Initial examination of planning application

Bulloch Harbour Preservation Association:  statement on the Bartra Property Group’s Planning Application for former Western Marine site.

On Friday 22 December 2017 Bartra Property Group lodged a planning application, their second, for the former Western Marine site at Bullock Harbour.   The planning committee of Bulloch Harbour Preservation Association has made an initial examination of this application and have reached the following preliminary conclusions:

We were mindful of the first application last year and the Planner’s Report on the Refusal in February 2017, and find that many worrying features are still present – some almost unchanged –  in this new proposal for the site.

1. The proposal plans still include buildings that we believe to be too large and too intrusive for this sensitive location. It includes (again) the cube shaped houses crowded together to the rear of the site, each comprising 412 sq m (4465 sq ft) of floor space, of three storeys plus structures above each house for lift and stairs access to the roof terrace.  These houses appear to be now a metre higher than the previous proposal, that is taller than the adjacent county council pumping station, with a further 1.6 m (5.25 ft) access structure projecting above.   The proposed quayside development will comprise a three storey building at the end of the quay with pitched roofs, to house a café and retail unit on the ground floor and two apartments each of 160 sq m (1722 sq ft) on the first and second floors, plus a craft boat workshop of 416 sq m (4478 sq ft) and a small single storey structure for community use,.   The three storey building would be two metres taller than the previous proposal and twice as high as the existing Western Marine grey and white quayside wall.  This building also extends 3.7 m (12 ft) closer to the edge of the quay than existing structures.
2. The question of flooding and risks of over-topping are still not adequately addressed.
3. Much is made in the developer’s proposal and attendant publicity about the handing over of the rock area to the north and east of the site to the County Council for public use. In living memory this area has been open to public access and suggesting otherwise is certainly disingenuous and offers no additional public benefit.
4. The new proposal still does not address multiple concerns re access, traffic and parking.
5. We wish that we could be more positive about the proposed provision of some public space and a craft boat-building workshop but have concerns re apparent contradictions within the proposal re commercial viability and in the absence of a detailed proposal for the use of both the public space and the commercial units.
6. Little consideration is given in the proposal to the history and heritage of Bullock and the character of the area.
7. We continue to be concerned that the proposal will cause problems to the existing harbour businesses, users, visitors and residents.

We are continuing to examine the planning application in order to fully understand its extent.  We plan to organise a public meeting on 23 January 2018.  The closing date for “observations” to the planning department of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is 4 pm on Monday 5 February 2018.