Ireland's 'unluckiest house' refused planning permission for outdoor pool and jacuzzi
BAD LUCK HAS struck again for the exclusive Dalkey home on Sorrento Terrace which was once dubbed in the High Court the 'unluckiest' house in Ireland.
This follows planners at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council refusing planning permission to Sorrento HGT UC for a new outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi for Sorrento House at No 1 Sorrento Terrace overlooking Killiney Bay.
The mystery owner or owners of the home paid out €10.65m for the property in 2021 and the planning decision has also turned down permission for a replacement garden studio in the extensive garden for the luxury home.
The Council refused planning permission as ancillary development, such an the outdoor swimming pool and garden studio, are not permissible on open space grounds on such a property, which is a Protected Structure, and would materially contravene the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan.
At the High Court in 2015, barrister, Rossa Fanning SC – now the Government's Attorney General – described Number 1 Sorrento Terrace as 'the unluckiest house in Ireland' as it had been involved in eight legal cases in a decade.
No 1 Sorrento Terrace is the first of the eight houses on Sorrento Road where Sorrento Terrace is a row of four storey Victorian houses built from 1845 to the 1950's and all buildings along the terrace are Protected Structures
In the planning report lodged with the Sorrento HGT UC application, planning consultants, Brock McClure state that the particular site 'is an appropriate location for outdoor swimming', pointing out that 'numerous homeowners in this locality enjoy similar amenity without undue impact on their environs'.
The planning report states that the applicants 'recognise the exceptional amenity value of this location and it is their intention to fully repair and reinstate their garden in parallel with integrating the proposed new elements'.
The planning report further states that 'the site's natural downward slope and topography effectively conceal the pool and plant room proposal, ensuring they remain discreet and minimizes any visual impact'.
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The Brock McClure report stated that 'similarly, the replacement garden studio preserves the site's protective status by preventing further deterioration of the existing, damaged studio'.
Sryan Bruen / Alamy Stock Photo
Sryan Bruen / Alamy Stock Photo / Alamy Stock Photo
On the approach to the new features, the report says 'it was essential to propose changes that would not detract from the house or its surroundings, especially given the site's high profile and significance within Dalkey'.
'A great deal of care and respect went into ensuring that the proposed works were subtle, in harmony with the existing landscape, and did not cause any harm to the site's setting'.
The planning report also contended that the proposed development 'is overall minor in scale and has been carefully designed to be discreet, ensuring it integrates seamlessly into the surrounding environment'.
They state that 'given its limited scope, there will be no significant impact on the protected structure or its surrounding context, maintaining the integrity of the site and its historical value'.
The proposed swimming pool and jacuzzi were to be located to the southeast of the house situated at the perimeter of the managed garden above the rocky edge of the shoreline, the report said.
'[The proposal] is not detrimental to the character of the house; rather, it will improve the external layout, to better suit contemporary family requirements'.
'The design enhances the functionality of the garden space while preserving the overall aesthetic and historical integrity of the property.'
No 1 Sorrento Terrace has been subject to numerous planning applications and alterations over the past 20 or so years.
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