Crossville Properties had appealed an earlier decision by Dublin City Council to refuse permission for the development which would involve the demolition of an existing single-storey flat at the Dublin 2 location.

Ely Place is zoned objective Z8, which seeks "to protect the existing architectural and civic design character, to allow only for limited expansion consistent with the conservation objective".

The proposal was for the construction of a building ranging in height from two to five storeys, consisting of offices measuring 77.4sq m at ground-floor level and 149.8sq m at first-floor level.

The upper stories were to consist of three two-bed apartments each measuring around 65.9sq m and including balconies and roof terraces.

The development, on a site measuring 0.0237 hectares, would involve the complete demolition of an existing single-storey flat of around 30.7sq m. No works were proposed for the actual protected structure.

Rejecting the application, the board pointed out that the proposed development is located within the curtilage of a protected structure and within an area zoned to protect the existing architectural and civic design character as set out in the current Dublin city development plan.

"The proposed development, by reason of its excessive scale, height, design, site coverage and poor access provision, represents an overdevelopment of the site and would adversely affect the character and setting of the protected structure at No 10 Ely Place and the coach house to the rear of No 9 Ely Place and would undermine the integrity of the surrounding conservation area.

"Having regard to the extent of office floor area proposed at ground- and firstfloor levels when compared to the total floor area of the apartments, the proposed development would contravene materially a development objective of the Dublin City Development Plan 20052011 for the use primarily of this area for particular purposes and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."