Object to the Oatlands/Monastery Planning Application before 2nd August
While the MMRA is fully supportive of sustainable and balanced development we consider it vital that the planning mistakes of the past are not repeated.
For this reason, the MMRA is strongly opposed to unsuitable, badly designed and out of proportion developments which will lead to safety issues, traffic congestion and have a serious adverse impact on the local community.
The proposed development on the site of the Oatlands Monastery on a landlocked site will, if it proceeds cause serious traffic and safety problems in Cherrygarth /Trees road, flooding of gardens on Trees Road and Cherrygarth and is a perfect example of the ill-conceived developments being encouraged by DLRCC.
The plan, if approved removes playground facilities from both Oatlands primary and secondary schools and possibilities for expansion of school facilities, destroys the existing residential environment and results in totally unsuitable development.
The MMRA will do everything in its power to oppose such developments and invites all residents of Mount Merrion and surrounding areas to join us in preventing the wholesale destruction of Mount Merrion and our environment.
What are we asking you to do?
MMRA has retained the services of an experienced architect, an urban planner and a leading Planning Consultant to examine this proposal and their opinion is that the scale and nature of the proposed development is out of character and detrimental for Mount Merrion as a whole, will seriously degrade local amenities and result in the construction of totally unsuitable housing.
MMRA will be lodging an objection to the development, however we need the maximum number of observations to be made to try to influence the Planners.
CHECK LIST
You are entitled to object to this development if you agree with this evaluation. To do this you should write a letter outlining the basis for your objection in your own words to:
Ms Mary Henchy, Director of Planning, County Hall, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin.
- Letters must contain your name, address and the planning application Ref. number which is: D16A/0465
- Enclose the Fee which is €20 either as a cheque or postal order.
- All objections/comments are published on DLR CC website.
- You must lodge your objection with the planning office before 2nd
- You can only object/comment on planning and development issues. The planning authority may only consider objections relating to planning issues and not those based on personal dislikes, grievances or opinions
Warning: If you do not object to the initial application you will not be entitled to appeal any subsequent decision to An Bord Pleanala.
Possible grounds for objecting to Oatlands planning application D16A/0465
- Over development of the site – density proposed, i.e. c.60uph is nearly double the density of 35uph recommended for suburban locations. (uph = unit per hectare)
- Unsuitable development – the mix of three storey units and 4 storey apartment blocks is incompatible with the prevailing character of the area which is primarily low rise/low density.
- Adverse effect on the residential amenity of neighbours by reason of overlooking, loss of privacy and overshadowing due to balconies on 4 storey apartment blocks.
- Height of four stories not in line with County Development Plan.
- Open space requirements of 25% on clerical sites not complied with.
- The apartment blocks will have an overbearing relationship with the proposed dwellings
houses, for example it is only c. 15m from some of the proposed units to the west.
- Creation of traffic hazard at Cherrygarth/ Trees Road junction. A minimum of 100 additional vehicles will exit to Trees road from Cherrygarth. During construction tens of thousands of cubic meters of material will be removed from the site to facilitate construction of underground car parks. An enormous amount of material will have to be moved on to the site in order to raise the levels by over 2 meters. This will result in noise, dust, serious health impacts for residents and damaged roads.
- By having sewage and waste water outfalls to Cherrygarth will necessitate raising the site levels by at least 2 meters and this will result in gardens on Trees Road and Cherrygarth being subject to flooding.
- Destruction of a 300-year-old wall which is part of our historical heritage.
- All the indications are that DLR CC have approved the significant aspects of this application prior to submission of formal application.
- A significant number of specimen mature trees on the site are planned to be removed to facilitate this development.
- Balark Investments Limited, the company seeking planning permission is a recently incorporated company with no history of developing any medium to large scale projects. How does DLR CC plan to ensure that the company has the expertise and financial resources to carry out its plans?
Note: These are suggestions – you may have other grounds which you want to highlight.