Howth House is an early 19th century house, the most imposing on the Howth Peninsula. It stands at the entrance to the village of Howth and links the village to the harbour. Its situation under the ramparts of the medieval St. Mary's Abbey means that it forms part of the historic core of the village. The site on which it stands is potentially of great archaeological importance.
The planning permission to demolish Howth House, is, according to legal advice, in breach of the proper planning procedures. The permission constitutes a material contravention of the development plan, but material contravention procedures were not followed. The 1980 development plan zones the area residential, yet the council have given permission for a development which includes shops and offices, specifically forbidden under the zoning plan. Furthermore, the policy statement relating to Howth declares that the policy is "to maintain the character of the village". This proposed development will seriously damage the character of the village. This view has been expressed by a wide range of experts, yet the county council, An Bord Pleanála and Monastra Developments have seen fit to ignore this.
The parks department of the council reported that Howth House is a building of unique character and with the garden compliments and links the character of the village and the harbour. The report went on to state that if permitted the development would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area. The report stated that the proposed development was totally out of character with the area and no open spaces were provided. It recommended that the application be refused.
The Office of Public Works, as custodians of St. Mary's Abbey, a national monument which adjoins the site, recommend the employment of a competent archaeologist and state that it is also important that the proposal does not interfere with the abbey.
The sanitary services and the chief medical officer, are also against the proposals.
The planning officer in his decision to grant permission has ignored all these reports. He did not even wait for the report of the roads department. Though this is an area with a documented history of traffic chaos, the planning officer also failed to note that the permission is in material contravention of the zoning and ignores the policy relating to Howth and the pivotal position of Howth House.
An Bord Pleanála's decision was taken in the face of a wealth of expert evidence and very strong public opinion. The architectural historian, Peter Pearson, has drawn attention to its importance as maritime architecture, and Bord Fáilte in their submission stated:
We beleive that tourism can best be served if the distinct character and the quality of the old natural stone buildings, together with the good marine environment, becomes a tourism attraction in its own right.
Bord Fáilte rightly compare Howth with Kinsale.
Roger Stalley, Professor of the History of Art at Trinity College, stated:
The site is one of the most conspicuous and sensitive locations on the Howth peninsula. Whatever building stands here will establish the visual character of the village and define what type of place Howth is. The implications of this appeal are clear cut. Will Howth survive as an ancient village with its own rich and varied history, or become yet another anonymous suburban enclave?
This gets right to the centre of the issue as far as the people of Howth are concerned. They have been faced with the arrogance of a developer who decides to ruin the historical core of the village and even states that the centre of the village should be moved. Who are Monastra to impose this development on the community, declaring a wish to respect the village, but pushing ahead in the face of overwhelming local opposition trampling on their heritage, their history, and their culture?
The site has been described in archaeological terms as a potential mini Wood Quay. It was the site of the ancient port, from Norse and Viking times until the late 18th century. The adjoining national monument of St. Mary's Abbey currently dominates the harbour and the proposed development undeniably damages this.
Local people are dismayed at the prospect of the destruction of the house and the integrity of the whole area. They have met Monastra Developments and have offered to buy the site from them for their buying price of £350,000 plus costs. However, Monastra are seeking £1 million to £1.2 million, effectively holding the community to ransom. All this is taking place against a background of a strong local grassroots planning movement through the Howth/Sutton 2000 development and planning strategy.
Monastra's quick buck attitude compares very poorly with this.
Many questions remain to be answered. Why do the council not follow their own development plan? Why do An Bord Pleanála not recognise the importance of Howth House to the village of Howth? Why have the Office of Public Works not appointed an archaeologist as provided for in the planning permission. Why has the Minister, Deputy Brady not responded to the Friends of Howth House's letter to him? What gives Monastra the right to trample on the wishes and the heritage of the people of Howth? When will local people control the planning of their own areas?
