Appeals board rejects €30m Bartra apartment scheme for Old Navan Road
It is now the second failed attempt by Bartra to secure planning permission to redevelop the site.
Advertisement
Bartra Property (Castleknock) Ltd was planning to construct a five storey 56 apartment scheme on the site at Brady's Public House, Old Navan Rd, Dublin 15.
The refusal upholds a decision by Fingal Co Council to refuse planning permission after 75 objections were lodged against the proposal.
One of those to object was Castleknock resident, Barry O'Lone, who in 2023 turned down a €100,000 offer from Bartra to withdraw a High Court challenge against a 210-bedspace co-living scheme for the same site opposite his family home.
The co-living scheme did not proceed and in May of last year, Bartra Property (Castleknock) Ltd lodged plans for the apartment scheme for the site.
Advertisement
As part of his objection, Mr O'Lone repeated the allegation that he was previously offered €100,000 by Bartra in April 2023 to withdraw the High Court judicial review against the co-living scheme.
In its refusal to the 56 unit scheme, the appeals board concluded that having regard to its height, massing, bulk and design and its lack of a direct relationship with the public open space located immediately to the north-east of the subject site, the proposed development fails to integrate with the established character of the area.
The appeals board stated that as a result the scheme would be contrary to the Fingal County Development Plan 2023-2029, which requires that new development adds quality by integrating high quality design and ensuring good quality accessible public realms, by ensuring development contributes to a positive sense of place, local distinctiveness and character.
The appeals board also refused planning permission as the absence of adequate on-site car parking provision would result in substandard residential amenity for future occupants of the development, would be likely to lead to overspill parking in the vicinity of the subject site and would be likely to result in congestion and obstruction of road users, which would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard.
Advertisement
In the Bartra appeal lodged, Thornton O'Connor Town Planning stated that there are not many better sites in the city that have the capacity for increased height and density.
Business
Airbus finalises deal to take over Spirit Aerosyst...
Read More
The planning consultants stated that the height, scale and massing of the proposal were very similar to the building already permitted on the site.
Director of the planning consultancy, Patricia Thornton, stated that the scheme cannot be considered to be overbearing, over-scaled, or to cause material overlooking.
Ms Thornton also argued that the scheme has been carefully crafted to the highest architectural standards and that the issue of the provision of on-street parking can be overcome by on-street parking controls.
Bartra did not respond to a request for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion United
4 hours ago
- Fashion United
River Island fails to secure creditor approval over restructuring plan
British retailer River Island has failed to secure crucial approval from its creditors for its proposed restructuring. The rescue plan now rests on a High Court judge who will make a formal decision on the matter on July 7. Despite around 80 percent of the retailer's creditors by value choosing to support the plan, River Island was unable to secure 75 percent of the vote for every individual class creditor, according to the Telegraph. The retailer needed at least three quarters of its creditors to approve of the plan in order to receive an emergency loan from the Lewis family, its founders. The media outlet noted that some landlords withheld support. In spite of the setback, River Island remains confident in eventually receiving approval. In a statement to the Telegraph, a spokesperson for the retailer said: 'River Island circulated its proposals for restructuring plan to creditors on June 20. In combination with the company's ongoing transformation strategy, the plan is a proactive measure to place the company on a firm footing. 'We have been having positive conversations with key stakeholders and we are confident that we will achieve the approval of the plan in the coming days.' In a plan laid out by advisors at PwC, River Island is seeking to close 33 of its 230 stores, while further cutting the rents on 71 locations. Last month, the retailer told creditors it could collapse 'within weeks' if its 'radical' rescue plan wasn't put into place, with money potentially at risk of running out by the end of August.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major update on future of River Island as 33 shops earmarked for closure with hundreds of jobs at risk
We reveal the full list of 33 branches that could close below RISKY BUSINESS Major update on future of River Island as 33 shops earmarked for closure with hundreds of jobs at risk Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE future of 33 River Island shops earmarked for closure hangs in the balance after a major update. The fate of the branches and whether rents are cut at 71 shops will now have to be decided later this week after the retailer failed to secure enough support from landlords and lenders. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The future of 33 River Island branches hangs in the balance Credit: Alamy The chain is currently going through a major restructuring plan looking at balancing its books, which also includes writing off debts. The plan was put to creditors on Friday, but did not reach a high enough backing to be approved. The plans will now be put before the High Court on Thursday for a formal decision on whether they can go ahead. A River Island spokesperson said: "River Island circulated its proposals for a Restructuring Plan to creditors on June 20. "In combination with the company's ongoing Transformation Strategy, the Plan is a proactive measure to place the company on a firm footing. "We have been having positive conversations with key stakeholders and are confident that we will achieve approval of the Plan in the coming days." It comes just days after River Island was said to be on the "brink of collapse" with hundreds of jobs at risk. The formal restructuring plan put in place by PwC states the chain will not be able to continue trading and would be "subject to administration or other insolvency proceedings if not approved. Insolvency is when a company cannot afford to pay off its debts. River Island stores and its online website remain open and trading as usual as the restructuring plan waits to be approved. River Island confirms which 33 stores are shutting as a further 70 at risk in huge shake-up – is your local going? It comes amid a challenging time for the brand, as a rise in ultra-cheap fast fashion and low consumer spending has hit retail businesses hard. In a statement issued in June, Ben Lewis, chief executive officer, said: "River Island is a much-loved retailer, with a decades-long history on the British high street. "However, the well-documented migration of shoppers from the high street to online has left the business with a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers' needs. "The sharp rise in the cost of doing business over the last few years has only added to the financial burden." Trouble at the fashion firm Accounts for River Island Clothing Co for the year ending December 30, 2023, showed the firm made a £33.2 million pre-tax loss. Then the turnover during the following 12 months fell by more than 19% to £578.1 million. The retailer's most recent accounts on Companies House also warned of worsening financial and operational risks. They said: "The key business risks for the group are the pressures of a highly competitive and changing retail environment combined with increased economic uncertainty. "A number of geopolitical events have resulted in continuing supply chain disruption as well as energy, labour and food price increases, driving inflation and interest rates higher and resulting in weaker disposable income and lower consumer confidence." In recent months, a number of stores have closed including in Corby, Banbury and Chesterfield. Which River Island stores face closure? River Island has already named the 33 stores that it plans to close as part of its restructuring This is the full list here: Beckton Bangor Bloomfield Wrexham Edinburgh Princes Street Hereford Surrey Quays Didcot Sutton Coldfield Aylesbury Burton-Upon-Trent Northwich Taunton Workington Falkirk Cumbernauld Kirkcaldy Gloucester Hartlepool Brighton Lisburn Norwich Oxford Poole Kilmarnock Hanley Barnstaple Grimsby Leeds Birstall Park Rochdale Great Yarmouth St Helens Stockton-on-Tees Perth Even if the plan to close these 33 stores are approved, they will stay open until January 2026 to make the most of peak trading. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Drive-through plan for former Brighouse ballroom
A former ballroom could be demolished and replaced with a drive-through coffee want to knock down the Venue 73 nightclub in Bradford Road, Brighouse, in order to build a new opened in 1937 the building has been used as a cinema, bingo hall and was home to The Ritz Ballroom from 1981 to to an application from EG on the Move Ltd the site has been empty for five years, suffers from damp and is in need of a complete change. Supporting statements on behalf of the applicants claim the premises has been subjected to anti-social behaviour and the police "regularly" had to attend as a agent said some public consultation had been held and overall well supported, though some people had raised concerns over road safety. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a report showed a number of letters of support had welcomed the applicant said, if approved, the new building would include some art deco stylings as a nod to the building's past, with limited hours vehicle charging included on building previously hit the headlines in 2017 when lawyers from the Ritz Hotel ordered its owner to change its name or face legal building closed as a ballroom later that same year and as a live music space in February 2020. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
