Developer’s Delgany Creche Challenge Fails

Bellevue Hill SUN19JAN25

t’s a common trick with developers, getting planning permission with all the bells and whistles that local councils and de little people love, and then…

Hey, apply to have those bells and whistles replaced with more houses.

So, following Cairn Homes’ attempt to tear down the Archers Wood playhouse in 2023, those nice people at Napier Ventures Ltd last year applied to have a planned creche on their Bellevue Hill estate removed, and a nice 4-bedroom, 2-storey house built in its place.

Filed on September 26th 2024, application no.24386 read…

Permission for change of use from creche to dwelling house permitted under plan ref 15/1307 and ABP Ref: PL27.248401 as extended by plan ref 22/540 on a site of c.0.0387ha at Bellevue Hill, Delgany, Co. Wicklow, the development will consist of the change of use and internal alterations, and omission of external boiler area of a childcare facility to a 4 bedroom 2 storey dwelling house, all assoc site development works including 2 no. car parking spaces.

And then, in November, Wicklow Planning told Napier to go whistle. And put the school bell back in.

They also pointed out that the 84 houses approved on the original planning application had increased to 87 houses. So, prophecy fulfilled.

Not that such rulings can keep a good developer down, of course, with Napier fighting back in January with an appeal against the ruling that they shouldn’t have appealed to have a planning permission promise neutralised.

Or words to that effect.

In their new appeal to An Bord Pleanala, planners McCabe Durney Barnes, on behalf of Napier Ventures Ltd, argued that a new childcare facility within the Bellevue Hill development would not be of sufficient size to attract an operator or support a long-term commercially viable entity.

They identified 76 spaces in existing childcare in the area, with an additional 147 spaces after the imminent opening of two new facilities and the construction of a creche at the former Carmelite monastery lands.

PL27 321467, no.24386 has now been decided, and it’s another defintie no from the ABP boys and girls here.

In the meantime, you can also find out more about Delgany right here, and jump back through its history here.