Neil Jordan row with neighbour hots up

Movie director Neil Jordan has fired a fresh salvo in his planning battle with neighbour Robin Power over a contentious 11sq m bathing changing area built without planning permission.

This follows Mr Jordan and his wife, Breda Rawn, lodging a fresh planning objection against the planning retention application for the bathing shelter by Mr Power at one of the country’s most prestigious addresses, Sorrento Terrace in Dalkey.

In April, the couple made a successful application before the High Court to have the original planning retention permission granted for the shelter quashed for the site.

The application is now back before Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council as a result of the court order.

The Jordan/Rawn objection has been drawn up by planning consultant Ann Mulcrone and she states there is a need from the council to inspect the site from the vicinity of the Jordan/Rawn property and garden so “the real and substantive impact of the proposed development” on the that home “can be fully ascertained and understood”.

The objection states that the impact of the development on the neighbouring garden of the Jordan/Rawn home “is very significant”.

Mr Jordan and Ms Rawn live at No 7 Sorrento Terrace and Mr Power is at No 8.

Ms Mulcrone has requested that the application be reviewed by a different planning team to the one that granted Mr Power planning retention. She states: “This is absolutely essential to bring some measure of independent review of the issues raised and to avoid the perception of objective bias.”

She also claims the extent of the development “is much more significant than identified in the public notice”.

She argues that the proposed development would result in the further extension of an unauthorised development and would adversely injure the amenities of residential property in the area.

The Jordan objection also argues that the proposed development interferes with the character of the landscape and view of Sorrento Terrace from Vico Rd and Killiney Hill which views are of special amenity value, natural interest and beauty.

In the submission on behalf of Mr Power drafted by RPS Consultants, it states the bathing shelter “is modest in nature, discreetly located at level 3 of the tiered gardens, is not connected to the house and is also set back from the terraced area”.

The report states: “At the time, it was considered that the small extension was exempt development and our client was unaware of the threshold relating to exempt ancillary structures located within the overall curtilage of a house.”

It says the proposal was subject to discussions with the council and was considered to be acceptable in principle in respect of design and that a retention application was the most appropriate manner to regularise the matter.

A decision is due on the application next month.