Wicklow County Council grants permission for 329-home scheme at Blessington Demesne, Blessington, Co. Wicklow

In context

It is one of 107 housing scheme applications Wicklow County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,561 nationally. Of the 3,032 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 11 September 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Wicklow County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

large-scale residential development at this site c. 9.98 ha. The application provides for amendments to the decision of An Coimisiún Pleanála (Ref .319657-24 and Wicklow County Council Ref. 23/689) which permitted a Town Park of 10.65 ha. and c.700m of the Blessington Inner Relief Road (BIRR). The proposed development provides for revisions to the previously proposed residential development comprising 329 units and will consist of: • 325 residential units including: o 278 two storey houses (28 no. 2-bed, 218 no. 3-bed, 32 no. 4 bed.) comprising of semi-detached and terraced units. o 47. No. apartments (22 no. 1 bed, 25 no. 2 bed) provided within 1 no. four-storey block. • Car and bicycle parking spaces to include: o 534 no. car parking spaces for the houses, 53 no. spaces for the apartments. o 72 bicycle spaces for the apartments & 46 Visitor spaces across the scheme. • 1.04 ha public open space including pocket parks and playgrounds; • 1,290 sqm of communal open space • Two new vehicular access off Oak Drive and one new vehicular access off the Blessington Inner Relief Road. • Infrastructure works to serve the housing development to include the internal road network; • ESB substations/switch rooms, lighting, site drainage works and all ancillary site services and development works above and below ground; and • Temporary permission for up to 3 years is also sought for the erection of three marketing signs (4.55 m high and 13.73 sqm each) and a marketing suite. A Natura Impact Statement has been prepared in respect of the proposed development and is submitted with the application