This follows An Bord Pleanála granting planning permission to a Hollybrook Homes subsidiary, Kinwest Ltd, for the construction of 91 homes on the grounds of Auburn House at Little Auburn and Streamstown off the R107 Malahide Road.
Auburn House was the Malahide home of Mary McEvaddy, the former wife of aviation tycoon Ulick McEvaddy. It was sold for an undisclosed price in 2019 to UK construction firm Hollybrook, headed by developer Michael Cox. The Kinwest scheme is made up of 44 houses, 34 apartments and 13 duplexes.
In giving the scheme the go-ahead, the appeals board has dismissed the appeal lodged by Savaron Ltd, a management company representing residents of the nearby Abington estate.
Abington was one of Dublin’s first purpose-built millionaires’ estates and comprises 50 luxurious homes that lie in 43 acres of parkland near Malahide Castle and marina.
Past and present owners of properties include Westlife singer Nicky Byrne and his wife, Georgina Ahern, singer Ronan Keating and his former wife Yvonne, Ireland striker Robbie Keane and his wife Claudine; and former Anglo Irish Bank boss David Drumm.
The Property Price Register shows that the most recent house sale at Abington, No 47, sold for €2.275m in March of this year.
The appeals board granted planning permission to Kinwest having regard to national and local policies aimed at increasing housing supply and delivering compact urban growth at appropriate locations.
In its objection to the Kinwest scheme, planning consultant for Savaron, Stephen Ward, stated that in terms of the overall design and layout, including building mass and height and density, there is no significant difference in the current proposal to that previously refused that would render it now acceptable and consistent with the policies of the Fingal Development Plan.
One of the country’s best-known commentators on the housing crisis and a Malahide resident, Karl Deeter, has welcomed the planning approval.
“I am happy with this decision,” Mr Deeter said. “Malahide needs homes. You have to accept the need for new homes and part of that means saying ‘yes in my backyard’ when it may not suit me.”
