Appraisal of submissions relating to Record of Protected ... SDCC... · Appraisal of submissions relating to Record of Protected Structures and Architectural Conservation Areas South

Appraisal of submissions relating to Record of Protected Structures and Architectural Conservation Areas

South Dublin County Council Development Plan Review

A review prepared by John Cronin & Associates on behalf of South Dublin County Council

January 2016

Appraisal of submissions relating to RPS and ACAs

South Dublin County Council Development Plan Review 2

Contents

Background ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

1. Ice House, Lucan ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Woodtown Cottages, Mount Venus Road ...................................................................................................... 5

3. Possible extension of Tallaght ACA ................................................................................................................. 7

4. Boden Village Cottages ......................................................................................................................................... 9

5. Saint James, Knocklyon Road .......................................................................................................................... 10

6. Mount St. Joseph graveyard, Monastery Road, Clondalkin ................................................................. 11

Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix 1: Balrothery Cottages ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Appendix 2: Boden Village Cottages (Ballyboden Road) ....................................................................................... 20



Background South Dublin County Council engaged John Cronin & Associates to support a review of the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) and candidate Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) as part of the statutory review of the South Dublin County Council Development Plan. This review of the South Dublin County Development Plan, pursuant to Section 11 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) commenced on 5th September 2014. This process will take up to 2 years and will conclude with the publication of the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2016 – 2022. Following completion of the review process, the Council published the “South Dublin County Council Draft Development Plan 2016-2022”. The Draft Plan was on public display from Monday 13th July to Thursday 24th September 2015. During this period, the Planning Authority received submissions relating to proposed additions, deletion and amendments to the RPS and with regard the proposed ACAs. In November 2015, the Planning Department requested that John Cronin & Associates undertake an additional review of specific submissions relating to the following buildings or areas

- Ice House, Lucan - Woodtown Cottages, Mount Venus Road - Possible Extension of Tallaght ACA - Boden Village Cottages - Saint James, Knocklyon Road

Finally, in January 2016, the author was requested to appraise one final site for possible inclusion in the Council’s Record of Protected Structures:

- Mount St. Joseph graveyard, Monastery Road, Clondalkin The following document outline a summary response and recommendations in relation to these buildings/areas. John Cronin BA MRUP MUBC January 2016



1. Ice House, Lucan During the appraisal of the existing Record of Protected Structures, the mapped location for an ice house (RPS No. 90) on the County Development Plan zoning mapping was noted to be incorrect. The development plan has listed an icehouse since before the formal adoption of the Record of Protected Structures (i.e. before 2000). The location marked on the CDP mapping pinpoints the grounds of a gated apartment complex “The Orchard”. During a site visit in January 2015, no discernible trace of an ice house was found within the complex or at the approximate position shown on the CDP mapping. Furthermore the icehouse was also not recorded by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and little or no background information was available to SDCC. At the time, it was considered that the ice house may have been confused with an ice house that is situated within the grounds/demesne of Lucan House (the Italian Embassy) and it was recommended that this protected structure be deleted from the Record of Protected Structures.

Plate 1.1: North entrance to ice house

During the course of the development plan review, a submission advised that an ice house is present within the grounds of The Orchard complex. It is located a short distance to the south of the apartment block that contains Nos. 59 -82 The Orchard. The icehouse is situated within open space and survives intact (the opening to the icehouse is gated). The correct ITM co-ordinates for the icehouse are as follows: 702960 (E), 734913 (N). Recommendation: The icehouse (RPS No. 90) should not be removed from the Record of Protected Structures as its true location has been confirmed. However its location on CDP mapping should be amended to the co-ordinates outlined above.



2. Woodtown Cottages, Mount Venus Road A submission has been made to the Development Plan Review requesting that these cottages be added to Record of Protected Structures (RPS). I note that the buildings are not identified on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH). On inspection, these consist of two pairs of semi-detached houses that were built in the early twentieth century.

Plate 2.1: Early-twentieth century semi-detached cottage (built between 1912 and 1938) with later-

twentieth century extensions to North-East

Plate 2.2: South façade of Woodtown cottage from R115 Killakee Road



They are of a pleasant appearance but do not present a strong/coherent architectural elevation or expression. Furthermore there is no innovative design or material utilised in the construction of the buildings. They have also been modernised and extended to varying degrees.

Plate 2.3: West gable end and South façade of Western cottage at Woodtown with replacement uPVC

windows Recommendation: The buildings of slight historical interest and of very modest architectural character. They do not warrant addition to the Record of Protected Structures. Furthermore, the buildings as a group do not present as visually-coherent complex or present a strong presence to the public thoroughfare. Consequently, the group of building are not of sufficient architectural character to warrant designation as either Protected Structures (on an individual basis) or an Architectural Conservation Area (collectively).



3. Possible extension of Tallaght ACA We understand that a submission has been made to request that that the extent of the ACA area in Tallaght be extended to:

(a) “include St Mary’s school house – which was cut off from the traditional village streetscape by the creation of the new road & crossroads at Main Road & Main Street & New Greenhills Road”.

(b) “extend the ACA to the East to include the TJ Burns [sic] cottages at Balrothery and to the South

to include Goose Park & TJ Burns [sic] cottages on the Old Bawn Road”. Having inspected the areas concerned, I would have strong reservations about extending the current ACA boundary (the Architectural Heritage Guidelines stress the need for focused, coherent and historically-justifiable boundaries). It is considered that St. Mary’s School House is a building of some merit however a detailed appraisal of the building and its associated site would be required. In addition it is separated from the historic village core by virtue of the much-upgraded Greenhills Road. It is also considered that extending the ACA to include the TJ Byrne-designed cottages at Balrothery and at Goose Park and the Old Bawn Road, would not be in keeping with sound conservation area designation policy and practice. However it is our opinion that the range of buildings that make up Balrothery Cottages are a discreet and distinct grouping with a high degree of architectural design and detailing. It is considered there is a case to identify that terrace as an Architectural Conservation Area in its own right (as per Riverside Cottages which is a candidate ACA in the current draft plan) (Appendix 1 contains a summary opinion on the designation of this terrace as an ACA). The other range of buildings mentioned in the development plan submission are of a later date and, in our opinion, of a far lesser quality in terms of architectural expression and detailing. Recommendation It is recommended that the boundary of the existing ACA for Tallaght Village should not be extended. However SDCC should consider establishing a distinct ACA for Balrothery Cottages as they represent a distinct grouping and are of sufficient architectural quality and significance. Below (see Figure 3.1) we outline an indicative yet coherent boundary for the possible designation of an ACA for Balrothery Cottages. (A more detailed opinion on the potential ACA for Balrothery Cottages is outlined in Appendix 1 of this document)

Figure 3.1: Suggested outline (blue line) of possible ACA for Balrothery Cottages

As regards, St. Mary’s School House, its current use is likely to be sustained for many more years to come. If the use of the building and site were likely to change, it may be prudent to investigate the significance and



architectural heritage value of the building and its components (by means of detailed inspection and appraisal of the intactness and architectural heritage merit). Such form of schools are not uncommon and their significance and interest value may rise in years and decades to come. For now, we do not recommend making the school complex a protected structure or extending the Tallaght ACA to encompass same.

Plate 3.1: St Mary’s NS from Greenhills Road to South-West

Plate 3.2: Original 1960 West entrance gateway to St Mary’s NS from Greenhills Road.



4. Boden Village Cottages During the public consultation phase of the draft development plan, a submission was made looking for these cottages to be included on Record of Protected Structures. The terrace of buildings were built in the mid-20th century and replaced an earlier range/terrace of houses. There is little information on who designed the terrace but it may represent a housing initiative designed by Dublin County Council. Irrespective of the authorship, the terrace is very carefully planned and arrayed; it presents one continuous plane of front roof pitch even though the individual houses are staggered. The modelling and positioning of the individual houses is carefully orchestrated and the result is very successful and pleasing. The roof of the terrace utilise small slates and these remain unaltered to the street elevation. The houses are each fronted by small gardens sat behind low concrete walling; gardens to the rear vary in size and some of the houses have been extended (without having a negative impact on the street elevation). The elevations of the houses themselves are generally plain and modest yet each have individual quality and charm.

Figure 4.1: Suggested outline (blue line) of possible ACA for Boden Village Cottages

Boden Village Cottages are a fine example of a building type that is not uncommon within South County Dublin (and County Dublin in general). What sets it apart is the fluid form yet uniformity and subtle strength of the entire terrace and its single-plane front roof pitch. The significance of the terrace is derived from the whole rather than the individual units. It is considered that the terrace merits the designation of an architectural conservation area (ACA) that would aim to protect the terrace’s character, external form, roof materials and relationship to the street. Recommendation It is recommended that SDCC consider establishing an ACA designation for Boden Village Cottages as it represents distinct grouping of a high-degree merit and are of sufficient architectural quality to warrant consideration as discreet and self-contained ACA. Above (see Figure 4.1 above) we set out what we consider to be a coherent boundary for the designation of an ACA for Boden Village Cottages.



5. Saint James, Knocklyon Road A submission on the Draft Plan had requested that Saint James’ on the Knocklyon Road (near junction with Knocklyon Rise), Knocklyon, Dublin 16 be added to the Record of Protected Structures. The following appraisal takes the same format as earlier appraisals of buildings reviewed for possible inclusion as proposed Protected Structures

Address Saint James, Knocklyon Road Description House NIAH Ref. No. (if relevant) - NIAH Type - RMP Ref. No. (if relevant) N/A Easting Co-ordinate (ITM) 712599 Northing Co-ordinate (ITM) 727723 Photograph/image

Summary Detached four-bay two-storey house, c. 1820, with glazed and slated porch to

main entrance; single-storey garage to north. Set back from road and bounded to street-frontage by low masonry wall with low pedestrian gateway.

Context and setting Set on own grounds Condition Good Significance An attractive yet modest house. The building contributes to the wider setting as

it is one of a number of nineteenth-century buildings that present to the street. However whilst of some character, it is not of special architectural heritage value or displays any great degree of architectural sophistication

Comment on protected status

NOT CONSIDERED WORTHY OF INCLUSION IN RECORD OF PROTECTED STRUCTURES

Miscellaneous notes: - Inspected by: John Cronin Date of appraisal: 9th December 2015 Edited by: John Cronin



6. Mount St. Joseph graveyard, Monastery Road, Clondalkin The monastery of Mount St Joseph at Clondalkin, founded by the brothers of the Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites in 1813, was the first successful monastic foundation in Ireland since the dissolution of religious houses by Henry VIII. It included a free or ‘poor’ school and in 1834 expanded into secondary education.1 The grave yard which exists at present is the only remaining element of the site of the Mount St. Joseph Monastery along with some elements of the East and Northern boundary walls of the former school and seminary. It appears to have been part of the monastery site since its 1813 establishment or soon after. Taylor’s 1816 map of the area shows a “school” marked on the site although it was not a comprehensive survey of all structures. The 1843 Ordnance Survey map of the area is the first cartographic evidence for the graveyard which is still extant today. The ITM co-ordinates for the site are as follows: 707872 (E), 731147 (N). Recommendation While not of significant antiquity or architectural quality, this site is the principal remaining fabric of an institution which remained active for 175 years in Clondalkin. The immediate surrounding area is now devoid of any items of historic significance except for this site which has social and historic interest to the local area. There is no specific development pressure on the site which occupies an area of green space within the bounds of a late-twentieth century residential complex. As a rare survival of historic fabric in the area which has social and historical significance, John Cronin and Associates recommends that this graveyard be added to the record of protected structures (RPS) within the draft County Development Plan.

Figure 6.1: 1843 O.S. map of area showing present graveyard with its outline as at present.

1 Luke Cullen, the Monk of Clondalkin, 1793-1859 History Ireland Issue 2 (Summer 1997), News, Volume 5

http://www.historyireland.com/category/volume-5/issue-2-summer-1997/

http://www.historyireland.com/category/volume-5/issue-2-summer-1997/v5-issue2-1997-news/

http://www.historyireland.com/category/volume-5/



Figure 6.2: 1912 O.S. map showing graveyard with present roofless outline as only structure of Mount St.

Joseph’s site which remains extant to the present, along with elements of East and North property boundary wall.

Figure 6.3: 1938 3rd Edition O.S. map survey of area with grave yard marked in grounds of Monastery and

Seminary (Mount St Joseph’s demolished April 19882)

2 http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/luke-cullen-the-monk-of-clondalkin-1793-1859/ Joe Williams

http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/luke-cullen-the-monk-of-clondalkin-1793-1859/



Plate 6.1: View of grave yard from Monastery Heath Avenue to North

Plate 6.2: Graveyard behind late 1990s steel fence from South side of Monastery Road



Plate 6.3: Graveyard from North-East

Plate 6.4: Part of North wall and West end of grave yard on Monastery Road.



Plate 6.5: North and East walls of graveyard behind late 1990s steel railing with re-built upper section of

masonry, also dating to late-twentieth century.

Plate 6.6: Re-built East entrance to graveyard



Appendices



Appendix 1: Balrothery Cottages Summary opinion on its potential designation as an Architectural Conservation Area

As part of the current development plan review process, John Cronin & Associates (JCA) have been commissioned by South Dublin County Council to conduct research, field inspection and produce recommendations on a number of potential architectural conservation areas (ACAs). The following is a short summary account of our assessment of Balrothery Cottages.

This terrace of four bungalows are situated on the south side of Tallaght Road, just west of Brookmount Lawns in a small area historically known as Balrothery. They front onto the road with wrought iron boundary fences delineating most of the regular front gardens. The cottages are built of grey, random rubble granite with cut granite lintel and sill details and red brick to the projecting gabled porches and to window openings. Regular arrangements of vertically orientated window openings and main entrance doorways with tripartite, segmental fanlights create a distinctive architectural style among mostly late twentieth-century residences in the area. Constructed by the South Dublin Rural Council, these buildings originated in the early twentieth-century between Ordnance Survey maps of 1912 and 1938. They are typical of cottage designs by the Council Architect T.J Byrne, and they illustrate his typical style which he applied to many working class housing schemes throughout the very rural South Dublin area of the early twentieth-century. Before the widespread urbanisation of the surrounding area, cottage groups such as Balrothery typified the belief of Byrne that “the nation’s people were better housed in rural districts than in towns.”3

Plate 1: View of Balrothery Cottages from North-East. Distinctive use of vernacular materials and simple but elegant proportions and arrangement of openings provide a rare glimpse of the early twentieth-century semi-rural environment which dominated this area, now densely developed with late twentieth-century dwellings. Parked cars inevitably detract from views of these houses but on-street parking is preferable to conversion of front gardens to hard-surfaced parking areas with loss of original wrought iron railings and soft landscaping.

3 Byrne and Fewer (2013) Thomas Joseph Byrne: Nation Builder p.45



Plate 2: Original window frames and fanlight over door on one house contributes greatly to authenticity of the

historic structure and provides a design reference for neighbouring houses should they be considered for window replacement. Attachment of cabling and reception aerials or satellite dishes to chimneys and alarm or

post-boxes to walls can detract from the historic character of the buildings, and such clutter can be better concealed to reduce its visual impact

Having conducted background research and detailed survey work, we would recommend that South Dublin County Council (SDCC) give consideration to the formal designation of an architectural conservation area (ACA) for this housing scheme (outlined in the map below in Figure 1.1), for the following reasons:

The cottages form a distinctive group with significant architectural interest. The structures feature mostly well-maintained examples of designs typical of a celebrated architect and make notable and attractive use of locally sourced materials

As one of the first multiple-unit residential developments in the locality, these cottages also represent significant examples of early urban planning in south Dublin. Although their originally longer rear gardens have been truncated and amalgamated by later commercial enterprises, the retention of the road-fronting gardens as well as the lack of high-rise or particularly high-density development in the immediate vicinity has meant that they retain much of their original character after almost a century of residential use. The four houses retain a discreet and distinctive appearance despite being surrounded by later twentieth-century houses. By virtue of their rarity as historic structures in the immediate area, they provide a valuable insight into the local historic built environment and social history.

The repeating features of the site which typify its uniform character, including wrought-iron boundary fences, window-opening shape and frame design, and roof materials, could be identified within an ACA document as specific items which, if conserved collectively, lend a great deal to the overall historic character of the area.



Designation of Balrothery Cottages as an ACA would help to make sure that any future development or alterations to publicly visible elements of the houses could only take place after the rigorous assessment of proposals for their appropriateness and to ensure they do not cause significant negative impact on the historic character or visual amenity of the area.

Figure 1.1: Suggested outline (blue line) of possible ACA for Balrothery Cottages



Appendix 2: Boden Village Cottages (Ballyboden Road) Summary opinion on its potential designation as an Architectural Conservation Area

As part of the current development plan review process, John Cronin & Associates (JCA) have been commissioned by South Dublin County Council to conduct research, field inspection and produce recommendations on a number of potential architectural conservation areas (ACAs). The following is a short summary account of our assessment of Boden Village Cottages.

Plate 2.1: View of Boden Village Cottages from West. Distinctive layout and architectural response to gently

sloping, curving road-front site mark these dwellings out from the surrounding densely developed late twentieth-century houses. Parked cars inevitably detract from views of these houses but on-street parking is

preferable to conversion of front gardens to hard-surfaced parking areas with disruption of original low rendered garden walls and metal gates.

This terrace of nine bungalows (nos. 147-163) are situated on the south-eastern side of Ballyboden Road, just south of the crossroads with Glendower and Ballyroan Road. They are slightly elevated above the road with regular front gardens delineated by a low concrete retaining wall adjacent to the footpath. The rear of the properties is bounded by a small watercourse, seemingly the tail-race from the former paper mill on nearby Taylor’s Lane. The cottages have painted sand and cement rendered walls with a very distinctive continuous roofline, only the eaves and ridge of which alter to accommodate the subtle change in level between each house and stepped elevations following the gentle curve of the road. Regular arrangements of window openings and main entrance doorways add to the notable architectural style among mostly late twentieth-century residences in the area. The houses were constructed after the Ordnance Survey map of 1938 and most likely in the 1950s or 60s when extensive upgrading of previous terraced dwellings in the Ballyboden area took place.



The 1950s and 60s saw an increase in the number and standard of houses in Ballyboden. The cottages lining Taylor’s Lane were in poor condition and the local authority embarked on a building programme to improve the living standards for the local community. This resulted in the building of Ballyboden Crescent, Pearse Brothers Park and Palmer Park. The defining characteristic of the Ballyboden area may well be the 1950s and 60s domestic architecture, which has left an impressive mark on the built environment.

From Ballyboden village Plan 2006

Having conducted background research and detailed survey work, we would recommend that South Dublin County Council (SDCC) give consideration to the formal designation of an architectural conservation area (ACA) for this housing scheme (outlined in the map below in Figure 2.1), for the following reasons:

The cottages form a distinctive group with significant architectural interest. The structures feature well-maintained examples of mid twentieth-century residential buildings constructed as a coherent group that stands out from much of the surrounding housing with its high-quality execution and notable layout. The specific arrangement of the house elevations and eaves lines harks back to an era in residential architecture where buildings were aligned closely to the natural topography and the historically developed curve of the roadway they front onto. When compared with many later housing schemes where regularly arranged boxes are repeated in straight lines fronting onto newly constructed grid-like estate roads off the main thoroughfare, this surviving group of houses becomes all the more exceptional.

As one of the earlier multiple-unit residential developments in the locality, these cottages also represent significant examples of early urban planning in South Dublin. The retention of the road-fronting gardens as well as the lack of high-rise or particularly high-density development in the immediate vicinity has meant that they retain much of their original character after over half a century of residential use. The row retains a discreet and distinctive appearance which provides a valuable insight into the local social history despite being surrounded by later twentieth-century houses.

The repeating features of the site which typify its uniform character, including window-opening shape, and roof materials, could be identified within an ACA document as specific items which, if conserved collectively, lend a great deal to the overall historic character of the area.

Designation of Boden Village Cottages as an ACA would help to make sure that any future development or alterations to publicly visible elements of the houses could only take place after the rigorous assessment of proposals for their appropriateness and to ensure they do not cause significant negative impact on the historic character or visual amenity of the area.



Figure 2.1: Suggested outline (blue line) of possible ACA for Boden Village Cottages

Plate 2.2: Original recessed porch area is retained on many houses, here with original iron brackets supporting

lintel, whereas exterior doors and glazing to create a draft lobby on other houses on the terrace has been largely unsuccessful visually. Retention of such original features contributes to overall historic character of

area.



Plate 2.3: Original slate roof while visually attractive and distinctively designed appears to be subject to

extensive nail decay with numerous loose, slipped or absent slates. Localised repair and securing of loose slates will be sufficient for a certain period of time before complete stripping and re-roofing is required.

Plate 2.4: Rear extensions to dwellings enabling their continued residential use can be sensitively designed to

have no negative impact on the publicly visible elevations of the site but they should not extend above the existing ridge-line.

Documents

Appraisal of submissions relating to Record of Protected ... SDCC... · Appraisal of submissions relating to Record of Protected Structures and Architectural Conservation Areas South