The Project comprises a residential development submitted under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) provisions with a site area of c. 2.02 ha. The site consists of lands forming part of a development generally known as Rockbrook, located at the junction of Blackthorn Drive and Carmanhall Road, Sandyford Business District, Sandyford, Dublin 18. The development, with a total gross floor area of c. 41,347 sq m (excluding basements) consists of 428 No. apartments comprising two blocks arranged around two courtyards ranging in height from five to fourteen storeys (all over three existing part-constructed basement levels), comprising 32 No. studio apartments; 122 No. 1-bedroom apartments; 251 No. 2-bedroom apartments and 23 No. 3-bedroom apartments.  The development also includes a crèche, ground floor local/neighbourhood retail units, communal community residents’ facilities, and private, communal and public open space.

Tom Phillips + Associates (TPA) acted as planning consultants to IRES, providing strategic planning advice to the Applicant and Design Team from inception through all stages of the SHD process including lodgement of the application with An Bord Pleanála (ABP). We were also the key point of contact with the Planning Authority (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – DLRCC) and the Board throughout the process. TPA led all planning aspects of the proposal including: coordination and attendance at all meetings with DCC and ABP throughout the SHD process; coordination and preparation of the pre-application submissions to DLRCC and ABP; review of all architect and other consultant submissions and coordination and lodgement of the final application with ABP. The SHD permission was granted with no design changes or onerous conditions.