Ali Hewson and other Killiney residents have won their planning battle in trying to halt a luxury residential scheme for the grounds of Montebello House.

This follows An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) refusing planning permission to Covelo Developments Ltd to construct four “very large” two-storey four-bedroom flat-roofed houses for Killiney Hill Road, Killiney.

In April, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council refused planning permission after the wives of U2 band members Bono and The Edge, Ali Hewson and Morleigh Steinberg, lodged objections against the scheme.

In total, 37 submissions were lodged by local residents with the Council.

However, Covelo Developments Ltd lodged a first party appeal with ACP against the Council refusal.

Now echoing the Council’s sole ground for refusal, ACP has refused planning permission as the housing density planned for the scheme “would represent underdevelopment of an accessible site with convenient access to frequent public transport services via Killiney DART Station and facilities in the nearby neighbourhood centre”.

In the decision signed off by Planning Commissioner Declan Moore, it states that the scheme would run contrary to objectives in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the National Planning Framework which seeks to increase residential density in settlements with the provision of more compact development.

The ACP ruling now leaves the way open for Covelo to lodged fresh plans for increased housing on the site with the ACP inspector in the case, Siobhan Carroll, suggesting an alternative of terraced housing to achieve the required housing density.

During the course of a 48 page inspector’s report, ACP Inspector, Ms Carroll pointed out that the proposed scheme of four houses on the 0.4611 hectares site equates to a density of circa 8.7 units per hectare.

Ms Carroll states that as the appeal site lies in close proximity to both a high frequency public transport link and a neighbourhood centre “I would be of the strong opinion that residential development at this location should be developed at an appropriate density to optimise this highly accessible location”.

Ms Carroll states that “this constitutes a highly accessible location close to existing high capacity public transport and therefore the provision of higher density development is therefore applicable and should be sought”.

She also states that she would consider that the development of a terraced scheme of housing could be a suitable alternative to the proposed four large detached homes in terms of achieving a higher density of development while also having regard to the scale and form of surrounding development.

The site could be developed at a higher density without undue impact upon the character and setting of the protected structure, Montebello House, she added.

In her objection when the application was before the Council, Alison Hewson stated: “The proposed very modern style of the four houses appears to be inconsistent with the existing architectural and historical fabric of the area.”

“We are concerned that this development, by way of its very modern style, flat roofs, and its use of materials could be significantly out of character with the prevailing architectural styles of the surrounding properties,” she told the Council.

“We feel that this development, by introducing modern housing in such close proximity to Montebello House, would significantly alter the character of its setting, thereby contravening these guidelines,” she added.

Planning consultant for Covelo, Kevin Hughes of Hughes Planning and Development Consultants (HPDC), had told the council that “the proposed development comprises the development of four contemporary and modestly scaled residential units within the curtilage of the protected structure at Montebello”.

“We consider that the proposed development would deliver a high-quality residential scheme at an appropriate residential density, on a constrained site, would not detract from the visual or residential amenities of the area, would deliver a satisfactory level of private open space to future residents of the development, and will complement the built character of the area,” he said.

Reporting by Gordon Deegan