Abbeville development plans get green light

CHARLES HAUGHEY preferred equestrian sports to golf but even he would have been impressed with the hole in one scored by the developers of his former estate home.

Manor Park Homes succeeded yesterday in retaining planning permission for practically all of their extensive hotel, golf course, leisure and residential development on the 230-acre Abbeville Estate in Kinsealy, north County Dublin, formerly owned by the late Taoiseach.

That was despite an appeal to An Bord Pleanála. The view of the Bord’s inspector was that there were too many houses included and that the plan should be refused in its entirety because it represented a road safety hazard.

Just one significant adjustment has been ordered by An Bord Pleanála — a reduction in the number of homes on the site from 32 to 22 — but apart from some redesigns and repositioning of buildings, the plan has been approved intact.

The main features of the development are:

* A 70-bedroom hotel with leisure centre and health spa to be build within a walled garden area.

* An 18-hole championship golf course complete with three-storey clubhouse and practice area.

* A bowling green;

* 22 two-storey detached five and six bedroom houses.

* 25 tourist accommodation units in three courtyard-style arrangements.

Abbeville House, the 12-bedroom period mansion the Haughey family called home from 1969, will not be affected by the development plans, although the new buildings will be clustered close to it.

Mr Haughey’s widow, Maureen, still resides there under an agreement the Haugheys reached in 2003 when the family sold the house and estate to Manor Park for an estimated e45 million.

An Taisce, gave a mixed response yesterday, approving the conditions laid down for protection of the house but noting the decision to overturn the inspector’s recommendation.

Heritage officer Ian Lumley was also critical that the development had been split into separate features which did not require an environmental impact statement. “An Taisce are disappointed that the significant issue of project-splitting has not been addressed by the Bord,” he said.

Fingal County Council granted permission for the development in October last year despite objections from An Taisce and the occupants of a neighbouring house.

An Taisce appealed the decision to but permission was upheld yesterday subject to 35 conditions, the key one being that a junction be created at the main entrance to the development, paid for by the developer.