Dermot Bannon forced to scale back house plans for former RTE star as neighbours complain

RTE Room To Improve architect Dermot Bannon must once again go back to the drawing board after his renovation plans for a house in Waterford owned by former RTE star Mairead Ronan and her husband were rebuked by the council.

The Ronans have been hoped to revamp 1 Curraghmore Terrace in Dunmore East for a number of years and were first granted planning back in 2022, only to see the plans dashed by appeals from neighbours in the picturesque location by the sea.

New plans were lodged with Waterford City & County Council before Christmas but the council has gone back to the applicants in search of further information. They are being asked to submit "revised proposals" after once again neighbours made a number of submissions to planners over the scale of the development. 

In a letter to the Ronans and their developers, the council stated: "The location of the site at a prominent location in the centre of Dunmore East and within the Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) is noted and in this regard the Planning Authority has
concerns regarding the proposed development in terms of negative impact on the streetscape and the wider ACA.

"The developer is therefore requested to submit revised proposals, and including revised plans as appropriate, to address these concerns. Revised proposals should include for a reduction in scale and massing of the proposed development."

The planning department went on to say "the proposed extension should be subordinate to the main dwelling and not over dominate the character of the existing more modest property and historic terrace. In addition, any proposed development should appear less prominent in the streetscape and should maintain and enhance the special character of the ACA."

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The developer is advised that new plans should include "a swept path analysis to indicate that vehicles can turn within the site," with the council stressing, "vehicles reversing out of the site on to the public road is not considered to be acceptable."

The letter from the council comes after a number of submissions from neighbours on the street. One of the neighbours told the council: "In my opinion, the proposed development would detract from the character of the original modest terrace and add an intensified feature to the streetscape in general.

"The scale of the proposed extension is not sympathetic to the modest size of the original property and would set an undesirable precedent for similar sized dwellings. 3.The proposal greatly reduces the private amenity space to two very small spaces to the north and south of the site. I suggest that overall the site will be overdeveloped."

Another neighbour added: "The development will be clearly visible from the East (the sea wall and Harney’s Hill), the South (the elevated entrance road into the village) and Wellington Terrace, to the North East. In our view it will be visually intrusive, totally out of keeping with the architectural heritage of the Lower Village and will alter the look and ambiance of the Lower Village."

A number of similar observations were made in other submissions to the council.