Wednesday 1 October 2008

Twin piques as Dunne fights back

Developer Sean Dunne's counsel questioned financier Dermot Desmond's attitude to tall buildings yesterday in an attempt to overcome opposition to his plans to build a 132m skyscraper in leafy Ballsbridge.

Mr Desmond's witness, architect Shane O'Toole, was shown photos of a 107m, 26-storey building, that the billionaire businessman did not object to -- despite being closer to his home.

Mr Desmond is opposing Sean Dunne's attempt to build a 37-storey tower in Ballsbridge as part of an urban quarter on a seven-acre site.

An Bord Pleanala has been considering Mr Dunne's proposal to build the tower in the city suburb at a hearing over the last four weeks.

Dublin City Council has partly approved most of Mr Dunne's plan, including a hotel, a shopping centre, 294 apartments, an embassy building and an 18-storey block.

However, it refused permission for the centrepiece -- the proposed 37-storey landmark tower.

Yesterday, Mr O'Toole was shown photos of the Bizquip Tower in Donnybrook, which would have been 107m, and situated just 500m from Mr Desmond's house.

Counsel for Mr Dunne, Micheal O'Connell, argued that Mr Dunne's proposed tower on the Jurys Hotel site is 1,466m from Mr Desmond's house and he will not be able to see it.

Mr O'Toole was also shown images of an Eco-Sphere building that Mr Desmond proposed for the IFSC that would have been 83.5m in height, but was not built.

Anne-Marie Walsh
Irish Independent

www.buckplanning.ie

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