Buildings at Risk
Donaghcomper, Co. Kildare - Oral Hearing
Text of the final joint statement from the Irish Georgian Society and the Castletown Foundation which was read out at An Bord Pleanála's oral hearing into the proposed development at Donaghcomper, Celbridge, Co. Kildare.
At the end of this long hearing, for the Irish Georgian Society, the most consistent theme on the part of the 1st party has been the lack of real acknowledgment of the existence, let alone importance, of views of the Donaghcomper park from the Castletown side of the river.
It is evident to anyone walking alongside the Liffey or at the higher level at the end of the lake that Donaghcomper is clearly visible. It is a fact.
This inability to acknowledge the visual links across the water at some level in the County Council has resulted in inappropriate zoning, itself at odds with the County Plan, which strives to protect this area of the Liffey Valley. This zoning led to the acquisition, at great cost to the 1st party, of Donaghcomper and the current attempts to develop the site for commercial gain.
The anomalies between the County and Town Development Plans are the root cause of the problem and the adherence by the 1st party to the latter seems to have led to a planned development that addresses the environmental and historical issues in a manner that we find unsympathetic to this unspoilt and Arcadian place (in the true sense). The tensions between the desire to develop and to preserve seem to have led to the conflicting statements made by both the Conservation architects and the Conservation Officer, where ultimately screens of planting are introduced in an attempt to hide the destruction of the Donaghcomper parkland.
The model, which we can see outside, graphically illustrates the proximity to Castletown and the level of intrusion into the valley and the ultimate demise of this open space.
As we stated in our oral hearing paper, in the 1st party response to the 3rd party appeals, we cannot understand that Devondale believe that the construction of these houses will not have a visual impact on the setting of Donaghcomper demesne. Nor do we believe that this development adheres to the provisions in the County Development Plan which seeks to protect gardens and landscapes of protected structures.
Most importantly though, is the County Plan provision to maintain the views from Castletown House to the River Liffey and to maintain the views along the paths. These are the fundamental issues that Devondale's plans and the County Council's grant of permission are clearly going to damage.
What matters is that we have inherited this extraordinary triumvirate of heavily planted, carefully planned parklands. Never before has so much of this land been available for public access and, as never before, we now have the chance to preserve and maintain this environment. This opportunity must be embraced by An Bord Pleanála.
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