Mairead Ronan’s holiday home designed by Dermot Bannon has been refused planning permission.
The presenter’s home is located in Dunmore East in Co. Waterford and was reportedly bought in May 2021.
The former Ireland’s Fittest Family host’s proposed two storey extension to her home was reportedly refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanala.
Picture: Brian McEvoy
The Sunday World has reported that Mairead and her husband Louis employed Dermot Bannon’s architectural firm to draw up their ambitious plans where they were seeking a 2,518 sq ft extension – almost a four fold increase on the existing 648 sq ft home.
A design statement lodged with the planning application by Orna Tubridy of Corridy Consulting told the council that the proposal, lodged two and a half years ago “provides a modern interpretation of the historic 1835 terrace houses and bookends this five dwelling terrace successfully”.
The board has now refused planning permission due to the scheme’s specific proposed design and the resultant scale, massing and bulk of the proposed development in comparison to the small scale of the existing dwelling on the prominent corner site.
The board pointed out that the RTÉ presenter’s home is at the end of an historic terrace located close to the seafront and to the centre of Dunmore East and that they are not satisfied that the proposal would impact the special character of Dunmore East Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).
The couple first lodged their plan in August 2021 and Waterford City and County Council granted planning permission to the couple for the major home extension in July 2022.
However, Mairead and her husband and Dermot Bannon Architects couldn’t proceed with the build after two appeals were lodged against the Council decision by their neighbours.
Next door neighbour Tom O’Regan told the appeals board that “due to the intensified scale and its dominant appearance, the development will detract from the streetscape of Curraghmore Terrace and the entire Lower Village area”.
In a separate appeal, neighbours Valerie and Trevor Walsh said that “such an inappropriate design would disproportionately impact on the overall ‘look and feel’ of the Lower Village’ and Dunmore East in general.”
The submission added that “the proposed development is deserving of being within an Architectural Conservation Area on account of its high quality design”.
The report states that the scheme “involves high quality architecture involving exceptional design which is the case in this instance. The design involves a successful marrying of old and new”.
In a report, appeals board inspector, Angela Brereton stated that the new larger scale contemporary design “will appear overly dominant on this corner site at the end of the historic terrace”.
Ms. Brereton recommended refusal and concluded that the proposed design and layout would have an adverse impact on the character of Dunmore East ACA.
