Donabate Portrane Community Council has welcomed the decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for works associated with a 1,000-house development on the peninsula.
Aledo Donabate Limited had been granted permission by Fingal County Council for a development at Corballis to construct roads and services to enable the future construction of 1,000 houses on the site.
The application is part of a €400m project.
Aledo is part of developers Cannon Kirk, had been granted permission by the county council for road works, access roads, water services, a nature park, and the construction of open spaces at Corballis in Donabate.
Donabate Portrane Community Council had questioned the granting of permission for the works, claiming the county council acted contrary to its powers and appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Donabate Portrane Community Council argued that this proposed development would cause serious damage to the Malahide and Rogerstown Special Areas of Conservation and the protected bird species that reside there.
The sites are protected under European regulations.
In overturning the planning permission granted by Fingal County Council and granting the appeal of Donabate Portrane Community Council, An Bord Pleanála held that it could not be satisfied that the construction of this proposed development would not adversely impact on the integrity of the protected Special Areas of Conservation.
An Bord Pleanála noted that there are significant numbers of wintering birds using the lands impacted.
Plans to construct a nature park on the lands could disturb and displace Light-Bellied Brent Geese and other birds, the planning board said.
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said “..it cannot be satisfied, beyond reasonable scientific doubt, that the proposed development, either individually or in combination with other plans and projects, would not adversely affect the integrity of these European sites in view of the sites’ conservation objectives.”
A spokesperson for Donabate Portrane Community Council said: “For years, the environmental despoliation of Donabate has been allowed to continue unchecked.
“This is a landmark victory both for the community and for the environment.”
The lands concerned have been zoned for 1,000 houses, which could generate sales of €400m.
The works which formed part of the planning application are to facilitate the residential development.
But Donabate Community Council has labelled as a disgrace the fact that Fingal County Council had granted permission allowing the developer to provide only 27% of the public open space it is required to provide, and 17% of the playground facilities is it supposed to provide.
Donabate Portrane Community Council maintained that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) done for the roads and water works takes account of the roads and landscaping works only, and not the impact of the entire development which will involve housing, a school, crèche and retail units.
The cumulative impact of the entire project has to be assessed in a proper EIAR, Donabate Community Council said
Planning permission refused for works associated with 1000 unit development on the peninsula
Just goes to show that pressure from the local community can work. Please turn up tomorrow, Donabate Library Tuesday 21st January at 6pm. We need to let Fingal County Council know that we cannot be excluded from decisions on the future of Donabate. Why is it a closed door meeting? Do they have something to hide? Other communities would not let this happen. Maybe we are seen as a soft touch. Please support.
- Vlad the Impaler
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Sorry, but whose interests does Fingal County Council serve?
What power do our elected representatives have to hold them to account?
Why do they not exercise this power?
These and many other questions can be asked of anyone knocking at your door at election time. Try and get an answer.
What power do our elected representatives have to hold them to account?
Why do they not exercise this power?
These and many other questions can be asked of anyone knocking at your door at election time. Try and get an answer.
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From memory, that planning application was particularly sneaky because it only included the road network for the development, not the houses or anything else that goes into the entire development. As a result, the EIS was a lot more positive than it should have been.
Pretty astounding that FCC approved this, but given their recent history in Donabate, maybe not...
Pretty astounding that FCC approved this, but given their recent history in Donabate, maybe not...
Well done to all involved.i can only imagine how much effort and community togetherness achieved that. A great sign of local spirit. Just checking if the permission to develope this infrastructure hasn't been granted based on the fact that they couldn't guarantee disturbance to local nature how will they get planning for all the buildings/residential properties in the area then? It surely wouldn't make sense??donabate has such wonderful natural amenities and local community it would be terrible to see it change that much