and lack of facilities to cater for significant additional traffic volumes (including parking which is already an issue in the wider Dundrum area).
- The proposed no. of 531 units in this new application is an increase of 85 units to the existing permission of 446 units.
- The area is dominated by one/ two storey residential properties. 10 storey apartment blocks are not in keeping with the landscape of the area. The development will dominate all of the surrounding area.
- DLR sets a max height of 4 Storeys in suburban locations with an extra 2 being allowed given site-specific considerations: at 10 Storeys the height of the buildings exceed DLR County Development Plan by up to 4 storeys.
- The INST designation sets a maximum density of 50 units per hectare – this proposal is 152 units per hectare (net density of 179 uph per the developer). This density level is out keeping with other developments in the area.
- The INST designation requires that the open character of the land is preserved but the amount of land allocated to public open space by ABP decision 308157 is being reduced in this application, the proposal also requires building on land rezoned “F – to preserve and provide for open space” in the draft DLR County Development Plan. The plan proposes that Ballawley Park which is a PUBLIC park will one section subsumed into the development with existing mature trees and hedgerows removed. Any proposed new trees would take between 20 and 30 years to mature and provide camouflage. We strongly object to any portion of this public park being interfered with for a development such as this.
- Provision for cars spaces is completely inadequate: with only 171 allowed for (down from 278 in the previous proposal), this represents a ratio of 0.22 while the ratio required in the DLR County Development Plan for this development is an average ratio of 1.1 car spaces per apartment; this will most definitely lead to nuisance parking in surrounding estates. The road infrastructure in the area is already at capacity.
- 61% of the proposed apartments are 1 bedroom or studio and only 2% are 3 bedroom apartments. This contravenes both the current and draft DLR County Development Plans. The former only allows a max of 20% of one bed apartments in large developments while the latter requires that 20% of apartments have 3 bedrooms.
- In addition to all of the above we note that the placement of the planning notice in relation to this application WAS NOT adequate – see pictures below – the notice was placed strategically behind a tree – as opposed to being placed in a conspicuous place where it would be visible and legible.
- Balally Residents Association were very shocked to see the approval of the previous Marmalade Lane scheme (to which they also lodged an observation).
- Balally Residents Association consider this revised proposal is an even poorer scheme than previously granted and it continues to contravene DLRCC County Development Plan 2016-2022. It is also contrary to the draft DLR Development Plan 2022 – 2028 as it stands and should NOT be permitted for all of the reasons outlined above.