Strand Road plan for 85 new apartments gets the go-ahead
AN BORD Pleanala has granted permission for 85 apartments and five commercial units on Strand Road next to the Star amusements.
The application also includes a childcare facility and the demolition of residential buildings behind the site and
Owners of The Star amusements made the appeal in June after Wicklow County Council refused permission for the de- velopment.
The development by Lauro Enterprises includes six floors, with a mix of three, two and one-bed apartments. The initial application sought a total of 106 apartments.
Lauro Enterprises Ltd, including brothers Brian and Gerry Freeney made the application in October 2016.
Residents objected on a number of grounds including height and scale, traffic congestion and flood risk.
This follows a refused application in 2009, for a development of between six to eight storeys, with 125 apartments.
In 2012 a successful application was made to demolish Dawson’s amusement building, include a car park and allow occasional carnival amusements outdoors.
At the time of the 2009 application, the development was set to cost €20m.
Planners at Wicklow County Council recommended refusing the application on a number of grounds, including the height and scale of the proposed de- velopment, and the design of the building which is not considered to be a high quality innovative architectural design, ‘and which lacks any features to compliment the setting.’
They said that the proposed development is within close proximity to a number of protected structures along a largely Victorian traditional promenade.
In their appeal, the owners said that the four-storey limit in the 2002 development plan was omitted in the 2011 development plan. They said that the height in the design was matched by the ridge height of the Bray Head Hotel. They addressed concerns regarding overshadowing and said it would not have a negative visual impact.
The inspector recommended granting permission, saying that the site was an underutilised and serviced site in a town centre location and within zoning objectives. She raised concerns regarding the height and scale, dealt with within conditions.