Local preservation group says new Bullock plans are still ‘unsuitable’

The Bullock Harbour Preservation Association (BHPA) has said that the revised plans submitted by Bartra for the development of Bullock Harbour consists of only “minor alterations” from the original proposal and is once again objecting to the project.

The BHPA said in a statement that the new design was still “unsuitable” for the small harbour and encouraged local residents to submit their objections to An Bord Pleanala.

In summer 2020, An Bord Pleanala (ABP) decided to not defend a High Court judicial review of the case taken by the BHPA, effectively quashing the permission which was granted in 2019.

Bartra had filed for an appeal of the case to ABP but withdrew that appeal late last year.

Shortly after rescinding its appeal, the property developer filed for a new, separate planning permission for the site to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

However, the BHPA says that the new proposal is largely similar to the old design and should be rejected.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council refused to grant permission for the original proposal before Bartra appealed the decision to the planning board.

Explaining its decision at the time, DLRCC said it ruled against the plan on the grounds that “given the prominent quayside and coastal location… and taking into account the special character of the immediate harbour area, it is considered that the proposed development does not provide a suitably integrated high-quality, mixed-use design” and would be “seriously injurious to the special character and amenities of the harbour area”.

The BHPA said that the new design “consists of the same building structures as the previous plan with very minor alterations.

“The two 2-bed apartments over the quayside café have been replaced by one 4-bed 411sqm apartment, but still three-storeys high with double-pitched roof.

“The three detached houses behind are also the same – 3 storeys 412sqm with a roof terrace and lift-shaft above,” the group said.

The BHPA says it is objecting to the proposal on a number of grounds which includes the historical and cultural significance of the harbour, how the site is prone to flooding, and the scale of the development which it says is “excessive.”

“Three detached houses excessive in area, height and massing, not in harmony with the nearby architecture, coastal landscape and seascape.

“Will block views of the coastal rocks behind,” it says.

The group says that the harbour has “great potential” for marine and community uses such as a display and information area, training, kayaking, and fishing etc. and should be used as local amenity.

“Please submit an observation to protect our heritage harbour,” it says.