An Coimisiún Pleanála has granted planning permission to Shankill Property Investments Ltd, a subsidiary of Irish developer Ballymore Properties, to construct 159 residential units on the site of the former Bray golf club in County Wicklow, as reported by The Irish Times.

The Irish Times reported that Ballymore acquired the 52.6-acre site, located just north of Bray town, in 2019 for €27.5 million, after it had been listed on the open market.

The scheme comprises two parallel linear blocks enclosing a central community park. Block A1 will range from six to ten storeys in height and accommodate 69 units across one, two, and three-bedroom configurations, while Block A2 will rise from seven to eleven storeys and contain 81 units across the same bedroom mix.

Nine four-bed townhouses ranging from three to four storeys will surround the central park, alongside communal facilities including a gym, cinema room, and work and lounge space.

The approval follows an earlier rejection in 2021 on grounds of "poor design in terms of facade treatment and architectural expression," making the current permission a notable reversal for the project's design team, Howell Architects.

A resident appeal submitted by Conor McHugh described the proposal as "incongruous with the current scale and massing of the neighbourhood" and characterised the scheme as representing "extreme overdevelopment." The appeal was rejected by the planning commission.

In its inspector's report, An Coimisiún Pleanála noted that Shankill Property Investments "strongly justified the scale and height of the proposed development through submission of comprehensive planning documentation."

Ballymore said: "This approval paves the way for the delivery of 159 homes and brings us one step closer to delivering on our master plan for Sea Gardens."

The decision also stipulates that at least 20 per cent of the development's 171 car spaces must include an electric vehicle charging point.

Explore the full planning decision and project details here.