Palmerston Park (Grianblah)

@publicrealm wrote:

If action is taken my confidence in the system will be much restored.

Having said all of that I’m still not sure what can be achieved at this stage – poor Manning Robertson must be spinning?

Agreed that enforcement sometimes leaves a bit to be desired (and if you think DCC can be a bit lax, look beyond the Pale for some real horror stories), but great to see this being investigated so quickly. Maybe they were reading this thread and waiting for your call?;)

As to what can be achieved, this case might be a lost cause but if the details emerge about a flagrant breach of PP and positive action by DCC, it might discourage such a cavalier attitude from taking root elsewhere. Monkey see monkey do, and all that…

Whatever the outcome, well done for trying, and thanks.

Thanks for that Altotude. What was done with the rubble from this site? Was the building completely smashed up, or was any effort made to keep the building materials intact?

@altotude wrote:

Just received a letter from DCC Planning Enforcement regarding “unauthorised development” – an enforcement notice was issued under section 154 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

Mind you, it doesn’t seem to have slowed them down.

Thanks for that altotude – your previous complaint is obviously why I got such an ‘instant’ response. I got the same letter as you re the Enforcement Notice – which was issued on the 10th July. In fairness to DCC this is an incredibly fast response time.

I’m not concerned by the completion of the footings (I have photographs!).

I expect that work has now ceased and I will continue to monitor. If they have not then the applicant will be very unwise and further submissions will be required.

The next step in the sad saga is probably an application for retention (of the unauthorised demolition). A second chance for the planners perhaps?

I await it with interest.

Any update on this? I live just around the corner and as I passed tonight I made the effort of reading the posted planning notice. It’s dated the 27th of July 2006 and it looks like an application to do what they’ve already started doing even though it is in complete breach of the original application; i.e. demolish nearly all of the existing structrure and build a “modern 2 story residence” and a separate garage.

Allotude and publicrealm, I want to file an official objection; what is the process? The notice makes the point that there is only five weeks to make a submission.

publicrealm, excuse my ignorance regarding the planning process. But what exactly is going on here? They originally applied for permission to demolish the house and build something else but were refused. They then applied for and were granted permission to do some work which would involve a “small amount of demolition”. They went ahead and demolished practically the whole house – doing what they originally wanted to do. They did this in a sneaky way – by errecting 10 foot high hoarding around the site hoping nobody would notice. A few people (including yourself) noticed and complained to the council who must have inspected the site and judged that the demolishion did not have permission. So now they’re applying for the original permission again? If this is the case, then their actions make a complete mockery of the planning process.

There is a very relevant case described in the Times today:

@http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2006/0809/1154691538381.html wrote:

Property developer Fergal Gaughran has agreed to reconstruct a €3 million dormer bungalow that he bought in the Mount Merrion area of south Dublin and which was almost completely demolished without planning permission.

Mr Gaughran and his wife, Jane, of Holywell, Kilmacud Road Upper, Dublin, have consented in the Circuit Civil Court to “fully reconstruct the house at No 1, The Rise, Mount Merrion, Dublin, to its condition prior to the commencement of unauthorised demolition works”.

Carol O’Farrell, counsel for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that the Gaughrans had consented to the order to reconstruct the house insofar as is practicable.

Mr Gaughran, managing director of the UK-based Gaughran Homes Ltd, bought the house at an auction in 2005 for a reported €3 million. Last March he was granted permission by An Bord Pleanála to remove a 16sq m extension to the house’s living-room at the rear of the property and enlarge the home at the front, side and rear.

In April, the council rejected a separate application to demolish the two-storey dormer dwelling and build a new five-bedroom one in its place.

In their decision they said the old structure was “in harmony” with its surroundings and added that “its demolition and replacement would neither protect nor improve the residential amenities of the area”.

Ms O’Farrell told the court that when council officials inspected the house on June 22nd they found it had been substantially demolished, leaving only one small corner section.

She told the judge that the Gaughrans had agreed to fully reconstruct the house to its condition prior to the demolition works save as to the extent of the modifications and alterations for which planning permission was granted.

© The Irish Times

More on this in today’s Irish Times: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2006/0811/1154691577021.html

A builder who paid more than €7 million for a detached 1920s house in Palmerston Park and subsequently demolished most of it has sought planning permission from Dublin City Council to build a new house on the site.

The planning application was lodged by Felix Whelan, who owns Garland Homes, three weeks after he was served with an enforcement order by the council halting demolition work on the original house because it was in breach of an earlier permission.

According to a spokesman for the council, Mr Whelan had permission to build a large extension to the side and rear of the house on a half-acre site at the corner of Palmerston Park and Orchard Road.

This would have involved partial demolition of the house.

However, after local residents complained about the extent of the demolition work, planning enforcement officer Barry White inspected the site and found that only part of the ground-floor front wall was still standing.

Such Pessimism a Boyle… oh and at such a young age too!

This is supposed to be an architectural forum. Surely we all have enough confidence in McCrossan O’Rourke architects that it would be replaced by an even better piece of architecture.

I live in the area and I walk past this plot a few times a week. Personally I thought that the original house was already bastardised by the 1950 extensions and slates.

Pity you guys objected, I was looking forward to seeing what they’d build there!

Is that wrong????