The former environment minister Dick Roche and a local politician have called for an inquiry into recent planning decisions in Co Meath, after a Dublin developer threatened to take a multi-million euro High Court case against Meath County Council.
Dick Roche, Minister of State, confirmed he had written to environment minister John Gormley last week calling for a formal investigation.
Serious allegations regarding the way in which the planning authority has operated were made to Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Roche, who has expressed deep concern.
The allegations were made after the recent publication of the South Drogheda Environs Local Area Plan.
‘‘I am aware of the concerns that have been raised,” said Roche. ‘‘I was reluctant to get directly involved in this affair because of a family connection, but having been approached by local public representatives I feel the complaints are serious and warrant investigation.”
Shane McEntee, Fine Gael TD, has also written to the Taoiseach calling for a planning inspector to be appointed. He wants the planning decisions made in Meath over the past ten years to be examined. It is understood that this suggestion is under serious consideration.
McEntee believes there has been a pattern of worrying decisions and said the proposed Local Area Plan would scupper ‘‘the chances of Drogheda United building a new 10,000 seater state-of-the-art stadium in east Meath, as planned. What has been going on is a disgrace,’’ McEntee said.
The directors of Drogheda United had agreed a deal with Dublin developer Bill Doyle, in which Doyle would build a new stadium close to lands he purchased in Bryanstown, south Drogheda, in exchange for their existing stadium at United Park. Doyle spent an estimated €110 million on buying approximately140 acres of land in Bryanstown in recent years.
Under the proposed planning strategy for the greater Drogheda area - commissioned by Drogheda Borough Council, Louth County Council and Meath County Council - the Bryanstown area was earmarked for large-scale development including residential homes.
Developers and councillors often work together to deliver common objectives and sources close to Doyle claimed he had been given verbal assurances by planners that the land would be zoned residential, in line with the planning strategy. This was also reiterated by a number of senior officials at Drogheda United. Doyle is now believed to be considering legal action.
On that basis Doyle bought up land in Bryanstown, which is about three miles south of Drogheda town. In a previous interview with this newspaper he said he had plans to build 2,500 houses, a stadium for Drogheda United, as well as four kilometres of road linking theN1 with theM1.
His lands will now be zoned for open space and light industrial use, according to the proposed Local Area Plan that has just been published.
Other landowners in Bryanstown claimed the proposed Local Area Plan was ‘‘very materially different’’ to the planning strategy outlined for the area. The strategy is not a statutory document, however. Vincent Hoey, Drogheda United chairman, expressed huge frustration at what he described as a ‘‘major setback for the club.
‘‘We were leading the way for soccer in Ireland. We have been delayed by the planners for years and the situation has become intolerable. We had an agreement with a developer and we were assured by local planners that we would get planning. For us, it is checkmate,” said Hoey.
A spokeswoman for Meath County Council said it was ‘‘not aware of any investigation currently taking place or pending’’. She added that the council was satisfied that the plan has been developed in accordance with all the statutory requirements.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Gormley's flood plain plans may sink with no maps
Plans by environment minister John Gormley to restrict major developments on flood plains are under threat because there are no officially designated flood plains anywhere in the country.
Following recent floods throughout the country, Gormley said he would introduce new planning regulations which "essentially mean the end of any major construction on flood plains."
However, Tom Sherlock, an engineer with the Office of Public Works, said last week that while the OPW was working on predictive flood maps which would identify precise flood plains throughout the country, these would not be completed for another five or six years.
The first such official flood plain map covering the River Lee catchment area will be ready early next year. It will be followed later by similar flood predictive maps for the River Dodder in south Dublin and the River Suir in Waterford. The remainder should be ready by around 2013, Sherlock said.
These new maps will be colour coded which will indicate the flood risk running from one in 10 years (high) to one in 100 or 200 (low), he said.
The OPW does operate a publicly available flood map service on its website but this provides information on past flood events in a specific area. Though indicative of possible flooding in the future, it is not accurate, taking climate change into consideration.
In the meantime, Sherlock advised anybody who is thinking of buying a house or apartment to check with the OPW website to see if it is in an area that has been prone to flooding.
Guidelines for planning authorities with regard to proposed developments in areas at risk of flooding were produced last year but the Department said that Gormley's new regulations "are aimed at ensuring a more consistent rigorous and systematic approach to addressing flood risk management in the planning system through the comprehensive consideration of flood risk in preparing development plans."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Following recent floods throughout the country, Gormley said he would introduce new planning regulations which "essentially mean the end of any major construction on flood plains."
However, Tom Sherlock, an engineer with the Office of Public Works, said last week that while the OPW was working on predictive flood maps which would identify precise flood plains throughout the country, these would not be completed for another five or six years.
The first such official flood plain map covering the River Lee catchment area will be ready early next year. It will be followed later by similar flood predictive maps for the River Dodder in south Dublin and the River Suir in Waterford. The remainder should be ready by around 2013, Sherlock said.
These new maps will be colour coded which will indicate the flood risk running from one in 10 years (high) to one in 100 or 200 (low), he said.
The OPW does operate a publicly available flood map service on its website but this provides information on past flood events in a specific area. Though indicative of possible flooding in the future, it is not accurate, taking climate change into consideration.
In the meantime, Sherlock advised anybody who is thinking of buying a house or apartment to check with the OPW website to see if it is in an area that has been prone to flooding.
Guidelines for planning authorities with regard to proposed developments in areas at risk of flooding were produced last year but the Department said that Gormley's new regulations "are aimed at ensuring a more consistent rigorous and systematic approach to addressing flood risk management in the planning system through the comprehensive consideration of flood risk in preparing development plans."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Ireland faces EU fine over waste water plants
LESS than half the essential works required on five waste water sites have been completed in the two years since the European Court brought legal action against the state, environment officials have confirmed. The government is due before the European Court in less than two weeks to answer charges that the treatment plants are below acceptable quality levels.
The European Commission brought the action in July 2006, claiming that Ireland failed to "ensure that, before discharge, waste water entering collecting systems was made subject to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment at the latest by 31 December, 2000."
It further claims that Ireland has failed to ensure such discharges satisfied European quality requirements.
The action has been taken in specific reference to five treatment plants in Bray, Co Wicklow, Howth, Co Dublin, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, Sligo and Tramore, Co Waterford.
However, despite being eight years overdue, the government has admitted that work on the plants remains unfinished.
While the Sligo and Tramore sites have since been completed, construction work continues in Howth, a contract has only been awarded for the Bray/Shanganagh project while the Letterkenny plant works have not yet gone to tender. A spokesman for the Department of the Environment told the Sunday Tribune that funding for the required infrastructure has been allocated in all cases. "Any delays that have occurred in completing individual works have generally been caused by legal or technical difficulties," he said.
"This case relates to the provision of waste water treatment facilities in five specific locations. It would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the outcome of the court proceedings but we have entered a detailed and robust defence."
The European Commission is determined that Ireland be found guilty of failing in its obligations and to pay the costs of the action. The commission noted in a legal document to the court: "Although Ireland has offered explanations as to the delays encountered in these agglomerations and has provided some indications of the state of progress in meeting the directive's requirements, it is the commission's view that these explanations and indications cannot be considered as excusing a failure to meet the deadline.
"Moreover, the commission submits that the information provided by the Irish authorities is insufficient to allow it to conclude that the installation of secondary waste water treatment plants in these agglomerations is imminent. In most cases, it appears that several further stages need to be completed before the treatment plants will be installed."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The European Commission brought the action in July 2006, claiming that Ireland failed to "ensure that, before discharge, waste water entering collecting systems was made subject to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment at the latest by 31 December, 2000."
It further claims that Ireland has failed to ensure such discharges satisfied European quality requirements.
The action has been taken in specific reference to five treatment plants in Bray, Co Wicklow, Howth, Co Dublin, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, Sligo and Tramore, Co Waterford.
However, despite being eight years overdue, the government has admitted that work on the plants remains unfinished.
While the Sligo and Tramore sites have since been completed, construction work continues in Howth, a contract has only been awarded for the Bray/Shanganagh project while the Letterkenny plant works have not yet gone to tender. A spokesman for the Department of the Environment told the Sunday Tribune that funding for the required infrastructure has been allocated in all cases. "Any delays that have occurred in completing individual works have generally been caused by legal or technical difficulties," he said.
"This case relates to the provision of waste water treatment facilities in five specific locations. It would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the outcome of the court proceedings but we have entered a detailed and robust defence."
The European Commission is determined that Ireland be found guilty of failing in its obligations and to pay the costs of the action. The commission noted in a legal document to the court: "Although Ireland has offered explanations as to the delays encountered in these agglomerations and has provided some indications of the state of progress in meeting the directive's requirements, it is the commission's view that these explanations and indications cannot be considered as excusing a failure to meet the deadline.
"Moreover, the commission submits that the information provided by the Irish authorities is insufficient to allow it to conclude that the installation of secondary waste water treatment plants in these agglomerations is imminent. In most cases, it appears that several further stages need to be completed before the treatment plants will be installed."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Bewley's may reopen as developers offer deal
BEWLEY'S Cafe at Westmoreland Street in Dublin is on the brink of reopening its doors after four years, thanks to an 11th-hour compromise from developers.
Those behind the controversial development have contacted An Bord Pleanála in a bid to meet halfway on plans for its future after a protracted planning dispute.
Originally, they had intended to turn the ground floor of the historic building into retail space with a small café section at the Price's Lane end.
But the planning appeals body had other ideas, insisting that there be public access to the iconic café from Westmoreland Street, in keeping with the building's heritage.
Now a move to compromise could finally end the high profile planning stand-off. Opponents of the original plans have signalled that the compromise could be enough to end their protests.
The Sunday Tribune can also reveal that the developers have negotiated a deal with craft and design retailers the Irish Design Guild, also known as the Glengarriff Woollen Mills, to lease the retail area on its completion.
Last year Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the owning consortium, including Col Campbell, the former managing director of Bewley's Oriental Cafes, to change part of the ground floor into retail space.
Despite that success, however, An Bord Pleanála recently wrote to the developers insisting they maintain the historic Westmoreland Street entrance to the café.
The correspondence suggested that the proposed café in the Fleet Room be extended into the Middle Room and Garden Room and that it be mixed with the retail space, allowing public access to the café from Westmoreland Street.
The heavy retail use was the principal impasse holding up a green light on the development.
There was fierce opposition from the Save Bewley's Café Campaign (SBCC), which collected 20,000 signatures protesting a closure of the café, An Taisce and the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG), and a previous planning permission for retail use in 2005 was overturned.
But revisiting their earlier plans last week, Manahan Planners, on behalf of the owners, suggested a compromise that could finally see the building come back to life.
They had originally worried that an extended café/restaurant licensed to serve alcohol would have to be separate from the unlicensed retail space by a barrier, in line with regulations.
"This would result in a retail shop which is too small to attract a quality tenant as required in the Dublin City Council development plan," they observed. "In response our clients now propose the following. Firstly they will license the entire premises. Even though the retail floor area will not avail of this, this will permit the external doors of the licensed premises to be on Fleet Street and Westmoreland Street. There will not, therefore, be a need for an internal division other than for security reasons outside of the retail opening hours."
They go on to suggest that the Middle and Garden rooms be granted dual use as both retail and café use.
"This would allow the retail operator to fit out the entire premises facing Westmoreland Street in their corporate designs," says the letter. "The café tables could therefore be in the centre of the room with retail displays on the wall. The retail operator has indicated that they could operate with such an arrangement albeit at a reduced rent as they would have less sales space."
Damien Cassidy of the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG) has welcomed the move.
"As far as the NCHG is concerned this is a pragmatic approach that I think is capable of a satisfactory conclusion that will see the much-loved Bewley's café reopen and bring back the heart of Westmoreland Street," he said. "I will do my best to ensure that a pragmatic compromise is reached with the developers. I think they will run with this."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Those behind the controversial development have contacted An Bord Pleanála in a bid to meet halfway on plans for its future after a protracted planning dispute.
Originally, they had intended to turn the ground floor of the historic building into retail space with a small café section at the Price's Lane end.
But the planning appeals body had other ideas, insisting that there be public access to the iconic café from Westmoreland Street, in keeping with the building's heritage.
Now a move to compromise could finally end the high profile planning stand-off. Opponents of the original plans have signalled that the compromise could be enough to end their protests.
The Sunday Tribune can also reveal that the developers have negotiated a deal with craft and design retailers the Irish Design Guild, also known as the Glengarriff Woollen Mills, to lease the retail area on its completion.
Last year Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the owning consortium, including Col Campbell, the former managing director of Bewley's Oriental Cafes, to change part of the ground floor into retail space.
Despite that success, however, An Bord Pleanála recently wrote to the developers insisting they maintain the historic Westmoreland Street entrance to the café.
The correspondence suggested that the proposed café in the Fleet Room be extended into the Middle Room and Garden Room and that it be mixed with the retail space, allowing public access to the café from Westmoreland Street.
The heavy retail use was the principal impasse holding up a green light on the development.
There was fierce opposition from the Save Bewley's Café Campaign (SBCC), which collected 20,000 signatures protesting a closure of the café, An Taisce and the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG), and a previous planning permission for retail use in 2005 was overturned.
But revisiting their earlier plans last week, Manahan Planners, on behalf of the owners, suggested a compromise that could finally see the building come back to life.
They had originally worried that an extended café/restaurant licensed to serve alcohol would have to be separate from the unlicensed retail space by a barrier, in line with regulations.
"This would result in a retail shop which is too small to attract a quality tenant as required in the Dublin City Council development plan," they observed. "In response our clients now propose the following. Firstly they will license the entire premises. Even though the retail floor area will not avail of this, this will permit the external doors of the licensed premises to be on Fleet Street and Westmoreland Street. There will not, therefore, be a need for an internal division other than for security reasons outside of the retail opening hours."
They go on to suggest that the Middle and Garden rooms be granted dual use as both retail and café use.
"This would allow the retail operator to fit out the entire premises facing Westmoreland Street in their corporate designs," says the letter. "The café tables could therefore be in the centre of the room with retail displays on the wall. The retail operator has indicated that they could operate with such an arrangement albeit at a reduced rent as they would have less sales space."
Damien Cassidy of the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG) has welcomed the move.
"As far as the NCHG is concerned this is a pragmatic approach that I think is capable of a satisfactory conclusion that will see the much-loved Bewley's café reopen and bring back the heart of Westmoreland Street," he said. "I will do my best to ensure that a pragmatic compromise is reached with the developers. I think they will run with this."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Commuter times rose 75% in last 5 years, survey finds
TRAFFIC CONGESTION has reached "crisis proportions" in the State with commuter times increasing by almost 75 per cent in the past five years, a new survey has found.
Workers are now spending an average of 80 minutes per day travelling to and from the office and commuters are losing the equivalent of almost nine working weeks to gridlock every year.
The Dublin workforce faces the longest commute each day, with the average journey to work in the capital taking 49 minutes, while commuters in the northwest face the shortest trips to work, at 24 minutes.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned the problems will more than likely worsen over the coming weeks as schools re-open and the summer holidays come to an end.
The association, which conducted the survey of 486 companies, believes traffic congestion in cities and towns across the country has reached crisis point and is increasing the costs incurred by small business.
"Traffic congestion is continuing to have a negative impact on business, confirmed by two thirds of small firms," ISME chief executive, Mark Fielding said.
Mr Fielding said despite extra investment in road infrastructure the delays are getting worse, which is having a negative impact on business, with the survey finding the delays are costing businesses some €2.5 billion each year, which is almost 1.5 per cent of GDP.
Last year, the Government pledged to shorten travel time for commuters and reduce traffic congestion on the roads under its Next Steps Forward: Developing Transport scheme.
However, Mr Fielding believes a significant reduction in the duration of commuter journeys cannot come about until a National Transport Management Agency is established.
Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the figures were "not surprising" and show there are significant issues that need to be addressed in order to reverse the increases.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the Government is working to alleviate the problems by investing over €34 billion in improving transport infrastructure with a view to doubling public transport use by 2016.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Workers are now spending an average of 80 minutes per day travelling to and from the office and commuters are losing the equivalent of almost nine working weeks to gridlock every year.
The Dublin workforce faces the longest commute each day, with the average journey to work in the capital taking 49 minutes, while commuters in the northwest face the shortest trips to work, at 24 minutes.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned the problems will more than likely worsen over the coming weeks as schools re-open and the summer holidays come to an end.
The association, which conducted the survey of 486 companies, believes traffic congestion in cities and towns across the country has reached crisis point and is increasing the costs incurred by small business.
"Traffic congestion is continuing to have a negative impact on business, confirmed by two thirds of small firms," ISME chief executive, Mark Fielding said.
Mr Fielding said despite extra investment in road infrastructure the delays are getting worse, which is having a negative impact on business, with the survey finding the delays are costing businesses some €2.5 billion each year, which is almost 1.5 per cent of GDP.
Last year, the Government pledged to shorten travel time for commuters and reduce traffic congestion on the roads under its Next Steps Forward: Developing Transport scheme.
However, Mr Fielding believes a significant reduction in the duration of commuter journeys cannot come about until a National Transport Management Agency is established.
Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the figures were "not surprising" and show there are significant issues that need to be addressed in order to reverse the increases.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the Government is working to alleviate the problems by investing over €34 billion in improving transport infrastructure with a view to doubling public transport use by 2016.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Port company again seeks infill permission
DUBLIN PORT Company is applying, for the third time, for planning permission to reclaim 21 hectares of Dublin Bay to expand its operations.
The Port Company which unsuccessfully sought permission in September 1999 and in March 2002, will this time apply directly to Bord Pleanála under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
The application, which the Port Company claimed is in the national interest, comes in advance of the conclusion of three separate studies on the future use of the bay. It also comes in advance of the the final designation of most of the inner bay - including the 21 hectares - as a Special Protected Area (SPA), by Minister for Environment John Gormley.
News of the impending application, which is to be lodged by September 8th next, has provoked a strong reaction from politicians.
Dublin North Central TD Finian McGrath claimed he had a letter from the Taoiseach Mr Cowen, effectively promising that the infill would not go ahead.
Mr McGrath told The Irish Times he had been given a specific promise by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in return for support for the Government, that the infill would not take place.
Mr McGrath added that this promise was confirmed in writing by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in recent weeks. "Mr Cowen wrote that anything in my agreement with Mr Ahern would be honoured as far as he was concerned", said Mr McGrath.
Clontarf area member of Dublin City Council Gerry Breen said he believed the application was a "final attempt" to infill the 21 hectares which front onto Clontarf Road. He said that the application would cost the State-owned Port Company €100,000 in Bord Pleanála fees alone, and he added that the timing of the application was "interesting", considering the the three studies on the future of the bay.
The end of this month marks the last date for submissions on Mr Gormley's proposed SPA designation which covers all of the inner bay area with the exception of the shipping channels in and out of the port.
The same week marks the start of public meetings on the future of the bay organised by the Dublin Regional Authority at the behest of Minister Gormley.
In addition, while September 8th marks the date by which the Dublin Port Company plans to lodge its application, it is also the final date for submissions on the Department of Transport report on the strategic future of Dublin Port.
Dublin City Council has said it too is pressing ahead with a strategic framework study following last year's public consultation which found 70 per cent of respondents wanted the port to be moved to another location.
However, a spokesman for the port company said it had completed an extensive planning application, including an environmental impact statement, which will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
The spokesman added that as the project had been designated "strategic infrastructure" by Bord Pleanála as far back as last year, the company was required by law to submit the application to Bord Pleanála and not to the planning authority. In relation to the timing of the application, the spokesman said the Dublin Port Company was charged with facilitating trade at the heart of Ireland's largest market.
"Ireland needs to be prepared to deal with the upturn when it comes by having sufficient port capacity . . . Therefore, the 21-hectare gateway expansion of the north port area will provide much needed additional capacity at Dublin port which is of strategic importance to the Irish economy and Ireland's capital city."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Port Company which unsuccessfully sought permission in September 1999 and in March 2002, will this time apply directly to Bord Pleanála under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
The application, which the Port Company claimed is in the national interest, comes in advance of the conclusion of three separate studies on the future use of the bay. It also comes in advance of the the final designation of most of the inner bay - including the 21 hectares - as a Special Protected Area (SPA), by Minister for Environment John Gormley.
News of the impending application, which is to be lodged by September 8th next, has provoked a strong reaction from politicians.
Dublin North Central TD Finian McGrath claimed he had a letter from the Taoiseach Mr Cowen, effectively promising that the infill would not go ahead.
Mr McGrath told The Irish Times he had been given a specific promise by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in return for support for the Government, that the infill would not take place.
Mr McGrath added that this promise was confirmed in writing by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in recent weeks. "Mr Cowen wrote that anything in my agreement with Mr Ahern would be honoured as far as he was concerned", said Mr McGrath.
Clontarf area member of Dublin City Council Gerry Breen said he believed the application was a "final attempt" to infill the 21 hectares which front onto Clontarf Road. He said that the application would cost the State-owned Port Company €100,000 in Bord Pleanála fees alone, and he added that the timing of the application was "interesting", considering the the three studies on the future of the bay.
The end of this month marks the last date for submissions on Mr Gormley's proposed SPA designation which covers all of the inner bay area with the exception of the shipping channels in and out of the port.
The same week marks the start of public meetings on the future of the bay organised by the Dublin Regional Authority at the behest of Minister Gormley.
In addition, while September 8th marks the date by which the Dublin Port Company plans to lodge its application, it is also the final date for submissions on the Department of Transport report on the strategic future of Dublin Port.
Dublin City Council has said it too is pressing ahead with a strategic framework study following last year's public consultation which found 70 per cent of respondents wanted the port to be moved to another location.
However, a spokesman for the port company said it had completed an extensive planning application, including an environmental impact statement, which will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
The spokesman added that as the project had been designated "strategic infrastructure" by Bord Pleanála as far back as last year, the company was required by law to submit the application to Bord Pleanála and not to the planning authority. In relation to the timing of the application, the spokesman said the Dublin Port Company was charged with facilitating trade at the heart of Ireland's largest market.
"Ireland needs to be prepared to deal with the upturn when it comes by having sufficient port capacity . . . Therefore, the 21-hectare gateway expansion of the north port area will provide much needed additional capacity at Dublin port which is of strategic importance to the Irish economy and Ireland's capital city."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 29 August 2008
Plaza plan for 'drugs market' Custom Quay area
Environment Minister John Gormley has urged the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to bring forward plans to regenerate the area around the Custom House, admitting yesterday it was home to a "virtual drugs market".
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Gormley said he could not disagree with the area being described as "tatty" or a "virtual drugs market", saying the river frontage of the Custom House building was frequented by drug addicts.
"It's a wonderful building and should be one of Ireland's iconic buildings," he said.
"I would like to see the Docklands plans happening as soon as possible. I can't disagree that the front of the building is a gathering point for people with drug problems.
"The part that's the problem is the front, it's a dead part of the street with no access coming in.
"It's time to see the Docklands plans brought forward," he added.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority plans to develop a public plaza at the front of the building.
This is currently being designed, but anything happening with the Custom House would be a matter for Dublin City Council and the OPW.
The long-term aspiration is to ban all vehicular traffic from the front of the building, and the ground floor of the Custom House could be turned into cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Docklands masterplan aims to create the pedestrian-only area to "break down barriers to movement" between the quays and the city centre.
"There are proposals to eliminate vehicular traffic in front of the Custom House, and to create a citywide destination point on the Liffey and restore the Custom House to the setting it deserves," the draft masterplan says.
"This space would further be connected to the River Liffey boardwalk implemented along Ormond Quay and Bachelor's Walk and create a recreational horizontal plain running from the edge of the building to the River Liffey."
Addicts
Plans to develop a drop-in centre for drug addicts nearby could also result in fewer addicts loitering around the building.
The Custom House is regarded as a masterpiece of European neo-classicism, and was completed in 1791 after a ten-year building programme.
Designed by James Gandon -- who also designed the Four Courts and the King's Inn -- it was burnt to the ground in May 1921 during the War of Independence but restored by 1928.
Another restoration project was completed in 1991.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Gormley said he could not disagree with the area being described as "tatty" or a "virtual drugs market", saying the river frontage of the Custom House building was frequented by drug addicts.
"It's a wonderful building and should be one of Ireland's iconic buildings," he said.
"I would like to see the Docklands plans happening as soon as possible. I can't disagree that the front of the building is a gathering point for people with drug problems.
"The part that's the problem is the front, it's a dead part of the street with no access coming in.
"It's time to see the Docklands plans brought forward," he added.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority plans to develop a public plaza at the front of the building.
This is currently being designed, but anything happening with the Custom House would be a matter for Dublin City Council and the OPW.
The long-term aspiration is to ban all vehicular traffic from the front of the building, and the ground floor of the Custom House could be turned into cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Docklands masterplan aims to create the pedestrian-only area to "break down barriers to movement" between the quays and the city centre.
"There are proposals to eliminate vehicular traffic in front of the Custom House, and to create a citywide destination point on the Liffey and restore the Custom House to the setting it deserves," the draft masterplan says.
"This space would further be connected to the River Liffey boardwalk implemented along Ormond Quay and Bachelor's Walk and create a recreational horizontal plain running from the edge of the building to the River Liffey."
Addicts
Plans to develop a drop-in centre for drug addicts nearby could also result in fewer addicts loitering around the building.
The Custom House is regarded as a masterpiece of European neo-classicism, and was completed in 1791 after a ten-year building programme.
Designed by James Gandon -- who also designed the Four Courts and the King's Inn -- it was burnt to the ground in May 1921 during the War of Independence but restored by 1928.
Another restoration project was completed in 1991.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Massive expansion at Dublin Port planned
THE Dublin Port Company is to seek permission for a massive expansion of its operations which could see 52 acres of land reclaimed from the sea near Clontarf.
This morning, a formal application to infill the bay will be made to An Bord Pleanala under the Strategic Infrastructure Act despite two separate reports currently being compiled on the future of Dublin Bay and the port.
One from the Department of Transport will determine if the port should be moved to a new location, while a Dublin City Council document has already indicated that the port could be home to thousands of new homes, all close to public transport links.
Environment Minister John Gormley has also established a task force to outline the future of Dublin Bay, which will examine issues including the current location of the port, climate change and projected rises in sea levels.
Yesterday, the Port Company said the expansion was needed to provide additional capacity. Last year almost 31 million tonnes of freight and 1.3 milion passengers passed through the port, with profits at €29m, and the port company expects demand to increase over the coming years.
"This development will cater for greater demand as a result of the projected increases in population," a statement said. "Dublin Gateway will also provide deeper berths that will enable Dublin port to cater for the international trend towards larger, more efficient vessels that require deeper water to operate.
"The port is operating at near capacity and notwithstanding the current economic downturn Ireland needs to be prepared to deal with the upturn when it comes by having sufficient port capacity capable of handling the demands of an increasing population. The gateway project is also consistent with the National Ports Policy which states that ports are responsible for ensuring adequate in-time capacity to facilitate trade."
Permission for construction of a new quays along the southern and eastern edge of the 21-hectare site in the north bay near Clontarf will be sought, along with three new berths for ships.
A two-storey terminal, four 60-metre cranes and extension of the railway line to connect with the national network will also be built.
When the plans were first revealed they were heavily criticised by politicans, Dublin Bay Watch and environmentalists because of concerns about the impact the development would have on wildlife.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
This morning, a formal application to infill the bay will be made to An Bord Pleanala under the Strategic Infrastructure Act despite two separate reports currently being compiled on the future of Dublin Bay and the port.
One from the Department of Transport will determine if the port should be moved to a new location, while a Dublin City Council document has already indicated that the port could be home to thousands of new homes, all close to public transport links.
Environment Minister John Gormley has also established a task force to outline the future of Dublin Bay, which will examine issues including the current location of the port, climate change and projected rises in sea levels.
Yesterday, the Port Company said the expansion was needed to provide additional capacity. Last year almost 31 million tonnes of freight and 1.3 milion passengers passed through the port, with profits at €29m, and the port company expects demand to increase over the coming years.
"This development will cater for greater demand as a result of the projected increases in population," a statement said. "Dublin Gateway will also provide deeper berths that will enable Dublin port to cater for the international trend towards larger, more efficient vessels that require deeper water to operate.
"The port is operating at near capacity and notwithstanding the current economic downturn Ireland needs to be prepared to deal with the upturn when it comes by having sufficient port capacity capable of handling the demands of an increasing population. The gateway project is also consistent with the National Ports Policy which states that ports are responsible for ensuring adequate in-time capacity to facilitate trade."
Permission for construction of a new quays along the southern and eastern edge of the 21-hectare site in the north bay near Clontarf will be sought, along with three new berths for ships.
A two-storey terminal, four 60-metre cranes and extension of the railway line to connect with the national network will also be built.
When the plans were first revealed they were heavily criticised by politicans, Dublin Bay Watch and environmentalists because of concerns about the impact the development would have on wildlife.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Council defers viewing tower decision amid visual impact fears
A VIEWING tower proposed for tourist haven Killarney could detract from some protected buildings in the town, which date to the 19th century, it is feared.
Such buildings include the Pugin-designed St Mary’s Cathedral, which has a spire rising to about 90m.
Killarney Town Council yesterday confirmed a decision on a planning application for the 83m tower and an accompanying retail development, which had been due this week, had been deferred for six months.
The council is seeking from the developers, Sunday’s Well Properties, further information on the tower, a shopping complex and other facilities, all earmarked for a 14-acre site at the Malton Hotel.
Town clerk Michael O’Leary has asked the developers for a visual impact assessment and an urban design statement for the proposed tower.
He is also looking for architectural heritage assessment.
Mr O’Leary said: “It is considered that the proposed development of this viewing tower has the potential to significantly influence the landscape character of the town for the foreseeable future.”
The council is concerned about the impact of the tower on the Malton Hotel, the cathedral and the local railway station, all protected structures dating to the mid-1800s.
Plans for the tower have attracted much attention in Killarney, with most of the reaction being favourable.
It would have perforated copper cladding from top to bottom and would have commanding views of Killarney’s lakes and mountains.
Of the 11 submissions received by the council in relation to the tower, seven were positive — mainly from business and tourism groups.
Those against included An Taisce, nearby Countess Road residents and some local councillors.
The residents, for instance, felt the tower would be out of keeping with the character of the town, as well as being too high.
But, bodies such as the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, the Irish Hotels Federation and Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism said it would be a boost to the town.
Some, however, called for more research into the sustainability of the tower.
In all, 25 submissions were made to the council in relation to the entire €200 million tower/shopping project, the biggest that has been proposed for Killarney.
The development includes a 1,200 space underground car park, but the town council reportedly has “serious concerns” about the impact of the overall plan on traffic flow in a town that is already congested.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Such buildings include the Pugin-designed St Mary’s Cathedral, which has a spire rising to about 90m.
Killarney Town Council yesterday confirmed a decision on a planning application for the 83m tower and an accompanying retail development, which had been due this week, had been deferred for six months.
The council is seeking from the developers, Sunday’s Well Properties, further information on the tower, a shopping complex and other facilities, all earmarked for a 14-acre site at the Malton Hotel.
Town clerk Michael O’Leary has asked the developers for a visual impact assessment and an urban design statement for the proposed tower.
He is also looking for architectural heritage assessment.
Mr O’Leary said: “It is considered that the proposed development of this viewing tower has the potential to significantly influence the landscape character of the town for the foreseeable future.”
The council is concerned about the impact of the tower on the Malton Hotel, the cathedral and the local railway station, all protected structures dating to the mid-1800s.
Plans for the tower have attracted much attention in Killarney, with most of the reaction being favourable.
It would have perforated copper cladding from top to bottom and would have commanding views of Killarney’s lakes and mountains.
Of the 11 submissions received by the council in relation to the tower, seven were positive — mainly from business and tourism groups.
Those against included An Taisce, nearby Countess Road residents and some local councillors.
The residents, for instance, felt the tower would be out of keeping with the character of the town, as well as being too high.
But, bodies such as the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, the Irish Hotels Federation and Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism said it would be a boost to the town.
Some, however, called for more research into the sustainability of the tower.
In all, 25 submissions were made to the council in relation to the entire €200 million tower/shopping project, the biggest that has been proposed for Killarney.
The development includes a 1,200 space underground car park, but the town council reportedly has “serious concerns” about the impact of the overall plan on traffic flow in a town that is already congested.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Towering development teases prospective tenants
PRELIMINARY “teaser advertisements” start to run from today for the landmark €150 million Elysian development in the heart of Cork city, stressing its impact on the city’s skyline.
The development, which is the country’s tallest building with 17 storeys completed and with a number of show units being finished off, is to be officially launched on September 17.
Its launch is also set to feature on an Irish TV version of The Apprentice in October.
Likely to be one of the key Irish property development launches of the year, and seen as a harbinger of Cork’s future docklands development viability, the Elysian has 214 apartments, ranging from one-bed to three-storey “triplex” penthouses. It literally brings apartment-living in Ireland to new heights — some sleekly clad 72 metres in all.
The city centre scheme, which includes offices (likely to be a bank headquarters), shops and an elevated one acre of landscaped gardens in internal courtyards, has been built by PJ Hegartys for developers O’Flynn Construction.
Visible from much of the city, the Elysian is on a three-acre “gateway” site at the city end of the South City Link Road, next door to Cork City Hall and overlooking the River Lee.
Design is by Wilson Architects, with show units by British-based Taylor Howes Design and the large development — with two basement levels of parking — occupies the site of Cork’s former An Post sorting office, and before that it was part of CIÉ’s railway network and sidings.
Prices for the apartments are not expected to be revealed by agents Sherry FitzGerald until the formal launch. Selected invitees will get sneak previews from September 11 to 16.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The development, which is the country’s tallest building with 17 storeys completed and with a number of show units being finished off, is to be officially launched on September 17.
Its launch is also set to feature on an Irish TV version of The Apprentice in October.
Likely to be one of the key Irish property development launches of the year, and seen as a harbinger of Cork’s future docklands development viability, the Elysian has 214 apartments, ranging from one-bed to three-storey “triplex” penthouses. It literally brings apartment-living in Ireland to new heights — some sleekly clad 72 metres in all.
The city centre scheme, which includes offices (likely to be a bank headquarters), shops and an elevated one acre of landscaped gardens in internal courtyards, has been built by PJ Hegartys for developers O’Flynn Construction.
Visible from much of the city, the Elysian is on a three-acre “gateway” site at the city end of the South City Link Road, next door to Cork City Hall and overlooking the River Lee.
Design is by Wilson Architects, with show units by British-based Taylor Howes Design and the large development — with two basement levels of parking — occupies the site of Cork’s former An Post sorting office, and before that it was part of CIÉ’s railway network and sidings.
Prices for the apartments are not expected to be revealed by agents Sherry FitzGerald until the formal launch. Selected invitees will get sneak previews from September 11 to 16.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Corrib gas partners must change licence
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that the Corrib gas partners will have to reapply to change their emissions licence for the Corrib gas refinery, following an agreement brokered by Shell EP Ireland with north Mayo fishermen.
In a related development, a fisherman who refused to sign up to the Shell agreement, due to fears about the project's environmental impact, has been issued a warning by the Department of Transport's deputy chief surveyor. Pat O'Donnell has been told to keep vessels in his ownership a safe distance from the Highland Navigator, which has been carrying out surveying work for Shell EP Ireland ahead of the arrival of the pipelaying ship Solitaire in Broadhaven Bay.
The EPA's issuing late last year of an integrated pollution prevention control (IPPC) licence to the Corrib gas refinery was described as a "significant milestone" by Shell EP Ireland. The licence application had been the subject of an oral hearing in north Mayo.
However, the EPA said the company would have to reapply to it for any changes to its licence in relation to a recent agreement secured with Erris fishermen.
The fishermen had opposed the licence application at the EPA oral hearing on the grounds that marine emissions from an outfall pipe would have a negative impact on Broadhaven Bay.
The fishermen's association subsequently negotiated with Shell, and signed a compensation deal earlier this month in return for co-operation during offshore pipelaying.
As part of that agreement, the company promised the association it would use an "alternative method" of discharge for produced treated water, which is "subject to statutory approval".
Shell EP Ireland said yesterday that it was "currently examining a number of options with regard to the disposal of produced treated water . . . As part of the final decision on the optimum process we will consult with the relevant statutory authorities".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In a related development, a fisherman who refused to sign up to the Shell agreement, due to fears about the project's environmental impact, has been issued a warning by the Department of Transport's deputy chief surveyor. Pat O'Donnell has been told to keep vessels in his ownership a safe distance from the Highland Navigator, which has been carrying out surveying work for Shell EP Ireland ahead of the arrival of the pipelaying ship Solitaire in Broadhaven Bay.
The EPA's issuing late last year of an integrated pollution prevention control (IPPC) licence to the Corrib gas refinery was described as a "significant milestone" by Shell EP Ireland. The licence application had been the subject of an oral hearing in north Mayo.
However, the EPA said the company would have to reapply to it for any changes to its licence in relation to a recent agreement secured with Erris fishermen.
The fishermen had opposed the licence application at the EPA oral hearing on the grounds that marine emissions from an outfall pipe would have a negative impact on Broadhaven Bay.
The fishermen's association subsequently negotiated with Shell, and signed a compensation deal earlier this month in return for co-operation during offshore pipelaying.
As part of that agreement, the company promised the association it would use an "alternative method" of discharge for produced treated water, which is "subject to statutory approval".
Shell EP Ireland said yesterday that it was "currently examining a number of options with regard to the disposal of produced treated water . . . As part of the final decision on the optimum process we will consult with the relevant statutory authorities".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Planning & Development
An Bord Pleanála
APPEALS
Location: 18 Exchange Street Upper, Dublin 8. Proposed development: demolish structures for a 12-storey 44-room hotel. Applicant: Accol Investments Ltd. Appellant(s): Colm MacEochaidh, An Taisce.
Location: 30-33 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (protected structure). Proposed development: demolish office space to rear for a five-storey office; change of use to retail of part of ground floor and site works. Applicant: The O'Shea Partnership. Appellant(s): Miley and Miley Hurstview Ltd and the Molesworth Partnership, The O'Shea Partnership, Spinoff Ltd.
Location: Muldowneys Lounge/Bar, Main Street, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish pub, business centre, cottages and outbuildings for seven houses, 68 apartments, a pub and two retail/food stores. Applicant: Frank and Mark Smith. Appellant(s): Department of Defence.
Location: The Glen, Glenamuck Road, Carrickmines, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house and outbuildings for 49 apartments with site works. Applicant: James Rossiter. Appellant(s): Ian Murphy.
Location: land at Aiken Village, the house formally known as Greenacres, Hillcrest Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house for 146 apartments with car-parking, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Highland Estates Ltd. Appellant(s): Phillip and Louise Volschenk and Georgina Kickham.
Location: Assumption Convent, Assumption Court, Mount Argus Road, Dublin 6W. Proposed development: demolish convent building and garage for 15 apartments with site works. Applicant: Little Sisters of the Assumption. Appellant(s): Residents of Church Park Avenue.
Location: former Shell station, Parnell Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 19 apartments and a medical consultants office. Applicant: Mark Carroll and Vincent Byrne. Appellant(s): Josephine Kelly.
Location: University Hall, Hatch Street Lower, Dublin 2. Proposed development: refurbish and change of use from residential/educational to residential use, comprising the demolition of existing section and erection of a six-storey building and 36 apartments. Applicant: Edward Residential Assets Ltd. Appellant(s): Fr M Curry, S.J. Superior, John O'Keeffe S.J. Superior.
Location: Alexandra College, Milltown Road, Dublin 6. Proposed development: two-storey over semi-basement building comprising sports hall, associated facilities and site works. Applicant: The Council of Alexandra College. Appellant(s): Sandra Coughlan, Marion Masterson, The Council of Alexandra College.
Location: north-eastern portion of former Bray Golf Club lands and part of Industrial Yarns site, Bray, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 348 residential units, retail, car-parking, demolition of outbuildings, new access off the Dublin Road and site works. Applicant: Pizarro Developments Ltd. Appellant(s): Joanne Connolly, Pizarro Developments, Zapi Properties Ltd.
Location: former Bray Golf Club lands, Bray, Co Wicklow. Proposed development: 603 residential units with community and commercial elements. Applicant: Pizarro Developments Ltd. Appellant(s): Joanne Connolly, S.W.A.P, Pizarro Developments Ltd, Bray Retail Group, Maeve and Colm McCormack, Bryan Glynn and Emer Woodfull, Declan and Celia Lavelle, Zapi Properties Ltd, Ciaran O'Brian.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: National Autoparts and O'Brien Ltd, Camac Close, Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 126 apartments, four live/work units, retail and site works. Applicant: The Camac Close Partnership (with revised conditions).
Location: phase two, Cornerpark, Newcastle, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 98 houses, 23 apartments, five duplex units, crèche and Montessori buildings with 195 car-parking spaces and site works. Applicant: Opus Developments Ltd (with revised conditions).
Location: Coolamber, Lock Road, Finnstown, Lucan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish house for 59 houses, 17 apartments and site works. Applicant: Niall Molloy T/A Finnstown Co Ownership (with revised conditions).
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: Ards, Cartref and Foxley, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish Cartref and Ards and associated outhouses for 127 apartments, penthouses and duplex units in four buildings with underground car-parking for 139 cars and 35 surface parking spaces. Block 1: two storeys with 34 residential units. Block 2: three and part four storeys with 27 units. Block 3: five storeys with 42 residential units. Block 4: four storeys with 24 residential units. The development will also include a wellness centre. The existing house at "Foxley" is to be retained and the rear garden to be shortened. Applicant: The CARDS Partnership.
Location: Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Proposed development: 82 residential units in a building from five to eight storeys. The residential units will comprise 14 one-beds, 56 two-beds and 12 three-beds). Provision of a 156sq m (1,679sq ft) crèche building and 134 car-parking spaces, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Cornick Developments Ltd.
Location: Castle Court, Whitehall Road, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Proposed development: detached three-storey apartment building comprising 20 units (six one-beds, nine two-beds and five three-beds); 27 car-parking spaces at basement level and site works. Applicant: Kellyville Ltd.
Location: Texaco Service Station, Churchtown Road Upper, Dublin 14. Proposed development: medical centre and pharmacy with 11 car-parking spaces at surface level and 38 car-parking spaces at basement level. The 327sq m (3,520sq ft) medical centre will comprising eight treatment rooms and 157sq m (1,690sq ft) of pharmacy use at ground floor level, 180sq m (1,938sq ft) of dental/medical treatment use comprising four treatment rooms, 120sq m (1,292sq ft) physiotherapy studio with four physiotherapy rooms and a 60sq m (646sq ft) work-out studio at first floor level and two open-plan offices. Associated site works. Applicant: M Cox, R Power, A Mehtar and M Mehigan.
Location: Leigh House and Arcot on the corner of Newtownpark Avenue and Holly Park Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish two houses for a three-storey apartment block with 18 units (three one-beds, 10 two-beds and five three-beds). Provision of 23 car-parking spaces. Applicant: William Montgomery and Vincent Marsland.
Dublin City Council
APPLICATIONS
Location: 10-12 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish three-storey office building for an office block from one to six storeys all over one lower ground and one basement level. Office space from lower ground floor to fifth floor level. Provision of 15 car-parking spaces at basement level; courtyard at ground floor level and sunken courtyard at lower ground; landscaping and site works. Applicant: Irish Property Unit Management Services.
Location: site at junction of Balfe Road, Drimnagh Road and Walkinstown Road, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish two bank buildings and two factory buildings for a two-storey bank fronting onto Walkinstown Road, a two-storey supermarket fronting onto Walkinstown Road and Balfe Road with parking, 45 apartments (eight one-beds, 31 two-beds and six three-beds) and 150 car-parking spaces. The scheme is from three to five storeys. Applicant: Dundalk SRH Ltd.
Location: 12/13 Dorset Street Upper, Dublin 1. Proposed development: demolish 12 Upper Dorset Street (protected structure) - gable and front façade to be retained - and complete demolition of 13 Upper Dorset Street for a residential/medical consultant use in a five-storey block with eight two-bed apartments. Applicant: Shane Murphy.
Location: 1-3 East Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: total of 69,777sq m (751,073sq ft) comprising a hotel, offices, retail and café/restaurant in four blocks from four to 15 storeys. Block A: six-storey building with 165-bedroom hotel with restaurant, bar, meeting room and conference room. Block B: 15-storey building with retail floor space, café/restaurant facilities, office reception area, ancillary areas and offices. Block C: eight storeys with a restaurant, offices, reception area, auditorium, staff canteen, ancillary areas and office accommodation. Block D: four/six storeys with a central atrium incorporating office reception area, ancillary areas and offices. The four blocks will be above a shared two-storey basement car-park with 770 spaces. Applicant: Villeer Developments.
Location: site designated as 5B Shangan Avenue, bounded by Shangan Green to the north, Shangan Gardens to the east, Whitcare Park and residential estate to the south, 1-56 Shangan Avenue, Ballymun, Dublin 9. Proposed development: 57 residential units from one to three storeys and consisting of 25 apartments, one duplex and 31 terraced houses. Provision of 85 car-parking spaces at surface level, site and landscaping works. Applicant: Ballymun Regeneration Ltd.
South Dublin
APPLICATIONS
Location: Woodstown Manor, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Proposed development: 100 retirement units within four three-storey blocks; three two-storey blocks and 25 single storey units. The accommodation comprises 59 two-bed retirement units, four one-bed units, 12 two-bed duplex units and 25 two-bed single storey detached and semi-detached units. Refurbish Woodstown Manor and new build single storey extension to provide ancillary facilities, restaurant, health and well being centre. Provision of 155 surface car-parking spaces. The demolition of single storey derelict house and outbuildings. Applicant: Mountbrook Group.
Fingal
APPLICATIONS
Location: Rowlestown, Swords, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 40 dwellings comprising 23 three-bed semis, two three-bed detached bungalows, seven four-bed semis, five four-bed detached houses, three five-bed detached houses, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Eastern Homes Ltd.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Deerpark House and Fawn Lodge, Castleknock Road, Dublin 15. Proposed development: demolish house and outhouses/stables for a three-storey block with 18 apartments (five two-beds and one three-bed at ground floor, first floor and second floor level). Car-parking, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Fiancon Builders Ltd.
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: townland of Lanestown, Donabate, Co Dublin. Proposed development: warehousing distribution centre with 66,629sq m (717,188sq ft) to include administration offices, training centre, meeting rooms, communication rooms, rest rooms, kitchen and restaurant. Provision of 595 car-parking spaces; 252 truck/trailer parking spaces; 61 loading docks; 27,000-litre diesel oil tank and 36,000-litre gas oil tanks; vehicle maintenance building; workshop/battery charging area; site security building; landscaping and boundary treatment. Applicant: Dunnes Stores.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
APPEALS
Location: 18 Exchange Street Upper, Dublin 8. Proposed development: demolish structures for a 12-storey 44-room hotel. Applicant: Accol Investments Ltd. Appellant(s): Colm MacEochaidh, An Taisce.
Location: 30-33 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (protected structure). Proposed development: demolish office space to rear for a five-storey office; change of use to retail of part of ground floor and site works. Applicant: The O'Shea Partnership. Appellant(s): Miley and Miley Hurstview Ltd and the Molesworth Partnership, The O'Shea Partnership, Spinoff Ltd.
Location: Muldowneys Lounge/Bar, Main Street, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish pub, business centre, cottages and outbuildings for seven houses, 68 apartments, a pub and two retail/food stores. Applicant: Frank and Mark Smith. Appellant(s): Department of Defence.
Location: The Glen, Glenamuck Road, Carrickmines, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house and outbuildings for 49 apartments with site works. Applicant: James Rossiter. Appellant(s): Ian Murphy.
Location: land at Aiken Village, the house formally known as Greenacres, Hillcrest Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house for 146 apartments with car-parking, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Highland Estates Ltd. Appellant(s): Phillip and Louise Volschenk and Georgina Kickham.
Location: Assumption Convent, Assumption Court, Mount Argus Road, Dublin 6W. Proposed development: demolish convent building and garage for 15 apartments with site works. Applicant: Little Sisters of the Assumption. Appellant(s): Residents of Church Park Avenue.
Location: former Shell station, Parnell Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 19 apartments and a medical consultants office. Applicant: Mark Carroll and Vincent Byrne. Appellant(s): Josephine Kelly.
Location: University Hall, Hatch Street Lower, Dublin 2. Proposed development: refurbish and change of use from residential/educational to residential use, comprising the demolition of existing section and erection of a six-storey building and 36 apartments. Applicant: Edward Residential Assets Ltd. Appellant(s): Fr M Curry, S.J. Superior, John O'Keeffe S.J. Superior.
Location: Alexandra College, Milltown Road, Dublin 6. Proposed development: two-storey over semi-basement building comprising sports hall, associated facilities and site works. Applicant: The Council of Alexandra College. Appellant(s): Sandra Coughlan, Marion Masterson, The Council of Alexandra College.
Location: north-eastern portion of former Bray Golf Club lands and part of Industrial Yarns site, Bray, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 348 residential units, retail, car-parking, demolition of outbuildings, new access off the Dublin Road and site works. Applicant: Pizarro Developments Ltd. Appellant(s): Joanne Connolly, Pizarro Developments, Zapi Properties Ltd.
Location: former Bray Golf Club lands, Bray, Co Wicklow. Proposed development: 603 residential units with community and commercial elements. Applicant: Pizarro Developments Ltd. Appellant(s): Joanne Connolly, S.W.A.P, Pizarro Developments Ltd, Bray Retail Group, Maeve and Colm McCormack, Bryan Glynn and Emer Woodfull, Declan and Celia Lavelle, Zapi Properties Ltd, Ciaran O'Brian.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: National Autoparts and O'Brien Ltd, Camac Close, Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 126 apartments, four live/work units, retail and site works. Applicant: The Camac Close Partnership (with revised conditions).
Location: phase two, Cornerpark, Newcastle, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 98 houses, 23 apartments, five duplex units, crèche and Montessori buildings with 195 car-parking spaces and site works. Applicant: Opus Developments Ltd (with revised conditions).
Location: Coolamber, Lock Road, Finnstown, Lucan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish house for 59 houses, 17 apartments and site works. Applicant: Niall Molloy T/A Finnstown Co Ownership (with revised conditions).
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: Ards, Cartref and Foxley, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish Cartref and Ards and associated outhouses for 127 apartments, penthouses and duplex units in four buildings with underground car-parking for 139 cars and 35 surface parking spaces. Block 1: two storeys with 34 residential units. Block 2: three and part four storeys with 27 units. Block 3: five storeys with 42 residential units. Block 4: four storeys with 24 residential units. The development will also include a wellness centre. The existing house at "Foxley" is to be retained and the rear garden to be shortened. Applicant: The CARDS Partnership.
Location: Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Proposed development: 82 residential units in a building from five to eight storeys. The residential units will comprise 14 one-beds, 56 two-beds and 12 three-beds). Provision of a 156sq m (1,679sq ft) crèche building and 134 car-parking spaces, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Cornick Developments Ltd.
Location: Castle Court, Whitehall Road, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Proposed development: detached three-storey apartment building comprising 20 units (six one-beds, nine two-beds and five three-beds); 27 car-parking spaces at basement level and site works. Applicant: Kellyville Ltd.
Location: Texaco Service Station, Churchtown Road Upper, Dublin 14. Proposed development: medical centre and pharmacy with 11 car-parking spaces at surface level and 38 car-parking spaces at basement level. The 327sq m (3,520sq ft) medical centre will comprising eight treatment rooms and 157sq m (1,690sq ft) of pharmacy use at ground floor level, 180sq m (1,938sq ft) of dental/medical treatment use comprising four treatment rooms, 120sq m (1,292sq ft) physiotherapy studio with four physiotherapy rooms and a 60sq m (646sq ft) work-out studio at first floor level and two open-plan offices. Associated site works. Applicant: M Cox, R Power, A Mehtar and M Mehigan.
Location: Leigh House and Arcot on the corner of Newtownpark Avenue and Holly Park Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Proposed development: demolish two houses for a three-storey apartment block with 18 units (three one-beds, 10 two-beds and five three-beds). Provision of 23 car-parking spaces. Applicant: William Montgomery and Vincent Marsland.
Dublin City Council
APPLICATIONS
Location: 10-12 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish three-storey office building for an office block from one to six storeys all over one lower ground and one basement level. Office space from lower ground floor to fifth floor level. Provision of 15 car-parking spaces at basement level; courtyard at ground floor level and sunken courtyard at lower ground; landscaping and site works. Applicant: Irish Property Unit Management Services.
Location: site at junction of Balfe Road, Drimnagh Road and Walkinstown Road, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish two bank buildings and two factory buildings for a two-storey bank fronting onto Walkinstown Road, a two-storey supermarket fronting onto Walkinstown Road and Balfe Road with parking, 45 apartments (eight one-beds, 31 two-beds and six three-beds) and 150 car-parking spaces. The scheme is from three to five storeys. Applicant: Dundalk SRH Ltd.
Location: 12/13 Dorset Street Upper, Dublin 1. Proposed development: demolish 12 Upper Dorset Street (protected structure) - gable and front façade to be retained - and complete demolition of 13 Upper Dorset Street for a residential/medical consultant use in a five-storey block with eight two-bed apartments. Applicant: Shane Murphy.
Location: 1-3 East Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: total of 69,777sq m (751,073sq ft) comprising a hotel, offices, retail and café/restaurant in four blocks from four to 15 storeys. Block A: six-storey building with 165-bedroom hotel with restaurant, bar, meeting room and conference room. Block B: 15-storey building with retail floor space, café/restaurant facilities, office reception area, ancillary areas and offices. Block C: eight storeys with a restaurant, offices, reception area, auditorium, staff canteen, ancillary areas and office accommodation. Block D: four/six storeys with a central atrium incorporating office reception area, ancillary areas and offices. The four blocks will be above a shared two-storey basement car-park with 770 spaces. Applicant: Villeer Developments.
Location: site designated as 5B Shangan Avenue, bounded by Shangan Green to the north, Shangan Gardens to the east, Whitcare Park and residential estate to the south, 1-56 Shangan Avenue, Ballymun, Dublin 9. Proposed development: 57 residential units from one to three storeys and consisting of 25 apartments, one duplex and 31 terraced houses. Provision of 85 car-parking spaces at surface level, site and landscaping works. Applicant: Ballymun Regeneration Ltd.
South Dublin
APPLICATIONS
Location: Woodstown Manor, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Proposed development: 100 retirement units within four three-storey blocks; three two-storey blocks and 25 single storey units. The accommodation comprises 59 two-bed retirement units, four one-bed units, 12 two-bed duplex units and 25 two-bed single storey detached and semi-detached units. Refurbish Woodstown Manor and new build single storey extension to provide ancillary facilities, restaurant, health and well being centre. Provision of 155 surface car-parking spaces. The demolition of single storey derelict house and outbuildings. Applicant: Mountbrook Group.
Fingal
APPLICATIONS
Location: Rowlestown, Swords, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 40 dwellings comprising 23 three-bed semis, two three-bed detached bungalows, seven four-bed semis, five four-bed detached houses, three five-bed detached houses, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Eastern Homes Ltd.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Deerpark House and Fawn Lodge, Castleknock Road, Dublin 15. Proposed development: demolish house and outhouses/stables for a three-storey block with 18 apartments (five two-beds and one three-bed at ground floor, first floor and second floor level). Car-parking, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Fiancon Builders Ltd.
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: townland of Lanestown, Donabate, Co Dublin. Proposed development: warehousing distribution centre with 66,629sq m (717,188sq ft) to include administration offices, training centre, meeting rooms, communication rooms, rest rooms, kitchen and restaurant. Provision of 595 car-parking spaces; 252 truck/trailer parking spaces; 61 loading docks; 27,000-litre diesel oil tank and 36,000-litre gas oil tanks; vehicle maintenance building; workshop/battery charging area; site security building; landscaping and boundary treatment. Applicant: Dunnes Stores.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Grehan to lodge plans for landmark Howth site
PLANS FOR a luxury waterfront apartment scheme at the old Techrete site in Howth will shortly be lodged with Fingal County Council.
Ray Grehan's Glenkerrin Homes is finalising proposals for the 10-acre site which encompasses the Techrete site and the adjoining Teeling Motors site adjacent to Claremont Strand.
Glenkerrin paid €50 million for the 5.8-acre Techrete site last year when the building supplies firm Techrete decided to relocate to Balbriggan. Grehan later purchased the adjoining Teeling site.
At the time the waterfront site was billed as one of the most valuable pieces of undeveloped land in north Co Dublin.
Glenkerrin plans to build apartments, a boutique hotel, shops, offices and a leisure centre on the site.
The site has mixed-use zoning and, given its proximity to the Dart, Glenkerrin is likely to seek permission for over 500 residential units on the site.
The scheme is being designed by world-renowned architects Foster + Partner. The architecture firm has also designed Glenkerrin's 63-storey tower planned for London's docklands as well as the developer's large mixed-use Ealing Leaf scheme in Ealing, west London. In a statement issued yesterday, the developer said it is working with the local authority to develop two acres of public park and tennis courts close to the site. A new bridge allowing access to Claremount Strand and an upgraded promenade are also under negotiation.
The scheme will rejuvenate the village of Howth, according to the developer, who says that population in Howth fell by 6 per cent between 2002 and 2006.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Ray Grehan's Glenkerrin Homes is finalising proposals for the 10-acre site which encompasses the Techrete site and the adjoining Teeling Motors site adjacent to Claremont Strand.
Glenkerrin paid €50 million for the 5.8-acre Techrete site last year when the building supplies firm Techrete decided to relocate to Balbriggan. Grehan later purchased the adjoining Teeling site.
At the time the waterfront site was billed as one of the most valuable pieces of undeveloped land in north Co Dublin.
Glenkerrin plans to build apartments, a boutique hotel, shops, offices and a leisure centre on the site.
The site has mixed-use zoning and, given its proximity to the Dart, Glenkerrin is likely to seek permission for over 500 residential units on the site.
The scheme is being designed by world-renowned architects Foster + Partner. The architecture firm has also designed Glenkerrin's 63-storey tower planned for London's docklands as well as the developer's large mixed-use Ealing Leaf scheme in Ealing, west London. In a statement issued yesterday, the developer said it is working with the local authority to develop two acres of public park and tennis courts close to the site. A new bridge allowing access to Claremount Strand and an upgraded promenade are also under negotiation.
The scheme will rejuvenate the village of Howth, according to the developer, who says that population in Howth fell by 6 per cent between 2002 and 2006.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Council rejects residential schemes in Cabinteely
DÚN LAOGHAIRE-Rathdown County Council has refused planning permission for two residential schemes on the Old Bray Road, Cabinteely, Co Dublin.
The Cards Partnership was proposing a scheme of 127 apartments and duplexes on the grounds of Ards and Cartref, two houses that they were looking to demolish. The development would have been in four blocks rising to five storeys.
The council said that the existing road network doesn't have the capacity to cater for the scale and density of development and that the applicant had not demonstrated that the proposed development can be accommodated at this location.
It added that the scale and density would result in "unacceptable traffic congestion" in Cabinteely village.
In July 2005 the partnership paid a total of €8.9 million for the 2.85-acre site when it bought two adjoining houses on the Old Bray Road.
Cornick Developments was also refused permission by the council for an 82-unit residential scheme on a site on the Old Bray Road.
According to the council, because the site occupies a very prominent position overlooking the N11, "a high quality, imaginative and site specific design" would be required in order "to successfully accommodate a new development into the existing streetscape. In this instance the planning authority is not satisfied that these criteria have been met."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Cards Partnership was proposing a scheme of 127 apartments and duplexes on the grounds of Ards and Cartref, two houses that they were looking to demolish. The development would have been in four blocks rising to five storeys.
The council said that the existing road network doesn't have the capacity to cater for the scale and density of development and that the applicant had not demonstrated that the proposed development can be accommodated at this location.
It added that the scale and density would result in "unacceptable traffic congestion" in Cabinteely village.
In July 2005 the partnership paid a total of €8.9 million for the 2.85-acre site when it bought two adjoining houses on the Old Bray Road.
Cornick Developments was also refused permission by the council for an 82-unit residential scheme on a site on the Old Bray Road.
According to the council, because the site occupies a very prominent position overlooking the N11, "a high quality, imaginative and site specific design" would be required in order "to successfully accommodate a new development into the existing streetscape. In this instance the planning authority is not satisfied that these criteria have been met."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Redevelopment of Rathcoole pub poses risk to aircraft at Baldonnel says Department of Defence
THE DEPARTMENT of Defence has appealed a proposal to redevelop Muldowneys bar in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, into a four-storey residential and retail development to An Bord Pleanála because it could pose a risk “to aircraft approaching and departing Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel”.
Frank and Mark Smith are looking to demolish the pub and business centre, as well as cottages and outbuildings, and build 68 apartments,seven houses, a new pub and two shops in three blocks ranging from three to four storey developments..
The department says the proposed development is located within the safety cone for runway 05 at Casement Aerodrome “which conflicts with the Department of Defence’s safeguarding policy for Casement”. The appeal says that pilot training regularly occurs “with both novice and experienced pilots. It is the opinion of the Department that this development could pose a risk to aircraft approaching and departing Casement.
“This risk would also pose a threat to members of the public should an incident occur at the site in question,” says the appeal.
Right: Aer Corp officers at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel. Photograph: Alan Betson
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Frank and Mark Smith are looking to demolish the pub and business centre, as well as cottages and outbuildings, and build 68 apartments,seven houses, a new pub and two shops in three blocks ranging from three to four storey developments..
The department says the proposed development is located within the safety cone for runway 05 at Casement Aerodrome “which conflicts with the Department of Defence’s safeguarding policy for Casement”. The appeal says that pilot training regularly occurs “with both novice and experienced pilots. It is the opinion of the Department that this development could pose a risk to aircraft approaching and departing Casement.
“This risk would also pose a threat to members of the public should an incident occur at the site in question,” says the appeal.
Right: Aer Corp officers at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel. Photograph: Alan Betson
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dermo delivers for D4 and D6
Given that much building work is now concentrated on home extensions, its hardly surprising that one-time architect Ruairí Quinn TD has joined with Labour councillor Dermot Lacey to deliver - to every home in their constituencies - what is grandly called Dermot Laceys Planning Guide.
Wondering how to make a planning application for an extension, asks Lacey? Or for a drive or a porch? Ditto. Got some vague idea of conversions of garages into livingrooms? Dermo of Dublin 4 and 6 has the answers. Actually, its a well produced colour brochure which instructs on above and offers advice on how to complete your planning applications and how to appeal if refused. In what is sure to be a well-read section, it also instructs on how to comment on other peoples' published plans and how to appeal against them.
We imagine that latter section will be much in demand by the plain people of Ballsbridge, given the proliferation of multi-millionaire developers who have swooped upon their back gardens in recent years.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wondering how to make a planning application for an extension, asks Lacey? Or for a drive or a porch? Ditto. Got some vague idea of conversions of garages into livingrooms? Dermo of Dublin 4 and 6 has the answers. Actually, its a well produced colour brochure which instructs on above and offers advice on how to complete your planning applications and how to appeal if refused. In what is sure to be a well-read section, it also instructs on how to comment on other peoples' published plans and how to appeal against them.
We imagine that latter section will be much in demand by the plain people of Ballsbridge, given the proliferation of multi-millionaire developers who have swooped upon their back gardens in recent years.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
High hopes for Cork high rise
What have Big Ben, the Empire State building and the Eiffel Tower got in common? They’re all pretty tall and they all feature on the hoarding of Ireland’s latest high rise building, The Elysian, in Cork city centre.
Developers O’Flynn Construction have been keeping a tight wrap on the 17-storey project, which is now complete with 211 apartments ready to go along with shops and offices. A team of London interior decorators has been busy creating show units that are set to annihilate Cork at a lavish launch planned for the middle of September. Meanwhile teaser advertisements have begun to trickle out to whet the appetite but so far no prices have been set for the apartments which range from roomy one-beds to vast master-of-the-universe penthouses.
The timing may not be the best, but no doubt AIB, which is backing Elysian, will be encouraging its high net worth clients to invest in the high life.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Developers O’Flynn Construction have been keeping a tight wrap on the 17-storey project, which is now complete with 211 apartments ready to go along with shops and offices. A team of London interior decorators has been busy creating show units that are set to annihilate Cork at a lavish launch planned for the middle of September. Meanwhile teaser advertisements have begun to trickle out to whet the appetite but so far no prices have been set for the apartments which range from roomy one-beds to vast master-of-the-universe penthouses.
The timing may not be the best, but no doubt AIB, which is backing Elysian, will be encouraging its high net worth clients to invest in the high life.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
McManus gets permission to build lake on grounds of Limerick mansion
JP MCMANUS has been given permission to build a lake on the grounds of his new mansion in Martinstown, Co Limerick.
Limerick County Council was initially unhappy with the scale of the project. However, the local authority has since approved the development of a scaled-down lake.
The size of the lake for which planning permission has been approved is 5,500sq m, which is just under 1.25 acres.
Originally, the lake was to cover an area of 31,000sq m – almost 2½ times the size of Croke Park – and its border was to resemble that of the Limerick county boundary.
However, when plans for the lake were lodged with the county council earlier this year, planners said the size and shape of the lake would not blend into the local countryside.
The local authority requested that the applicant, Noreen McManus – Mr McManus’s wife – supply a revised version of the plan minimising the use of artificial embankments and using gently sloping grades. This week the council granted permission for the elaborate project subject to 11 conditions.
One of the conditions is that no motorised vehicles be used on the lake and that the proposed boathouse, which is to be constructed nearby, must not be used for any other activity apart from those relating to the lake.
Another condition is that no fish can be stocked in the lake without prior written approval of the planning authority.
The council also specifies that the proposed lake must not reduce the outflow to the nearby Knockannacarta stream.
The house is still under construction but is expected to be completed before the end of the year. The 40,000sq ft property has nine bedrooms and features a 200-seat cinema, gym with 18-metre pool, sauna, steam room and hot tubs, a vast wine cellar and a “panic room”.
The house, which resembles the stately homes built in the 17th and 18th centuries, is about 27 times the size of an average modern home.
Two years ago, Mr McManus gave the local Staker Wallace GAA grounds a substantial sum for its grounds and built a replacement venue for it nearby with a pavilion and playing pitches.
The original GAA ground had a very strategic view of the McManus estate.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Limerick County Council was initially unhappy with the scale of the project. However, the local authority has since approved the development of a scaled-down lake.
The size of the lake for which planning permission has been approved is 5,500sq m, which is just under 1.25 acres.
Originally, the lake was to cover an area of 31,000sq m – almost 2½ times the size of Croke Park – and its border was to resemble that of the Limerick county boundary.
However, when plans for the lake were lodged with the county council earlier this year, planners said the size and shape of the lake would not blend into the local countryside.
The local authority requested that the applicant, Noreen McManus – Mr McManus’s wife – supply a revised version of the plan minimising the use of artificial embankments and using gently sloping grades. This week the council granted permission for the elaborate project subject to 11 conditions.
One of the conditions is that no motorised vehicles be used on the lake and that the proposed boathouse, which is to be constructed nearby, must not be used for any other activity apart from those relating to the lake.
Another condition is that no fish can be stocked in the lake without prior written approval of the planning authority.
The council also specifies that the proposed lake must not reduce the outflow to the nearby Knockannacarta stream.
The house is still under construction but is expected to be completed before the end of the year. The 40,000sq ft property has nine bedrooms and features a 200-seat cinema, gym with 18-metre pool, sauna, steam room and hot tubs, a vast wine cellar and a “panic room”.
The house, which resembles the stately homes built in the 17th and 18th centuries, is about 27 times the size of an average modern home.
Two years ago, Mr McManus gave the local Staker Wallace GAA grounds a substantial sum for its grounds and built a replacement venue for it nearby with a pavilion and playing pitches.
The original GAA ground had a very strategic view of the McManus estate.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Conversations about architecture
One thing is certain, people in Ireland care deeply and passionately about their built environment. The demise in local character of our cities, towns and villages; concerns over energy security and the need to change the way we live and build; the desire to access more information on architecture; and a sense of exclusion from decision making - these were just some of the issues vigorously debated in a series of nationwide public consultations that took place in May and June. Conversations about Architecture were commissioned by the Department of the Environment and organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation to coincide with the current development of a new Policy on Architecture.
The Policy is being developed by the Department, overseen by a Steering Committee appointed by Minister Gormley and chaired by Professor Loughlin Kealy. Uniquely, the public consultation process took place prior to the release of a Draft Policy, which means that public opinion can significantly influence the content.
Over 200 consultations took place in eight locations throughout the country including Galway, Waterford,Cork, Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon,Athlone, Swords (Fingal) and Dublin.The meetings were facilited by company Interactions.
I joined the Conversations in three of these venues: Limerick city, currently the focus of a major regeneration programme of its ailing social housing estates; Carrick-on Shannon, where holiday homes and one-off housing in the country side were hot topics; and Dublin which has seen dramatic changes in its urban infrastructure over the past decade and battles with issues such as building height and densification. Audiences were diverse and included members of the general public, local authority staff, members of regeneration committees, architects, students of architecture, as well as interest groups such as An Talsce and the Limerick Georgian Society.
The Dublin Conversation was opened by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, TD who stayed for some time to listen on an exceptionally busy day in Irish politics - the day of the Lisbon Treaty Vote. The Minister stressed the importance of the two tier public consultation process, which includes public engagement both prior and after the drafting of the policy, saying that "it will provide the maximum level of public input into the key themes and issues which are emerging as the policy is being developed - this is not a fait compile". When asked by Architecture Ireland, which top issues he expects to emerge from the conversations, Minister Gormley said: "Energy awareness is the defining issue of our age and has to be worked into all of our buildings "He also emphasised that the "anything goes in rural architecture in Ireland needs urgent attention, as we compare very badly indeed with our European neighbours'.' Architecture and Sustainability
As predicted by Minister John Gormley, concerns over energy security were high on the agenda in Conversations about Architecture. "Ireland has been on an energy binge and as a result our carbon foot print is currently twice that of Sweden," said an attendee of the Dublin meeting, who specialises in eco architecture. The use of carbon taxes and tax incentives to promote the use of alternative energy sources was heavily discussed as was the need to educate clients to demand more sustainable buildings. "A building in Ireland does not have to be air-conditioned, yet many clients demand it," argued one contributor. The Conversations agreed that rising fuel prices are dramatically changing the patterns of our lives and pose a significant challenge to people wishing to live in one-off houses in the countryside.
However, the debate on whether one-off houses in the country were sustainable was a divided one in all three locations, Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon and Dublin, with much criticism hailed at our urban environments, which fail to attract people into the cities. A young woman in Limerick lamented the fact that she was being prevented by current planning from building a house on her parents' farm. City living was simply not an option for her, as she argued: "We don't do cities well in Ireland, which is why there is a flight from the city to the land in Limerick"
The'rural idyll' was challenged by another contributor who said that rural dwellers were often cut off from essential services, which posed a particular problem for elderly people. Several attendees of the Dublin meeting agreed that cities were important places in modern life and that the European trend was for living in cities. "We have to make our cities better places" was the consensus in both Dublin and Limerick. However, the consultations also identified that we "can learn from our new immigrants how to use our cities and urban spaces "Several contributors in Limerick noted that it was encouraging to see how the Shannon quays, parks and urban squares were heavily used by young immigrant families, bringing much-needed life into the otherwise depopulated city centre. "Our cities are being energised by these new residents," was how one attendee described it.
In Carrick-on-Shannon a lively conversation focused on "poorly designed housing estates "that had "sprung up" in many locations in County Leitrim and a debate ensued whether it was more sustainable to retrofit these houses or simply replace them with new eco-homes. A popular holiday destination, Carrick-on-Shannon also faces a particular problem with the sprawl of holiday homes, many of which lay dormant for most of the year. "All around me are pockets of emptiness," was how one contributor hauntingly described his local environment.
Local Character
Concern over a growing lack of local identity and character in the built environment was one of the most heavily debated issues of these consultations. "We are using the same recipes for all our towns and villages" said one woman in Carrick-on-Shannon and criticised the fact that most housing estates ignored issues such as orientation, setting, local style and materials. "We would like to see something in the new Architecture Policy about the need for architecture to respect a locality "agreed people in Carrick-on-Shannon. A contributor to the Dublin meeting complained about the growing densification of certain areas in the city. He said he was "saddened" when a two-storey street was suddenly turned into a five-storey apartment building. "We may not have architectural knowledge but we all understand the loss of what makes a place special; the everyday is disappearing fast;said this attendee.
Contributors to the Conversations also had strong feelings about individual buildings in their locality. For example, the restored courthouse The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon - now a heavily programmed arts centre - was cited as a good example of how historic buildings can be adapted to new use, while the "anywhere character" of the local retail park and surrounding housing estates was condemned. The Dublin meeting also discussed how older buildings can be successfully re-used, even if they are not as energy efficient as new buildings, as they are essential to the character of an area, with Temple Bar being cited as a positive example. "We need to preserve buildings but also be creative with their new use" said one participant.
Education
Overall, the Conversations expressed a strong desire for more education in architecture people were willing to engage but felt they lacked the knowledge and tools to do so. "For most people the word architecture does not enter their vocabulary" was one statement in Carrick-on-Shannon, while another attendee describes architecture as an "opaque profession" All three meetings agreed that architectural education must start primary school level and a teacher based in a national school in one of Limerick's regeneration areas illustrated how she recently taught young children by inviting them to draw up plans for their immediate environment. The teacher criticised that the primary school children, who had developed "a lot of good ideas" were not consulted in the regeneration process. Contributors also condemned the lack of inspirational school buildings, with many schools being accommodated in porter cabins. "Do we need architecture in our schools, or do we need good school architecture?" was one poignant comment.
The conversations agreed that architectural education could not be left to the school curriculum alone but that it was necessary to educate the wider population. Initiatives such as the DoE's Heritage Week, the RIAI's Simon Open Day and the Irish Architecture Foundation's Open House weekend were all cited as good examples An architecture student at UL, who attended the Limerick meeting, said:"architecture was not taught in my school and I have a total different concept of it now. I realise that it is not just about designing a big iconic building."
Architecture and Planning
Many of the architects attending the meetings in Limerick, Carrickon-Shannon and Dublin criticised that the lack of architectural knowledge within local authorities was a big issue. Planners are not trained in architecture and are often ill-equipped to understand drawings, yet they make important decisions on the environment" said one architect, while another called for "architects, planners and engineers to work together to achieve better quality in our infrastructure "Several attendees blamed the fact that many local authorities in Ireland have not yet employed a city or county architect,although this had been an 'Action' in the last policy, Action on Architecture (2002-2005).The meetings were in agreement that local authority departments should work more closely together so that decisions that effect the built environment were taken by a multi-disciplinary team. "The structures in local authorities have to change to allow more collaboration," concluded the Dublin meeting.
For Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, which organised Conversations about Architecture, the consultations were "an essential and vital opportunity to listen to the public, who are the users and developers of the built environment" Marc Ritchie Architecture Policy Coordinator with the DoEHLG, agrees that the Conversations have demonstrated that there is a considerable hunger for engagement with architecture/The feedback that we are getting is that people really appreciated that we were talking to them, particularly at a stage when the consultations can influence the writing of the new policy" says Ritchie. He also emphasises the importance of an architectural policy. "The Irish Architecture Foundation was established as a direct result of the last architectural policy, as Action on Architecture (2002-2005) had recommended the setting up of a virtual architecture centre" explains Ritchie.
Although the nationwide meetings have concluded, there is still an invaluable opportunity for architects and members of the public to contribute to the new Policy on Architecture by making submissions through the website www.conversationsaboutarchitecture.ie
"Architecture is everyday life, it affects us all and we all need to be able to share in it" was a comment that could be heard over and over again in these consultations. It will be a particular challenge for the new Policy on Architecture to find creative ways to ensure a wider participation in matters relating to architecture and our built in environment. '
Sandra Andrea O'Connell
Architecture Ireland
www.buckplanning.ie
The Policy is being developed by the Department, overseen by a Steering Committee appointed by Minister Gormley and chaired by Professor Loughlin Kealy. Uniquely, the public consultation process took place prior to the release of a Draft Policy, which means that public opinion can significantly influence the content.
Over 200 consultations took place in eight locations throughout the country including Galway, Waterford,Cork, Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon,Athlone, Swords (Fingal) and Dublin.The meetings were facilited by company Interactions.
I joined the Conversations in three of these venues: Limerick city, currently the focus of a major regeneration programme of its ailing social housing estates; Carrick-on Shannon, where holiday homes and one-off housing in the country side were hot topics; and Dublin which has seen dramatic changes in its urban infrastructure over the past decade and battles with issues such as building height and densification. Audiences were diverse and included members of the general public, local authority staff, members of regeneration committees, architects, students of architecture, as well as interest groups such as An Talsce and the Limerick Georgian Society.
The Dublin Conversation was opened by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, TD who stayed for some time to listen on an exceptionally busy day in Irish politics - the day of the Lisbon Treaty Vote. The Minister stressed the importance of the two tier public consultation process, which includes public engagement both prior and after the drafting of the policy, saying that "it will provide the maximum level of public input into the key themes and issues which are emerging as the policy is being developed - this is not a fait compile". When asked by Architecture Ireland, which top issues he expects to emerge from the conversations, Minister Gormley said: "Energy awareness is the defining issue of our age and has to be worked into all of our buildings "He also emphasised that the "anything goes in rural architecture in Ireland needs urgent attention, as we compare very badly indeed with our European neighbours'.' Architecture and Sustainability
As predicted by Minister John Gormley, concerns over energy security were high on the agenda in Conversations about Architecture. "Ireland has been on an energy binge and as a result our carbon foot print is currently twice that of Sweden," said an attendee of the Dublin meeting, who specialises in eco architecture. The use of carbon taxes and tax incentives to promote the use of alternative energy sources was heavily discussed as was the need to educate clients to demand more sustainable buildings. "A building in Ireland does not have to be air-conditioned, yet many clients demand it," argued one contributor. The Conversations agreed that rising fuel prices are dramatically changing the patterns of our lives and pose a significant challenge to people wishing to live in one-off houses in the countryside.
However, the debate on whether one-off houses in the country were sustainable was a divided one in all three locations, Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon and Dublin, with much criticism hailed at our urban environments, which fail to attract people into the cities. A young woman in Limerick lamented the fact that she was being prevented by current planning from building a house on her parents' farm. City living was simply not an option for her, as she argued: "We don't do cities well in Ireland, which is why there is a flight from the city to the land in Limerick"
The'rural idyll' was challenged by another contributor who said that rural dwellers were often cut off from essential services, which posed a particular problem for elderly people. Several attendees of the Dublin meeting agreed that cities were important places in modern life and that the European trend was for living in cities. "We have to make our cities better places" was the consensus in both Dublin and Limerick. However, the consultations also identified that we "can learn from our new immigrants how to use our cities and urban spaces "Several contributors in Limerick noted that it was encouraging to see how the Shannon quays, parks and urban squares were heavily used by young immigrant families, bringing much-needed life into the otherwise depopulated city centre. "Our cities are being energised by these new residents," was how one attendee described it.
In Carrick-on-Shannon a lively conversation focused on "poorly designed housing estates "that had "sprung up" in many locations in County Leitrim and a debate ensued whether it was more sustainable to retrofit these houses or simply replace them with new eco-homes. A popular holiday destination, Carrick-on-Shannon also faces a particular problem with the sprawl of holiday homes, many of which lay dormant for most of the year. "All around me are pockets of emptiness," was how one contributor hauntingly described his local environment.
Local Character
Concern over a growing lack of local identity and character in the built environment was one of the most heavily debated issues of these consultations. "We are using the same recipes for all our towns and villages" said one woman in Carrick-on-Shannon and criticised the fact that most housing estates ignored issues such as orientation, setting, local style and materials. "We would like to see something in the new Architecture Policy about the need for architecture to respect a locality "agreed people in Carrick-on-Shannon. A contributor to the Dublin meeting complained about the growing densification of certain areas in the city. He said he was "saddened" when a two-storey street was suddenly turned into a five-storey apartment building. "We may not have architectural knowledge but we all understand the loss of what makes a place special; the everyday is disappearing fast;said this attendee.
Contributors to the Conversations also had strong feelings about individual buildings in their locality. For example, the restored courthouse The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon - now a heavily programmed arts centre - was cited as a good example of how historic buildings can be adapted to new use, while the "anywhere character" of the local retail park and surrounding housing estates was condemned. The Dublin meeting also discussed how older buildings can be successfully re-used, even if they are not as energy efficient as new buildings, as they are essential to the character of an area, with Temple Bar being cited as a positive example. "We need to preserve buildings but also be creative with their new use" said one participant.
Education
Overall, the Conversations expressed a strong desire for more education in architecture people were willing to engage but felt they lacked the knowledge and tools to do so. "For most people the word architecture does not enter their vocabulary" was one statement in Carrick-on-Shannon, while another attendee describes architecture as an "opaque profession" All three meetings agreed that architectural education must start primary school level and a teacher based in a national school in one of Limerick's regeneration areas illustrated how she recently taught young children by inviting them to draw up plans for their immediate environment. The teacher criticised that the primary school children, who had developed "a lot of good ideas" were not consulted in the regeneration process. Contributors also condemned the lack of inspirational school buildings, with many schools being accommodated in porter cabins. "Do we need architecture in our schools, or do we need good school architecture?" was one poignant comment.
The conversations agreed that architectural education could not be left to the school curriculum alone but that it was necessary to educate the wider population. Initiatives such as the DoE's Heritage Week, the RIAI's Simon Open Day and the Irish Architecture Foundation's Open House weekend were all cited as good examples An architecture student at UL, who attended the Limerick meeting, said:"architecture was not taught in my school and I have a total different concept of it now. I realise that it is not just about designing a big iconic building."
Architecture and Planning
Many of the architects attending the meetings in Limerick, Carrickon-Shannon and Dublin criticised that the lack of architectural knowledge within local authorities was a big issue. Planners are not trained in architecture and are often ill-equipped to understand drawings, yet they make important decisions on the environment" said one architect, while another called for "architects, planners and engineers to work together to achieve better quality in our infrastructure "Several attendees blamed the fact that many local authorities in Ireland have not yet employed a city or county architect,although this had been an 'Action' in the last policy, Action on Architecture (2002-2005).The meetings were in agreement that local authority departments should work more closely together so that decisions that effect the built environment were taken by a multi-disciplinary team. "The structures in local authorities have to change to allow more collaboration," concluded the Dublin meeting.
For Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, which organised Conversations about Architecture, the consultations were "an essential and vital opportunity to listen to the public, who are the users and developers of the built environment" Marc Ritchie Architecture Policy Coordinator with the DoEHLG, agrees that the Conversations have demonstrated that there is a considerable hunger for engagement with architecture/The feedback that we are getting is that people really appreciated that we were talking to them, particularly at a stage when the consultations can influence the writing of the new policy" says Ritchie. He also emphasises the importance of an architectural policy. "The Irish Architecture Foundation was established as a direct result of the last architectural policy, as Action on Architecture (2002-2005) had recommended the setting up of a virtual architecture centre" explains Ritchie.
Although the nationwide meetings have concluded, there is still an invaluable opportunity for architects and members of the public to contribute to the new Policy on Architecture by making submissions through the website www.conversationsaboutarchitecture.ie
"Architecture is everyday life, it affects us all and we all need to be able to share in it" was a comment that could be heard over and over again in these consultations. It will be a particular challenge for the new Policy on Architecture to find creative ways to ensure a wider participation in matters relating to architecture and our built in environment. '
Sandra Andrea O'Connell
Architecture Ireland
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Locals call for review of housing development after flooding
PEOPLE living in one of the worst affected areas of the Newcastle West floods are calling on Limerick County Council to review a decision to grant planning permission for a leading housing development for lands that were flooded.
A private developer was given permission to develop on the lands at Dromindeel.
A number of objectors unsuccessfully appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Despite a recommendation from their own senior planning inspector that the development should be refused permission, An Bord Pleanála gave it the go-ahead.
The inspector, Brendan Wyse, in his report to An Bord Pleanála in June 2007 set out four reasons why it should be refused planning.
He stated: “Having regard to the submissions made in connection with the application and the appeal, the board is not satisfied that the issue of flood risk has been adequately addressed.”
In rejecting their own inspector’s recommendation, An Bord Pleanála said the development would not give rise to an increased risk of flooding.
As part of the planning permission, a condition is that the level of the land be raised. The land was badly affected in the August 1 floods when the River Arra burst its banks.
Local people say that it is now imperative for the council to review the planning in view of what happened.
Tom McCarthy, who was one of those who appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála, said they have drawn up a petition which has been signed by about 80 people.
He said: “We are sending this petition to the county council and the OPW for inclusion in their reports on the floods.”
He said the council should acquire the land by compulsory purchase order and turn it into a local park.
He said: “A report on flooding carried out by the OPW some years ago said a public park should be provided in this part of the town and this park could be used to act as a flood plain also in the event of flooding.”
Mr McCarthy said that if houses are developed on the lands, it will make the Dromindeel area of Newcastle West more vulnerable in the event of flooding of the River Arra.
He said it was a matter of urgency, given what happened on August 1, that the use of the lands be reviewed and a plan drawn up to secure it’s future use as an open space.
Meanwhile, the clean up is still continuing in Newcastle West and the local Lions Club have set up an account in the local branch of AIB to provide financial relief for those worst affected by the floods.
Limerick County Council have commenced work on a report on the flooding and are consulting with all those affected.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
A private developer was given permission to develop on the lands at Dromindeel.
A number of objectors unsuccessfully appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Despite a recommendation from their own senior planning inspector that the development should be refused permission, An Bord Pleanála gave it the go-ahead.
The inspector, Brendan Wyse, in his report to An Bord Pleanála in June 2007 set out four reasons why it should be refused planning.
He stated: “Having regard to the submissions made in connection with the application and the appeal, the board is not satisfied that the issue of flood risk has been adequately addressed.”
In rejecting their own inspector’s recommendation, An Bord Pleanála said the development would not give rise to an increased risk of flooding.
As part of the planning permission, a condition is that the level of the land be raised. The land was badly affected in the August 1 floods when the River Arra burst its banks.
Local people say that it is now imperative for the council to review the planning in view of what happened.
Tom McCarthy, who was one of those who appealed the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála, said they have drawn up a petition which has been signed by about 80 people.
He said: “We are sending this petition to the county council and the OPW for inclusion in their reports on the floods.”
He said the council should acquire the land by compulsory purchase order and turn it into a local park.
He said: “A report on flooding carried out by the OPW some years ago said a public park should be provided in this part of the town and this park could be used to act as a flood plain also in the event of flooding.”
Mr McCarthy said that if houses are developed on the lands, it will make the Dromindeel area of Newcastle West more vulnerable in the event of flooding of the River Arra.
He said it was a matter of urgency, given what happened on August 1, that the use of the lands be reviewed and a plan drawn up to secure it’s future use as an open space.
Meanwhile, the clean up is still continuing in Newcastle West and the local Lions Club have set up an account in the local branch of AIB to provide financial relief for those worst affected by the floods.
Limerick County Council have commenced work on a report on the flooding and are consulting with all those affected.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Higgins says one-off houses can solve flooding
A RETURN to one-off housing in rural areas could solve urban flooding, according to Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins.
Record torrential rain this month, which caused flooding problems in many parts of the country, should provide for a re-examination of planning policies that limit one-off housing, Mr Higgins said.
The Department of the Environment's Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines made it more difficult for potential homeowners to get planning permission to build one-off housing in rural areas, according to Mr Higgins.
He said that earlier this year, Minister for the Environment John Gormley published draft planning guidelines which would force developers and local authorities to build homes close to shops and schools.
Mr Higgins said it is often impossible for people in rural areas to obtain planning permission for housing.
As a result, many rural applicants are left with no other option but to move to urban locations to find somewhere to live.
"It stands to reason that if you have a huge volume of concrete structures in a confined area with tarmacadam roadways in the current era of climate change, then flooding will occur," Mr Higgins said.
He said a relaxation of planning regulations in rural areas would not alone lead to a greater and manageable population dispersal but would also restrict flooding because of soil permeability.
"Modern technology has the capability to cater for the problems previously caused by pollution from septic tank sewage disposal."
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the Minister would shortly publish guidelines that will ensure flood risk assessment becomes an integral part of the planning process. "Effective flood risk assessment within the planning process, good site selection and detailed design can ensure urban development proceeds without creating or exacerbating flood risk," he said.
In 2007, 30 per cent of residential plans granted permission were for single houses, usually located in rural areas, the spokesman said. "Ireland's planning authorities already operate a fairly flexible approach to rural settlement and urban and rural development trends are in proportion to the levels of population in urban and rural areas," he added.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Record torrential rain this month, which caused flooding problems in many parts of the country, should provide for a re-examination of planning policies that limit one-off housing, Mr Higgins said.
The Department of the Environment's Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines made it more difficult for potential homeowners to get planning permission to build one-off housing in rural areas, according to Mr Higgins.
He said that earlier this year, Minister for the Environment John Gormley published draft planning guidelines which would force developers and local authorities to build homes close to shops and schools.
Mr Higgins said it is often impossible for people in rural areas to obtain planning permission for housing.
As a result, many rural applicants are left with no other option but to move to urban locations to find somewhere to live.
"It stands to reason that if you have a huge volume of concrete structures in a confined area with tarmacadam roadways in the current era of climate change, then flooding will occur," Mr Higgins said.
He said a relaxation of planning regulations in rural areas would not alone lead to a greater and manageable population dispersal but would also restrict flooding because of soil permeability.
"Modern technology has the capability to cater for the problems previously caused by pollution from septic tank sewage disposal."
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the Minister would shortly publish guidelines that will ensure flood risk assessment becomes an integral part of the planning process. "Effective flood risk assessment within the planning process, good site selection and detailed design can ensure urban development proceeds without creating or exacerbating flood risk," he said.
In 2007, 30 per cent of residential plans granted permission were for single houses, usually located in rural areas, the spokesman said. "Ireland's planning authorities already operate a fairly flexible approach to rural settlement and urban and rural development trends are in proportion to the levels of population in urban and rural areas," he added.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Ireland's population to reach 6.7m by 2060
The Republic of Ireland's population is expected to increase by 53 per cent to 6.7 million by the year 2060, according to figures released today by the European Commission.
The projections, compiled by Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, show that the strongest population growth in the EU will occur in Ireland, along with the UK, Cyprus and Luxembourg.
The figures estimate that a quarter of Ireland's population will be aged 65 or over by 2060, with one in ten aged 80 or older.
The UK will have the largest population in the EU with 77 million, followed by France at 72 million and Germany with 71 million. The overall population in the EU will increase until 2035 when it is estimated it will reach a peak of 521 million.
Bulgaria, Romania and Poland are projected to show a net drop in population by 2060.
The statistics indicate that all European countries will all witness ageing populations with economies becoming increasingly dependent on migrants in order to maintain the size of its working age population.
Across the EU, the proportion of working age people to the dependent elderly will go from 25 per cent now to 53 per cent in 2060.
Ireland bucks the trend, but only slightly, with the ratio of working age Irish people to OAPs going from 16per cent now to 43 per cent in 2060.
From 2015, projects indicate that annual deaths in the EU will outnumber the annual births and 'natural' population growth will cease.
It is anticipated from that point that Europe's population will only grow as a result of migration.
Age Action said the projections provide clear evidence of the need for the Government to begin planning for an ageing society.
"The figures show why it is so important that the Government starts planning and preparing now for an ageing population," Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.
"We need to address issues such as pensions, services to enable older people remain living in their own
homes, transport and employment policies," he added.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
The projections, compiled by Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, show that the strongest population growth in the EU will occur in Ireland, along with the UK, Cyprus and Luxembourg.
The figures estimate that a quarter of Ireland's population will be aged 65 or over by 2060, with one in ten aged 80 or older.
The UK will have the largest population in the EU with 77 million, followed by France at 72 million and Germany with 71 million. The overall population in the EU will increase until 2035 when it is estimated it will reach a peak of 521 million.
Bulgaria, Romania and Poland are projected to show a net drop in population by 2060.
The statistics indicate that all European countries will all witness ageing populations with economies becoming increasingly dependent on migrants in order to maintain the size of its working age population.
Across the EU, the proportion of working age people to the dependent elderly will go from 25 per cent now to 53 per cent in 2060.
Ireland bucks the trend, but only slightly, with the ratio of working age Irish people to OAPs going from 16per cent now to 43 per cent in 2060.
From 2015, projects indicate that annual deaths in the EU will outnumber the annual births and 'natural' population growth will cease.
It is anticipated from that point that Europe's population will only grow as a result of migration.
Age Action said the projections provide clear evidence of the need for the Government to begin planning for an ageing society.
"The figures show why it is so important that the Government starts planning and preparing now for an ageing population," Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.
"We need to address issues such as pensions, services to enable older people remain living in their own
homes, transport and employment policies," he added.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 25 August 2008
Investigations underway into cause of Kerry mudslide
A company which began work on a wind farm on a mountain bog in north Kerry two weeks ago tonight said an independent investigation was being launched into the cause of a massive landslide which killed thousands of wild salmon and trout.
Tra Investments Limited in Tralee said geological experts would assess what led to a two kilometre long slick flowing off the Stacks Mountains polluting the most important water supplies.
The valuable rivers Smearlagh and Feale were badly affected with up to 3,000 salmon and sea trout killed by the liquid peat which blocked roads and swept away a bridge.
Kerry County Council and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board are also carrying out separate investigations into what caused the mudslide and the extent of the damage.
In a statement, Tra Investments said initial site works for a windfarm, which many local people opposed, began only a fortnight ago.
“The company has offered full assistance to the authorities in helping those affected, and the local community,” it said.
It has asked the experienced Carlow-based geotechnical consultants AGEC Ltd to investigate and Tra Investments said it would make the findings public.
A boil notice was issued to thousands of homes in North Kerry after the slick entered the water system and supplies turned brown.
Around 1,500 homes remained affected three days after the landslide began.
Eamon Cusack, chief executive of Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, said: “All I can say is that we’re following every lead and we’re obviously looking at the windfarm as a possible source of the start of the landslide.”
The Stacks region has been earmarked as a wind farm area but locals warned construction on one such development threatened to cause landslides.
The risk may have been compounded as the area has been hit by constant heavy rain throughout the summer.
The fisheries board will be seeking damages to recover the costs of clearing the rivers.
Fish in a tributary of the Smearlagh, a spawning stream of the Feale, were totally wiped out while stocks on the upper part of the Smearlagh were badly hit.
The adult fish on the lower parts of the Smearlagh and Feale were safe easing fears entire stocks could have been wiped out causing an ecological catastrophe.
Mr Cusack said the deaths of so many fish was a severe blow to one of the country’s top salmon rivers and it could take ten years to recover.
“The River Feale has continually produced good stocks of salmon, so any blow to that would be very severe in the national terms,” he said.
A survey carried out for Kerry County Council in 2004 did not find any previous signs of instability and a local farmer told consultants there had been no history of landslides in the last 60 years.
A windfarm has been built on similar mountain lands nearby and no problems have been encountered.
It is almost five years since the country suffered its last major landslide. Millions of euro of damage was caused after thousands of tons of rocks and mud crashed down on the tiny seaside village of Pollathomas, Co Mayo in September 2003 following torrential rain.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Tra Investments Limited in Tralee said geological experts would assess what led to a two kilometre long slick flowing off the Stacks Mountains polluting the most important water supplies.
The valuable rivers Smearlagh and Feale were badly affected with up to 3,000 salmon and sea trout killed by the liquid peat which blocked roads and swept away a bridge.
Kerry County Council and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board are also carrying out separate investigations into what caused the mudslide and the extent of the damage.
In a statement, Tra Investments said initial site works for a windfarm, which many local people opposed, began only a fortnight ago.
“The company has offered full assistance to the authorities in helping those affected, and the local community,” it said.
It has asked the experienced Carlow-based geotechnical consultants AGEC Ltd to investigate and Tra Investments said it would make the findings public.
A boil notice was issued to thousands of homes in North Kerry after the slick entered the water system and supplies turned brown.
Around 1,500 homes remained affected three days after the landslide began.
Eamon Cusack, chief executive of Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, said: “All I can say is that we’re following every lead and we’re obviously looking at the windfarm as a possible source of the start of the landslide.”
The Stacks region has been earmarked as a wind farm area but locals warned construction on one such development threatened to cause landslides.
The risk may have been compounded as the area has been hit by constant heavy rain throughout the summer.
The fisheries board will be seeking damages to recover the costs of clearing the rivers.
Fish in a tributary of the Smearlagh, a spawning stream of the Feale, were totally wiped out while stocks on the upper part of the Smearlagh were badly hit.
The adult fish on the lower parts of the Smearlagh and Feale were safe easing fears entire stocks could have been wiped out causing an ecological catastrophe.
Mr Cusack said the deaths of so many fish was a severe blow to one of the country’s top salmon rivers and it could take ten years to recover.
“The River Feale has continually produced good stocks of salmon, so any blow to that would be very severe in the national terms,” he said.
A survey carried out for Kerry County Council in 2004 did not find any previous signs of instability and a local farmer told consultants there had been no history of landslides in the last 60 years.
A windfarm has been built on similar mountain lands nearby and no problems have been encountered.
It is almost five years since the country suffered its last major landslide. Millions of euro of damage was caused after thousands of tons of rocks and mud crashed down on the tiny seaside village of Pollathomas, Co Mayo in September 2003 following torrential rain.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Developer Carroll plans 15-storey tower at Dublin Port
PROPERTY developer Liam Carroll has submitted plans for a 15-storey tower block as part of a redevelopment project on East Road near Dublin Port.
The tower is part of a four-building scheme which will see the construction of almost 60,500 square metres of office accommodation – more than the combined proposed Ballsbridge high-rise developments of Ray Grehan and Seán Dunne.
Besides offices, the 15-storey tower will include shops and cafes on the ground floor as well as a rooftop restaurant which will feature a balcony offering views over the city.
The scheme will be located on a 5.48-acre site acquired by Carroll in 2006 which includes the former Cookes Bakery, owned by chef Johnny Cooke before it went into examinership in 2006 and was bought out by the McCambridge Bakery Group.
Under Carroll's plans, the tower will be surrounded by three smaller buildings ranging in height from four to eight storeys, one of which will house a 165-bed hotel. The other two buildings will consist almost entirely of offices.
The four blocks will share a two-storey underground car park with 770 parking spaces along with parking for over 420 bicycles. Access to the development will be from the East Road.
Despite the ongoing property slowdown and concerns about oversupply in the Dublin office market, Carroll has proceeded with plans for several high-profile developments, including plans to replace Dublin department store Frawley's with offices and apartments.
It is understand that Carroll has around €1bn in finance at the moment, having securitised his future rental incomes using two banks, one of which was Bank of Scotland (Ireland), last year.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The tower is part of a four-building scheme which will see the construction of almost 60,500 square metres of office accommodation – more than the combined proposed Ballsbridge high-rise developments of Ray Grehan and Seán Dunne.
Besides offices, the 15-storey tower will include shops and cafes on the ground floor as well as a rooftop restaurant which will feature a balcony offering views over the city.
The scheme will be located on a 5.48-acre site acquired by Carroll in 2006 which includes the former Cookes Bakery, owned by chef Johnny Cooke before it went into examinership in 2006 and was bought out by the McCambridge Bakery Group.
Under Carroll's plans, the tower will be surrounded by three smaller buildings ranging in height from four to eight storeys, one of which will house a 165-bed hotel. The other two buildings will consist almost entirely of offices.
The four blocks will share a two-storey underground car park with 770 parking spaces along with parking for over 420 bicycles. Access to the development will be from the East Road.
Despite the ongoing property slowdown and concerns about oversupply in the Dublin office market, Carroll has proceeded with plans for several high-profile developments, including plans to replace Dublin department store Frawley's with offices and apartments.
It is understand that Carroll has around €1bn in finance at the moment, having securitised his future rental incomes using two banks, one of which was Bank of Scotland (Ireland), last year.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Hilton seeks to extend Dublin 2 hotel
Hilton Hotels Corporation is seeking to extend its hotel at Charlemont Place, overlooking the Grand Canal in Dublin 2.
Planning permission was lodged to Dublin City Council on 15 August, as part of an application by Bernard McNamara's Grattenlane, to redevelop McConnell House, a five-storey office building previously occupied by McConnell Advertising.
Under the plans, the existing office block, which dates from the 1960s, will be demolished and replaced with a mixed development of offices, a café and the Hilton extension. A protected structure is also located on the site.
The extension to the rear of the hotel will consist of a new seven-storey over single basement, comprising 34 hotel bedrooms, five meeting rooms, bars, lounges, gallery, health club and executive lounge. This will increase the total gross floor area (GFA) of the hotel from 10,243 square metres to 17,914 square metres, and the number of bedrooms to 245.
Bernard McNamara, along with Jerry O'Reilly and Eamon Sheild's Albert Properties, was previously refused planning permission in April 2007 to demolish McConnell House and replace it with an eight storey-office block and 16 apartments, on the grounds that the scheme's height and scale would be out of character with the area.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Planning permission was lodged to Dublin City Council on 15 August, as part of an application by Bernard McNamara's Grattenlane, to redevelop McConnell House, a five-storey office building previously occupied by McConnell Advertising.
Under the plans, the existing office block, which dates from the 1960s, will be demolished and replaced with a mixed development of offices, a café and the Hilton extension. A protected structure is also located on the site.
The extension to the rear of the hotel will consist of a new seven-storey over single basement, comprising 34 hotel bedrooms, five meeting rooms, bars, lounges, gallery, health club and executive lounge. This will increase the total gross floor area (GFA) of the hotel from 10,243 square metres to 17,914 square metres, and the number of bedrooms to 245.
Bernard McNamara, along with Jerry O'Reilly and Eamon Sheild's Albert Properties, was previously refused planning permission in April 2007 to demolish McConnell House and replace it with an eight storey-office block and 16 apartments, on the grounds that the scheme's height and scale would be out of character with the area.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Greencore to build near flood plain
GREENCORE has said that its plans for its 396-acre site in Mallow, Co Cork, remain unchanged despite the prospect of environment minister John Gormley introducing a ban on building on flood plains. According to documents submitted to Cork County Council, part of the development's proposed golf course, including some luxury golf lodges, will be located on a flood plain for the River Blackwater.
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said that Gormley's new planning guidelines would define a flood plain as an "an area of land next to a river or stream, which is susceptible to partial or complete inundation by water during a flood event".
Mallow saw heavy flooding earlier this month after the river broke its banks and the company told the council that a comprehensive review of its flood levels would have to take place before work on the development could begin.
It has also emerged that some areas of the site prone to flooding will be left undeveloped as a "designated protected wildlife habitat with a visitors centre to promote ecological and environmental awareness".
However, a Greencore spokeswoman denied that any other elements of the development would be located on the flood plain despite references to the wildlife habitat as "the undeveloped elements of the flood plain" in the documents.
"The only part of the site that has a flooding issue is the wildlife sanctuary," she said. "The rest of the site is not on the flood plain".
She said that the company had carried out a flood assessment on the site which found that everything was up to current flood engineering standards but declined to provide specific details.
The spokeswoman also added that the golf lodges which appeared to sit on the flood plain were actually on a higher elevation than the river.
Meanwhile, the company is also pressing ahead with its plans for it 333-acre project at the former sugar factory in Carlow. It is understood that the site was not inundated during the recent floods there.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said that Gormley's new planning guidelines would define a flood plain as an "an area of land next to a river or stream, which is susceptible to partial or complete inundation by water during a flood event".
Mallow saw heavy flooding earlier this month after the river broke its banks and the company told the council that a comprehensive review of its flood levels would have to take place before work on the development could begin.
It has also emerged that some areas of the site prone to flooding will be left undeveloped as a "designated protected wildlife habitat with a visitors centre to promote ecological and environmental awareness".
However, a Greencore spokeswoman denied that any other elements of the development would be located on the flood plain despite references to the wildlife habitat as "the undeveloped elements of the flood plain" in the documents.
"The only part of the site that has a flooding issue is the wildlife sanctuary," she said. "The rest of the site is not on the flood plain".
She said that the company had carried out a flood assessment on the site which found that everything was up to current flood engineering standards but declined to provide specific details.
The spokeswoman also added that the golf lodges which appeared to sit on the flood plain were actually on a higher elevation than the river.
Meanwhile, the company is also pressing ahead with its plans for it 333-acre project at the former sugar factory in Carlow. It is understood that the site was not inundated during the recent floods there.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley paves way to end patios
The government is considering controlling the building of garden patios, the ultimate symbol of the Celtic Tiger, following the costs of flooding in urban areas in recent weeks, Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said.
Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) chief executive Mike Kemp said a review of planning laws may require detailed attention on local building controls, such as paving over small areas of gardens that can lead to flood waters rising quickly.
Gormley had appeared to focus on the construction of large housing projects on flood plains in provincial towns, but said on Friday that the review will also include an examination of paving that could lead to floods in cities.
"The issue of the increasingly frequent trend of paving over entire residential gardens is under consideration by the department, as part of the preparation of the draft guidelines on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management," an environment department spokesman said.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) chief executive Mike Kemp said a review of planning laws may require detailed attention on local building controls, such as paving over small areas of gardens that can lead to flood waters rising quickly.
Gormley had appeared to focus on the construction of large housing projects on flood plains in provincial towns, but said on Friday that the review will also include an examination of paving that could lead to floods in cities.
"The issue of the increasingly frequent trend of paving over entire residential gardens is under consideration by the department, as part of the preparation of the draft guidelines on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management," an environment department spokesman said.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Crosbie set to press ahead with Dublin skyscraper
Businessman Harry Crosbie has reaffirmed plans to complete his 120-metre skyscraper in Dublin, despite the collapse in the property market, writes Gavin Daly.
A spokesman for Crosbie said that the Watchtower development was going ahead as planned, despite speculation in the construction sector that work on the project had stalled.
‘‘There hasn’t been any change [to the project],” said the spokesman for Crosbie, who said that the building was due to be completed in the second quarter of 2010.
If the project is completed as planned, it will the first residential skyscraper in the country. In the past week, users of the architects’ website Archiseek.com speculated that work on the Watchtower had stopped at ground level because of economic uncertainty.
The 39-storey Watchtower is part of Crosbie’s €850 million Point Village development on Dublin’s north quays. The development, on 12 acres, would include a shopping centre, offices, hotel and cinema, as well as the redeveloped Point Theatre music venue, renamed the O2.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) had intended that the Watchtower would form half of a ‘‘maritime gateway’’ to Dublin, standing across the Liffey from the planned U2 Tower. However, the U2-backed project has stalled, and the DDDA is still in discussions with the consortium behind it.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
A spokesman for Crosbie said that the Watchtower development was going ahead as planned, despite speculation in the construction sector that work on the project had stalled.
‘‘There hasn’t been any change [to the project],” said the spokesman for Crosbie, who said that the building was due to be completed in the second quarter of 2010.
If the project is completed as planned, it will the first residential skyscraper in the country. In the past week, users of the architects’ website Archiseek.com speculated that work on the Watchtower had stopped at ground level because of economic uncertainty.
The 39-storey Watchtower is part of Crosbie’s €850 million Point Village development on Dublin’s north quays. The development, on 12 acres, would include a shopping centre, offices, hotel and cinema, as well as the redeveloped Point Theatre music venue, renamed the O2.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) had intended that the Watchtower would form half of a ‘‘maritime gateway’’ to Dublin, standing across the Liffey from the planned U2 Tower. However, the U2-backed project has stalled, and the DDDA is still in discussions with the consortium behind it.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Car-pool programme initiated in Cork city
Residents of Cork city can sign up to share a pool of cars under a new transport initiative.
Cork City Council has entered a partnership with Mendes GoCar, a company that will provide vehicles for car-sharing for periods of as little as one hour.
It is the first time the system has been used in Ireland, but it has been in operation in Switzerland and Germany for 20 years, and for more than ten years in other parts of Europe, Britain and the US.
Private users of the system sign up online and pay a once-off fee of €50, while business customers register for €100 and pay €25 for any additional drivers. All users must have a full licence with at least two years’ driving experience, and have to pay a refundable deposit of €200.
Once authorised, they get a smartcard which unlocks the cars at a particular time, and a customer identification number, which is entered into a handset to start the car. There are eight vehicles in the fleet - six Ford Fiestas, one Ford Focus and one Ford Transit.
Fiestas cost €5 per hour to hire and 35 cent per kilometre driven, while the Focus and Transit cost €6 per hour and 40 cent for the first 100 kilometres driven. The costs include Vat, fuel, insurance and tax. The once-off fee is for administration.
Fifteen council staff and five private users have been signed up for trials since last Wednesday, before the official launch on September 19.
Mendes GoCar is an Irish consultancy that specialises in sustainable transport. It has a partnership with Cambio, a car-sharing company which operates in nine German and 13 Belgian cities. Irish customers of GoCar also have access to Cambio’s large fleet of cars overseas.
Graham Lightfoot, managing director of Mendes GoCar, said the scheme might be introduced in Dublin next year if it proved to be a success in Cork.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork City Council has entered a partnership with Mendes GoCar, a company that will provide vehicles for car-sharing for periods of as little as one hour.
It is the first time the system has been used in Ireland, but it has been in operation in Switzerland and Germany for 20 years, and for more than ten years in other parts of Europe, Britain and the US.
Private users of the system sign up online and pay a once-off fee of €50, while business customers register for €100 and pay €25 for any additional drivers. All users must have a full licence with at least two years’ driving experience, and have to pay a refundable deposit of €200.
Once authorised, they get a smartcard which unlocks the cars at a particular time, and a customer identification number, which is entered into a handset to start the car. There are eight vehicles in the fleet - six Ford Fiestas, one Ford Focus and one Ford Transit.
Fiestas cost €5 per hour to hire and 35 cent per kilometre driven, while the Focus and Transit cost €6 per hour and 40 cent for the first 100 kilometres driven. The costs include Vat, fuel, insurance and tax. The once-off fee is for administration.
Fifteen council staff and five private users have been signed up for trials since last Wednesday, before the official launch on September 19.
Mendes GoCar is an Irish consultancy that specialises in sustainable transport. It has a partnership with Cambio, a car-sharing company which operates in nine German and 13 Belgian cities. Irish customers of GoCar also have access to Cambio’s large fleet of cars overseas.
Graham Lightfoot, managing director of Mendes GoCar, said the scheme might be introduced in Dublin next year if it proved to be a success in Cork.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Banks in talks to provide low-cost loans for energy saving
The heads of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will meet with representatives of the main banks next week in a bid to encourage Irish lenders to provide low-interest retro-f it loans for homeowners and businesses.
CIF director Tom Parlon and SEI chairman Brendan Halligan are to meet Irish Bankers’ Federation chief executive Pat Farrell to discuss the provision of such loans for energy-saving improvements to homes and offices - such as insulating attics, replacing boilers, dry-lining walls and fitting double-glazed windows.
Parlon said he would ask that such loans have interest rates 1 to 2 per cent lower than those on current home improvement loans, and that their credit rate be triple-star.
Parlon believes there is €9 billion worth of retro-fitting to be carried out on current Irish housing stock, and that this market could provide work for tens of thousands of jobless construction works and boost lagging retail homeware sales.
‘‘A €20,000 loan would cover a major retro-fit, or a €10,000 loan would cover the basics,” he said.
‘‘We have already raised this possibility with some of the banks, and we believe they should look favourably on such loans as they are an investment that save on energy bills, are good for the environment, and generate jobs. The CIF is also considering the registration of allied contractors who have the skills to carry out a complete retro-fit, so homeowners won’t need to hire several tradesmen,” he said.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
CIF director Tom Parlon and SEI chairman Brendan Halligan are to meet Irish Bankers’ Federation chief executive Pat Farrell to discuss the provision of such loans for energy-saving improvements to homes and offices - such as insulating attics, replacing boilers, dry-lining walls and fitting double-glazed windows.
Parlon said he would ask that such loans have interest rates 1 to 2 per cent lower than those on current home improvement loans, and that their credit rate be triple-star.
Parlon believes there is €9 billion worth of retro-fitting to be carried out on current Irish housing stock, and that this market could provide work for tens of thousands of jobless construction works and boost lagging retail homeware sales.
‘‘A €20,000 loan would cover a major retro-fit, or a €10,000 loan would cover the basics,” he said.
‘‘We have already raised this possibility with some of the banks, and we believe they should look favourably on such loans as they are an investment that save on energy bills, are good for the environment, and generate jobs. The CIF is also considering the registration of allied contractors who have the skills to carry out a complete retro-fit, so homeowners won’t need to hire several tradesmen,” he said.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Floods cast fresh doubt on Tesco's superstore plans
TESCO wants to build a new superstore on a flood-prone site which found itself under water once more during the recent heavy rains.
An Bord Pleanala is to decide on a planning application for the supermarket, which is proposed for a flood plain.
The planning appeals body will make its ruling next week on the controversial application by the retail giant to build a store on land which floods regularly in Portarlington, Co Laois.
Last week, the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, said that he would introduce new planning guidelines to ensure an end to the practice of building on flood plains.
Mr Gormley's department submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala against the development last March recommending that "no development" should take place in flood plains or "other areas that regularly flood".
Laois County Council granted permission for the development on flood plains adjacent to the River Barrow in the town in February.
However, there have been a number of objections to their ruling including appeals from the Department of the Environment and An Taisce.
Local councillor Michael Moloney said the site proposed for the new supermarket was "totally under water" last weekend after torrential rain.
"It was a shocking state of affairs," Mr Moloney told the Irish Independent.
Mr Moloney said planning permission was granted by the council despite the fact that no funding was available to carry out essential flood relief works at the site.
However, the OPW rejects any suggestion that it was to fund flood relief works at the Tesco site in Portarlington.
Risk
A statement from the agency said: "The OPW's contribution is to provide flood protection to deal with the existing flood risk in the town of Portarlington. Any protection works to development sites is a matter for the developer and the planning authority."
Meanwhile, Mr Moloney said the council should have "never indicated" that planning permission would be granted for the supermarket to be built on the flood plains.
"I can see no way this can go ahead next week. It also begs the question about whether or not our county council should be the planning authority in these areas," he added.
Portarlington resident David Orford objected to the development on the flood plains.
"I cannot understand how Laois County Council granted planning permission for this site, it floods on an annual basis. There's pictures going back the last 20 years. Our house is close to the river and last week the water came up to our door almost. There were more places flooded along Patrick Street, that have never flooded before, since all of the development along here," he added.
A spokesperson for Laois County Council was unavailable for comment.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanala is to decide on a planning application for the supermarket, which is proposed for a flood plain.
The planning appeals body will make its ruling next week on the controversial application by the retail giant to build a store on land which floods regularly in Portarlington, Co Laois.
Last week, the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, said that he would introduce new planning guidelines to ensure an end to the practice of building on flood plains.
Mr Gormley's department submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala against the development last March recommending that "no development" should take place in flood plains or "other areas that regularly flood".
Laois County Council granted permission for the development on flood plains adjacent to the River Barrow in the town in February.
However, there have been a number of objections to their ruling including appeals from the Department of the Environment and An Taisce.
Local councillor Michael Moloney said the site proposed for the new supermarket was "totally under water" last weekend after torrential rain.
"It was a shocking state of affairs," Mr Moloney told the Irish Independent.
Mr Moloney said planning permission was granted by the council despite the fact that no funding was available to carry out essential flood relief works at the site.
However, the OPW rejects any suggestion that it was to fund flood relief works at the Tesco site in Portarlington.
Risk
A statement from the agency said: "The OPW's contribution is to provide flood protection to deal with the existing flood risk in the town of Portarlington. Any protection works to development sites is a matter for the developer and the planning authority."
Meanwhile, Mr Moloney said the council should have "never indicated" that planning permission would be granted for the supermarket to be built on the flood plains.
"I can see no way this can go ahead next week. It also begs the question about whether or not our county council should be the planning authority in these areas," he added.
Portarlington resident David Orford objected to the development on the flood plains.
"I cannot understand how Laois County Council granted planning permission for this site, it floods on an annual basis. There's pictures going back the last 20 years. Our house is close to the river and last week the water came up to our door almost. There were more places flooded along Patrick Street, that have never flooded before, since all of the development along here," he added.
A spokesperson for Laois County Council was unavailable for comment.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Mayo residents' group lodges formal complaint against Shell to OECD
A FORMAL complaint against Shell EP Ireland and its Corrib gas partners has been submitted by a north Mayo community group to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
OECD representation in the Netherlands received the submission in Amsterdam yesterday from Pobal Chill Chomáin, an Erris residents’ group, which supports a compromise proposal for the Corrib gas refinery.
The submission requests OECD involvement in finding an alternative solution to safe processing of the gas ashore.
Peace and justice group Afri and a French counterpart non-governmental organisation, Sherpa, facilitated the lodging of the complaint, which claims that the project violates OECD guidelines for multinational companies.
Shell EP Ireland said that it had no knowledge of the complaint yesterday.
The complaint was made as tensions remained high at Glengad, Co Mayo, yesterday, where work is taking place to prepare the landfall for the Corrib gas offshore pipeline. Eight Shell to Sea activists were arrested on Thursday for public order offences, but were later released without charge.
Supt John Gilligan of Belmullet Garda station has expressed concern about the risks being taken by the protesters.
The Garda and private security supplied to Shell maintained a security cordon on the beach yesterday as work continued. Supt Gilligan said that there were no plans to close off the public beach, unless public order and safety considerations necessitated this.
The 300m (984ft) pipelaying vessel Solitaire is due to start laying the offshore pipe next week, but a group of fishermen in Broadhaven Bay have said that they will not move their gear located there as they have a constitutional right to fish.
Skipper and fishing company owner Pat O’Donnell said that he was calling on the State to protect his constitutional right to fish under licence, and he and several fishermen intended to maintain a vigil to ensure that their gear was not lifted.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
OECD representation in the Netherlands received the submission in Amsterdam yesterday from Pobal Chill Chomáin, an Erris residents’ group, which supports a compromise proposal for the Corrib gas refinery.
The submission requests OECD involvement in finding an alternative solution to safe processing of the gas ashore.
Peace and justice group Afri and a French counterpart non-governmental organisation, Sherpa, facilitated the lodging of the complaint, which claims that the project violates OECD guidelines for multinational companies.
Shell EP Ireland said that it had no knowledge of the complaint yesterday.
The complaint was made as tensions remained high at Glengad, Co Mayo, yesterday, where work is taking place to prepare the landfall for the Corrib gas offshore pipeline. Eight Shell to Sea activists were arrested on Thursday for public order offences, but were later released without charge.
Supt John Gilligan of Belmullet Garda station has expressed concern about the risks being taken by the protesters.
The Garda and private security supplied to Shell maintained a security cordon on the beach yesterday as work continued. Supt Gilligan said that there were no plans to close off the public beach, unless public order and safety considerations necessitated this.
The 300m (984ft) pipelaying vessel Solitaire is due to start laying the offshore pipe next week, but a group of fishermen in Broadhaven Bay have said that they will not move their gear located there as they have a constitutional right to fish.
Skipper and fishing company owner Pat O’Donnell said that he was calling on the State to protect his constitutional right to fish under licence, and he and several fishermen intended to maintain a vigil to ensure that their gear was not lifted.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Locals incensed Bord Pleanála rejected High Court advice on major landfill site
RESIDENTS OF Usk, near Kilcullen, Co Kildare, are incensed that An Bord Pleanála rejected a High Court recommendation when it granted permission for a major landfill site in the area.
Greenstar, one of Ireland’s leading waste management firms, had sought approval to dispose of some two million tonnes of municipal waste over a 10-year period on the 46-acre site of a quarry in Usk, seven kilometres south of Kilcullen.
The Usk and District Residents’ Association has been fighting plans to turn the disused quarry into a landfill site since they were first mooted in 2002 – at an estimated cost of €300,000, mainly in fees to retain lawyers and expert consultants.
Kildare Co Council officials initially supported the project, but councillors voted unanimously against it in mid-2004 and permission was refused. Greenstar appealed against this decision and An Bord Pleanála overturned it in July 2006. The residents’ association sought a judicial review of the board’s decision, which was contrary to the planning inspector’s recommendation, taking their case to the High Court in a bid to have the decision overturned.
In March 2007, Mr Justice Peter Kelly quashed it after the board conceded there was an “absence of satisfactory records leading to the decision” – thereby, as the judge said, “disabling it” from establishing its ruling was lawful. The local residents said they had “no faith in the objectivity or impartiality of the board” in dealing with the appeal, as it had “tied itself up in knots in attempting to explain its decision-making process in deciding to grant this permission”.
Referring the case back to the board, Mr Justice Kelly made a number of recommendations “which, without in any way accepting the validity of any of the complaints made by the applicant, will minimise the risk of further judicial review”. He said it would be prudent for the board to reopen the oral hearing. “That would provide a forum for all of the parties to place up-to-date information before the inspector and also to agitate any other questions considered appropriate.”
Given the board had 10 members and that only five had made the decision, he recommended that “further consideration of this matter by the board be dealt with by members of it who have not had a previous involvement in the case”.
Before it came to making its decision last month, after receipt of planning inspector Mary Cunneen’s second report recommending refusal, board chairman John O’Connor and deputy chairman Brian Hunt discussed Mr Justice Kelly’s recommendation.
According to a memorandum by Mr O’Connor, they agreed that “the most appropriate course would be to convene a meeting of all available board members (ie those who participated previously and those who did not) to decide the appeal”.
This course was taken, he wrote, because “the exclusion of the five members who took the quashed decision would seriously weaken the level of experience and expertise that would be brought to bear” in the decision.
The appeal involved “a major and significant infrastructural development which would, in accordance with established practice within the board, be decided at a board meeting involving the chairperson and deputy chairperson”.
Ms Cunneen, in her report, had recommended refusal because of the “undue proximity” of three houses to the proposed landfill site, “thereby seriously injuring the amenities and depreciating the value of those properties”.
A second reason she gave for refusal was that the development would be premature pending compliance with a High Court order made in December 2004 requiring that the former quarry – which was illegal – be restored.
But the appeals board decided unanimously to grant permission “having regard to national policy relating to waste, the waste management plan for Co Kildare 2005-2010 [and] the proximity of the site to the national road system”. Another reason for the decision was that the Environmental Protection Agency had already granted a licence to Greenstar for the proposed landfill, which the board said would be acceptable in terms of its impact on the amenities of the area.
The board noted that the waste licence granted by the EPA included conditions requiring a minimum distance of 100 metres between the landfill and nearby houses and said the impacts had been “adequately addressed” by the developer.
But locals are not reassured. “Everyone seems to believe that this is the wrong place for a dump, except An Bord Pleanála,” said Sharon Corrigan. “It’s been a long, hard and expensive fight to save our homes and protect our families”.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Greenstar, one of Ireland’s leading waste management firms, had sought approval to dispose of some two million tonnes of municipal waste over a 10-year period on the 46-acre site of a quarry in Usk, seven kilometres south of Kilcullen.
The Usk and District Residents’ Association has been fighting plans to turn the disused quarry into a landfill site since they were first mooted in 2002 – at an estimated cost of €300,000, mainly in fees to retain lawyers and expert consultants.
Kildare Co Council officials initially supported the project, but councillors voted unanimously against it in mid-2004 and permission was refused. Greenstar appealed against this decision and An Bord Pleanála overturned it in July 2006. The residents’ association sought a judicial review of the board’s decision, which was contrary to the planning inspector’s recommendation, taking their case to the High Court in a bid to have the decision overturned.
In March 2007, Mr Justice Peter Kelly quashed it after the board conceded there was an “absence of satisfactory records leading to the decision” – thereby, as the judge said, “disabling it” from establishing its ruling was lawful. The local residents said they had “no faith in the objectivity or impartiality of the board” in dealing with the appeal, as it had “tied itself up in knots in attempting to explain its decision-making process in deciding to grant this permission”.
Referring the case back to the board, Mr Justice Kelly made a number of recommendations “which, without in any way accepting the validity of any of the complaints made by the applicant, will minimise the risk of further judicial review”. He said it would be prudent for the board to reopen the oral hearing. “That would provide a forum for all of the parties to place up-to-date information before the inspector and also to agitate any other questions considered appropriate.”
Given the board had 10 members and that only five had made the decision, he recommended that “further consideration of this matter by the board be dealt with by members of it who have not had a previous involvement in the case”.
Before it came to making its decision last month, after receipt of planning inspector Mary Cunneen’s second report recommending refusal, board chairman John O’Connor and deputy chairman Brian Hunt discussed Mr Justice Kelly’s recommendation.
According to a memorandum by Mr O’Connor, they agreed that “the most appropriate course would be to convene a meeting of all available board members (ie those who participated previously and those who did not) to decide the appeal”.
This course was taken, he wrote, because “the exclusion of the five members who took the quashed decision would seriously weaken the level of experience and expertise that would be brought to bear” in the decision.
The appeal involved “a major and significant infrastructural development which would, in accordance with established practice within the board, be decided at a board meeting involving the chairperson and deputy chairperson”.
Ms Cunneen, in her report, had recommended refusal because of the “undue proximity” of three houses to the proposed landfill site, “thereby seriously injuring the amenities and depreciating the value of those properties”.
A second reason she gave for refusal was that the development would be premature pending compliance with a High Court order made in December 2004 requiring that the former quarry – which was illegal – be restored.
But the appeals board decided unanimously to grant permission “having regard to national policy relating to waste, the waste management plan for Co Kildare 2005-2010 [and] the proximity of the site to the national road system”. Another reason for the decision was that the Environmental Protection Agency had already granted a licence to Greenstar for the proposed landfill, which the board said would be acceptable in terms of its impact on the amenities of the area.
The board noted that the waste licence granted by the EPA included conditions requiring a minimum distance of 100 metres between the landfill and nearby houses and said the impacts had been “adequately addressed” by the developer.
But locals are not reassured. “Everyone seems to believe that this is the wrong place for a dump, except An Bord Pleanála,” said Sharon Corrigan. “It’s been a long, hard and expensive fight to save our homes and protect our families”.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
35-storey hotel planned in docklands rejected
PLANNING PERMISSION has been refused for a proposed €300 million 35-storey hotel in Dublin's docklands, the project's backers said yesterday.
The planning application for the 440-bedroom hotel was lodged last December and described by backers Treasury Holdings and CIÉ as an integral part of the proposed national conference centre in Spencer Dock.
The application was opposed by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), the Railway Procurement Agency and An Taisce, among others.
Dublin City Council refused to confirm yesterday that a decision had been made on the project.However, a spokeswoman for the developer said notification of a refusal of planning permission had been received.
Treasury Holdings Ireland managing director John Bruder said the decision was "extremely disappointing" as the project was of huge importance to Ireland and north Dublin. "It is particularly disappointing, coming at a time when Ireland needs projects that will help recover growth in the economy, especially in the construction sector," he said.
The hotel, which was to be operated by the Ritz Carlton group, was designed by Shay Cleary and Associates. It was envisaged that 300 people would have been employed in construction, with an additional 600 jobs to be created when the hotel opened.
Accommodation was to include 178 standard bedrooms, 279 hotel suites and 10 large-scale duplex suites on floors 33 and 34. The 35th floor was for a function room, bar/lounge, meeting rooms, garden and terrace. Treasury Holdings described the proposal as a "high-quality architectural landmark tower in the docklands".
The national conference centre, which, Treasury says, has been designed to be a new "world-class convention facility", is scheduled to open in the second half of 2010.
According to a KPMG economic impact report commissioned by Treasury in support of the hotel, the convention delegate market is worth €40 billion per annum internationally.
Ireland currently has a share of less than 1 per cent of this market due, according to the report, to a lack of facilities. The report also pointed to Birmingham, where the conference centre is joined by a bridge to a 329-bed, four-star Hyatt Regency hotel. It also pointed to similar examples in Cape Town and Barcelona.
The DDDA, which commissioned senior counsel's opinion on the proposed hotel, concluded that the 35-storey tower would be "untenable".
The docklands authority has previously said it was in favour of a hotel to accompany the national conference centre, but it said this should rise to just 13 floors with a gross floor area of less than 20,000 square metres - about one-third the size of the Treasury Holdings project.
The Railway Procurement Agency said in its objection that it was worried about the construction impact on the Luas extension to the docklands. An Taisce said the project would have an adverse visual impact on the city's Georgian streetscape and would be in conflict with the high buildings strategy.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning application for the 440-bedroom hotel was lodged last December and described by backers Treasury Holdings and CIÉ as an integral part of the proposed national conference centre in Spencer Dock.
The application was opposed by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), the Railway Procurement Agency and An Taisce, among others.
Dublin City Council refused to confirm yesterday that a decision had been made on the project.However, a spokeswoman for the developer said notification of a refusal of planning permission had been received.
Treasury Holdings Ireland managing director John Bruder said the decision was "extremely disappointing" as the project was of huge importance to Ireland and north Dublin. "It is particularly disappointing, coming at a time when Ireland needs projects that will help recover growth in the economy, especially in the construction sector," he said.
The hotel, which was to be operated by the Ritz Carlton group, was designed by Shay Cleary and Associates. It was envisaged that 300 people would have been employed in construction, with an additional 600 jobs to be created when the hotel opened.
Accommodation was to include 178 standard bedrooms, 279 hotel suites and 10 large-scale duplex suites on floors 33 and 34. The 35th floor was for a function room, bar/lounge, meeting rooms, garden and terrace. Treasury Holdings described the proposal as a "high-quality architectural landmark tower in the docklands".
The national conference centre, which, Treasury says, has been designed to be a new "world-class convention facility", is scheduled to open in the second half of 2010.
According to a KPMG economic impact report commissioned by Treasury in support of the hotel, the convention delegate market is worth €40 billion per annum internationally.
Ireland currently has a share of less than 1 per cent of this market due, according to the report, to a lack of facilities. The report also pointed to Birmingham, where the conference centre is joined by a bridge to a 329-bed, four-star Hyatt Regency hotel. It also pointed to similar examples in Cape Town and Barcelona.
The DDDA, which commissioned senior counsel's opinion on the proposed hotel, concluded that the 35-storey tower would be "untenable".
The docklands authority has previously said it was in favour of a hotel to accompany the national conference centre, but it said this should rise to just 13 floors with a gross floor area of less than 20,000 square metres - about one-third the size of the Treasury Holdings project.
The Railway Procurement Agency said in its objection that it was worried about the construction impact on the Luas extension to the docklands. An Taisce said the project would have an adverse visual impact on the city's Georgian streetscape and would be in conflict with the high buildings strategy.
The Irish Times
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 22 August 2008
Barrister objects over high-rise wooden hotel
A HIGH-profile barrister has objected to plans to build a five-star, 10-storey wooden hotel in Dublin's Temple Bar.
Colm MacEochaidh, who is currently representing residents opposed to high-rise building in Ballsbridge, claims that the new hotel on Exchange Street will force him to live with his curtains drawn because his living room will be overlooked by hotel guests. He says that the proposed building will be the tallest in that part of the city.
Last month, Dublin City Council granted planning permission for the building but ordered that it be reduced from a planned 12 storeys to 10.
The decision was appealed by developer Accol Investments, An Taisce and Mr MacEochaidh to An Bord Pleanala. A decision will be reached by mid-December.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Colm MacEochaidh, who is currently representing residents opposed to high-rise building in Ballsbridge, claims that the new hotel on Exchange Street will force him to live with his curtains drawn because his living room will be overlooked by hotel guests. He says that the proposed building will be the tallest in that part of the city.
Last month, Dublin City Council granted planning permission for the building but ordered that it be reduced from a planned 12 storeys to 10.
The decision was appealed by developer Accol Investments, An Taisce and Mr MacEochaidh to An Bord Pleanala. A decision will be reached by mid-December.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
'Lying Eyes' trial duo win development row
THE father and son who were targets of the 'Lying Eyes' murder conspiracy yesterday won a planning row over a €5m luxury development.
PJ and Robert Howard, of Ennis, Co Clare, have won their battle with developers Frank Doherty and Conor Meehan over the lakeside 11-unit housing development on the shores of Ballybeg Lough, near Ennis.
Last month, PJ Howard's former partner Sharon Collins was found guilty of conspiracy to murder him and his two sons, Niall and Robert.
The Howards live across the lake from the proposed development, and stated in their objection lodged with Clare County Council that it would "result in the loss of the privacy that they have enjoyed for many years".
However, the developers withdrew their application after learning the council intended to refuse permission, in part due to a report of a lack of sewerage and water infrastructure.
Gordon Deegan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
PJ and Robert Howard, of Ennis, Co Clare, have won their battle with developers Frank Doherty and Conor Meehan over the lakeside 11-unit housing development on the shores of Ballybeg Lough, near Ennis.
Last month, PJ Howard's former partner Sharon Collins was found guilty of conspiracy to murder him and his two sons, Niall and Robert.
The Howards live across the lake from the proposed development, and stated in their objection lodged with Clare County Council that it would "result in the loss of the privacy that they have enjoyed for many years".
However, the developers withdrew their application after learning the council intended to refuse permission, in part due to a report of a lack of sewerage and water infrastructure.
Gordon Deegan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Housing scheme gets go-ahead despite flood risk
A field in Co Galway has been given the go-ahead as the site for a new development of 48 houses -- despite flooding concerns.
As householders around the country continue to count the cost of having their homes destroyed by flood waters, the decision by planners in the West to grant permission for the development has been slammed as 'daft'.
At the same time as Environment Minister John Gormley was signalling a ban on building on flood plains, during his visit to flood-hit Carlow on Monday a letter confirming the decision to grant planning permission for the scheme in Mountbellew was dropping through the door of James Mannion.
Mr Mannion had objected to the plan by developers, Newmarket Projects Ltd, to build 20 detached and 28 semi-detached units along with a waste water treatment plant and associated site works just off the Roscommon Road.
Mr Mannion and his family have lived alongside the site for the past 30 years and he lodged an objection to the proposed development, pointing out that the site was on a flood plain and was subject to flooding at any time of year.
Mr Mannion said: "The site is on the edge of a tributary of the River Shevin and, while it's very fine to grant permission now, what will happen in a couple of years to the people who bought houses there?"
Application
In its application for the houses, Newmarket Projects Ltd, which is listed as c/o HDS Consultancy Services of Ballybrit, Galway, addresses the flooding concerns.
In its application assessment, the company states: "We submit that the site is on lands described as 'liable to flooding' on the 6" map of the area. However, the Hydrological Report in Appendix E clearly shows that flooding has not occurred at the site in at least 20 years
"Should flooding occur however, the proposed dwellings will be raised above the site to such an extent that any possible flooding will not affect them."
During his visit to Carlow, scene of some of the worst flooding in the country last weekend, Mr Gormley confirmed that new guidelines limiting development on flood plains would be put on the table within weeks.
In future, unless developers can prove flooding will not arise, planning applications for development will be refused.
However, a final decision on the Mountbellew plan will not be made until 32 days from the date of the initial decision.
Brian McDonald
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
As householders around the country continue to count the cost of having their homes destroyed by flood waters, the decision by planners in the West to grant permission for the development has been slammed as 'daft'.
At the same time as Environment Minister John Gormley was signalling a ban on building on flood plains, during his visit to flood-hit Carlow on Monday a letter confirming the decision to grant planning permission for the scheme in Mountbellew was dropping through the door of James Mannion.
Mr Mannion had objected to the plan by developers, Newmarket Projects Ltd, to build 20 detached and 28 semi-detached units along with a waste water treatment plant and associated site works just off the Roscommon Road.
Mr Mannion and his family have lived alongside the site for the past 30 years and he lodged an objection to the proposed development, pointing out that the site was on a flood plain and was subject to flooding at any time of year.
Mr Mannion said: "The site is on the edge of a tributary of the River Shevin and, while it's very fine to grant permission now, what will happen in a couple of years to the people who bought houses there?"
Application
In its application for the houses, Newmarket Projects Ltd, which is listed as c/o HDS Consultancy Services of Ballybrit, Galway, addresses the flooding concerns.
In its application assessment, the company states: "We submit that the site is on lands described as 'liable to flooding' on the 6" map of the area. However, the Hydrological Report in Appendix E clearly shows that flooding has not occurred at the site in at least 20 years
"Should flooding occur however, the proposed dwellings will be raised above the site to such an extent that any possible flooding will not affect them."
During his visit to Carlow, scene of some of the worst flooding in the country last weekend, Mr Gormley confirmed that new guidelines limiting development on flood plains would be put on the table within weeks.
In future, unless developers can prove flooding will not arise, planning applications for development will be refused.
However, a final decision on the Mountbellew plan will not be made until 32 days from the date of the initial decision.
Brian McDonald
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
€2.2m park to tempt city dwellers out of doors
A HUGE new public park has been opened in a bid to get people to enjoy recreation outdoors.
The 17-acre Castletroy Park in Limerick cost €2.2m and featyres a fully-equipped children's playground, skateboarding area, circular cycle route, and a performance and exhibition area. Opposite Castletroy College, it also features ornamental planting areas.
It will be open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours, and is managed by Limerick County Council. At the official opening yesterday, council chairman Cllr John Gallahue said the new facilities were a welcome addition to Limerick's outdoor facilities.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The 17-acre Castletroy Park in Limerick cost €2.2m and featyres a fully-equipped children's playground, skateboarding area, circular cycle route, and a performance and exhibition area. Opposite Castletroy College, it also features ornamental planting areas.
It will be open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours, and is managed by Limerick County Council. At the official opening yesterday, council chairman Cllr John Gallahue said the new facilities were a welcome addition to Limerick's outdoor facilities.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Nobber incinerator hearing postponed
AN BORD Pleanála has confirmed that it has postponed the oral hearing due to take place next week into a proposed biomass incinerator at Nobber in Co Meath. Earlier this week the inspector chairing the hearing had said it would go ahead as planned.
The decision to defer it has been welcomed by opponents of the development, particularly as the board referred to a point made by them to the inspector about insufficient time having been allowed to other councils and individuals to prepare their submissions. The two-week oral hearing was due to start next Tuesday to hear objections to plans by rendering company College Proteins to build an eight megawatt biomass incinerator and ash landfill at its existing plant in Nobber.
The company says that two megawatts would be used for its own operations and “the balance will be exported to the country’s national electricity grid. That represents the electricity demand of about 4,000 homes.”
At the preliminary hearing on Monday last, local councillor Eugene Cassidy said the planning board had written to seven neighbouring local authorities advising them they could make submissions. However, this was done two weeks ago and because no council meetings are held in August he said that no submissions could be ratified until next month.
The group asked for the inspector to adjourn the hearing to allow this and other points to be addressed and when she ruled it would go ahead, North East Against Incineration (NEAI) said it would seek legal advice on securing a High Court injunction against the planning board.
Yesterday morning the group received a letter from the board saying they had postponed the hearing to allow neighbouring authorities to make submissions or observations on the application.
The other county councils were given copies of the application last month and NEAI expects they will be given 10 weeks to make their observations. Its spokesman Christy Reilly said they welcomed the decision by the board. “It confirms we had valid points to make. We feel it is a small victory for us but we have a long way to go yet.”
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The decision to defer it has been welcomed by opponents of the development, particularly as the board referred to a point made by them to the inspector about insufficient time having been allowed to other councils and individuals to prepare their submissions. The two-week oral hearing was due to start next Tuesday to hear objections to plans by rendering company College Proteins to build an eight megawatt biomass incinerator and ash landfill at its existing plant in Nobber.
The company says that two megawatts would be used for its own operations and “the balance will be exported to the country’s national electricity grid. That represents the electricity demand of about 4,000 homes.”
At the preliminary hearing on Monday last, local councillor Eugene Cassidy said the planning board had written to seven neighbouring local authorities advising them they could make submissions. However, this was done two weeks ago and because no council meetings are held in August he said that no submissions could be ratified until next month.
The group asked for the inspector to adjourn the hearing to allow this and other points to be addressed and when she ruled it would go ahead, North East Against Incineration (NEAI) said it would seek legal advice on securing a High Court injunction against the planning board.
Yesterday morning the group received a letter from the board saying they had postponed the hearing to allow neighbouring authorities to make submissions or observations on the application.
The other county councils were given copies of the application last month and NEAI expects they will be given 10 weeks to make their observations. Its spokesman Christy Reilly said they welcomed the decision by the board. “It confirms we had valid points to make. We feel it is a small victory for us but we have a long way to go yet.”
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Healy-Rae's son faces wrath of residents in new sand dunes storm
RESIDENTS are furious with a well-known TD's son who was pictured carrying out machinery work at a caravan park in Co Kerry.
Residents in Banna Beach say the work done by Councillor Michael Healy-Rae involves a sensitive dune area and needs planning permission.
The residents say the sand was being taken from the dunes to cover sewer pipes at the caravan park.
But Cllr Healy-Rae said he was not interfering with the area and "was not knocking sand dunes".
The owner of the caravan park, Liam West, said he was entitled to carry out renewal of services work.
"We did nothing unauthorised," he said.
Mr Healy-Rae refused to comment on whether the work he was doing was unauthorised. This was a matter for the owner, he said. He also said his role as a councillor, and that of a machinery operator with his company Roughty Plant Hire, were separate entities.
"Me as a councillor and me doing work are two separate things."
A Kerry County Council spokesman confirmed a complaint had been received alleging that unauthorised work was being carried out at Banna and the council was investigating.
Cllr Toireasa Ferris said she was extremely concerned about the matter "considering the history of the developer" in Banna and that the residents had to fight so hard to have the area protected.
An enforcement order was taken against Mr West after he interfered with the dunes near his caravan park in the late 1990s. He was asked to restore and re-grass the dunes.
The enforcement proceedings prohibits him from laying sewer pipes unless he applies for permission.
The Wests, who have been involved in the caravan park business for over 33 years, were last year refused permission for a "state of the art" 161 static unit park, near their existing 20-unit facility at Banna. It had been granted permission by the council but this was appealed by residents.
A new application for a 60-unit park at Banna, by Peter West, is now before the council.
"In Banna at the moment we have 43 permanent homes and over 600 mobile homes and chalets," Walter Sheehan, chairman of the Banna-Carrahane Environment Protection Residents Group said.
Mr and Mrs West, who live in Killorglin in the Kerry South constituency, last year contributed €2,000 to the Kerry South TD and father of Cllr Healy-Rae, Jackie Healy-Rae, according to the annual report of the Standards in Public Office Commission published in April.
Anne Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Residents in Banna Beach say the work done by Councillor Michael Healy-Rae involves a sensitive dune area and needs planning permission.
The residents say the sand was being taken from the dunes to cover sewer pipes at the caravan park.
But Cllr Healy-Rae said he was not interfering with the area and "was not knocking sand dunes".
The owner of the caravan park, Liam West, said he was entitled to carry out renewal of services work.
"We did nothing unauthorised," he said.
Mr Healy-Rae refused to comment on whether the work he was doing was unauthorised. This was a matter for the owner, he said. He also said his role as a councillor, and that of a machinery operator with his company Roughty Plant Hire, were separate entities.
"Me as a councillor and me doing work are two separate things."
A Kerry County Council spokesman confirmed a complaint had been received alleging that unauthorised work was being carried out at Banna and the council was investigating.
Cllr Toireasa Ferris said she was extremely concerned about the matter "considering the history of the developer" in Banna and that the residents had to fight so hard to have the area protected.
An enforcement order was taken against Mr West after he interfered with the dunes near his caravan park in the late 1990s. He was asked to restore and re-grass the dunes.
The enforcement proceedings prohibits him from laying sewer pipes unless he applies for permission.
The Wests, who have been involved in the caravan park business for over 33 years, were last year refused permission for a "state of the art" 161 static unit park, near their existing 20-unit facility at Banna. It had been granted permission by the council but this was appealed by residents.
A new application for a 60-unit park at Banna, by Peter West, is now before the council.
"In Banna at the moment we have 43 permanent homes and over 600 mobile homes and chalets," Walter Sheehan, chairman of the Banna-Carrahane Environment Protection Residents Group said.
Mr and Mrs West, who live in Killorglin in the Kerry South constituency, last year contributed €2,000 to the Kerry South TD and father of Cllr Healy-Rae, Jackie Healy-Rae, according to the annual report of the Standards in Public Office Commission published in April.
Anne Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Planners reject plan for hotel complex near Rock of Cashel
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build an 83-bedroom hotel and office blocks on the site of a convent near the Rock of Cashel has been refused planning permission.
Yesterday An Bord Pleanala said the development was "inappropriate" because it would interfere with views of the Rock and would detract from the medieval town walls.
A row had earlier broken out between the Presentation Order of nuns, which formerly owned the land, and the town council over how the land should be used.
The nuns said they had sold the land at St Francis Abbey, on Friar Street, to Cashel Town Council in 2001 on the basis that it would be turned into a public park. However, the council denied this was true.
The authority then sold the land to CMS Development of Clonmel at a profit of €1.5m, saying it had been sold to ensure a hotel would be built in the heritage town.
The plans had proposed a five-storey, 83-bedroom hotel, with swimming pool, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, ballroom and meeting rooms.
Two commercial buildings of three and four storeys were also proposed, with parking provided for 145 cars. The town council granted permission for the project on February 1 this year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Yesterday, the planning appeals board gave three reasons for refusing permission. It said the site adjoined protected structures, the town plan protected "important town gardens" and the design was "inappropriate" because of its height and scale.
The board said the development would "materially and adversely" affect the character and setting of the protected structures and would detract from the Cashel townscape, "in particular in views from the Rock of Cashel". It also said the development would not make an attractive link for pedestrians and it was not satisfied that the commercial buildings "would not injure, or interfere with, the medieval town defences of Cashel".
Elections
The Save Our Town Park group in Cashel, which had objected to the plans, said yesterday it would continue to press for a park to be built on the site.
The group says it will make the provision of a park a key issue at next year's local authority elections.
"We are delighted with today's outcome,'' said group spokesman Richard O'Brien. "It justifies everything we have done in the campaign we have been running against the proposed development.''
Last night Fine Gael TD Tom Hayes called on Cashel Town Council to liaise with community groups about the future use of the former convent lands.
"Now that Pleanala has made its decision, the town council should chart a course ahead for the land with all relevant community groups, including the Save Our Town Park committee. It is essential the community is united over whatever plans are devised," he said.
"The fact remains that Cashel does not have sufficient tourist accommodation. The Rock of Cashel receives a quarter of a million tourists a year and the town still needs a hotel. I would urge the town council and the community to work towards a solution in this regard."
It is not clear if CMS Developments will submit another plan for the site. Last night, the company chose not to comment. The town council was also unavailable, but town manager Sean Keating said the council was "disappointed" at the decision.
He added that if the hotel could not be built the land would revert back to the town council under the terms of the development contact.
Paul Melia and Senan Hogan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Yesterday An Bord Pleanala said the development was "inappropriate" because it would interfere with views of the Rock and would detract from the medieval town walls.
A row had earlier broken out between the Presentation Order of nuns, which formerly owned the land, and the town council over how the land should be used.
The nuns said they had sold the land at St Francis Abbey, on Friar Street, to Cashel Town Council in 2001 on the basis that it would be turned into a public park. However, the council denied this was true.
The authority then sold the land to CMS Development of Clonmel at a profit of €1.5m, saying it had been sold to ensure a hotel would be built in the heritage town.
The plans had proposed a five-storey, 83-bedroom hotel, with swimming pool, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, ballroom and meeting rooms.
Two commercial buildings of three and four storeys were also proposed, with parking provided for 145 cars. The town council granted permission for the project on February 1 this year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Yesterday, the planning appeals board gave three reasons for refusing permission. It said the site adjoined protected structures, the town plan protected "important town gardens" and the design was "inappropriate" because of its height and scale.
The board said the development would "materially and adversely" affect the character and setting of the protected structures and would detract from the Cashel townscape, "in particular in views from the Rock of Cashel". It also said the development would not make an attractive link for pedestrians and it was not satisfied that the commercial buildings "would not injure, or interfere with, the medieval town defences of Cashel".
Elections
The Save Our Town Park group in Cashel, which had objected to the plans, said yesterday it would continue to press for a park to be built on the site.
The group says it will make the provision of a park a key issue at next year's local authority elections.
"We are delighted with today's outcome,'' said group spokesman Richard O'Brien. "It justifies everything we have done in the campaign we have been running against the proposed development.''
Last night Fine Gael TD Tom Hayes called on Cashel Town Council to liaise with community groups about the future use of the former convent lands.
"Now that Pleanala has made its decision, the town council should chart a course ahead for the land with all relevant community groups, including the Save Our Town Park committee. It is essential the community is united over whatever plans are devised," he said.
"The fact remains that Cashel does not have sufficient tourist accommodation. The Rock of Cashel receives a quarter of a million tourists a year and the town still needs a hotel. I would urge the town council and the community to work towards a solution in this regard."
It is not clear if CMS Developments will submit another plan for the site. Last night, the company chose not to comment. The town council was also unavailable, but town manager Sean Keating said the council was "disappointed" at the decision.
He added that if the hotel could not be built the land would revert back to the town council under the terms of the development contact.
Paul Melia and Senan Hogan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
regulating your toilet
OLD-STYLE toilets are to be flushed into the history books -- Environment Minister John Gormley is to ban them from November 1.
And the move to dual flush cisterns is expected to save half a billion litres of water a year, enough to provide the Greater Dublin area's needs for a day.
The major water-saving initiative signed yesterday will see traditional WCs replaced with the newer dual flush models in new-build properties and homes where lavatories are being replaced.
Brought in under the amendment to Part G (Hygiene) of the Building Regulations, the switch is intended to reduce water consumption and should see household water savings of up to 10pc a year. It is estimated that one third of all drinking water produced by treatment works is used to flush lavatories, and old-style toilets use between six and nine litres per flush.
But dual flush toilet cisterns give users two options -- a short flush which users four litres of water and a longer flush which uses six litres. The environmenttally-conscious move was first mooted in 2006 by Mr Gormley's predecessor, Dick Roche. An assessment of whether a ban would work found that only one out of five visits to the WC warranted a full flush. It is estimated that five flushes are made per person per day.
"When applied to current annual housing projections, dual flush toilets in new dwellings should reduce drinking water consumption by approximately 10pc in these dwellings, or by almost 500 million litres of drinking water every year. This is equivalent to the total volume of water consumed in the Greater Dublin area every day," Mr Gormley said.
"As our economy and population increases, so does the demand for water. Water is a precious resource and should be used wisely. Treated water is expensive to produce.
"Wasting water means unnecessary expense to the consumer and producer, puts undue pressure on our raw water sources and can lead to environmental degradation."
Metering
Only dual-flush toilets will be available at supermarkets, DIY and plumbing supplies stores and hardware shops from November 1, and Mr Gormley said other water-saving measures would be introduced.
However the Department of the Environment has said there are no plans to introduce water metering for domestic customers.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
And the move to dual flush cisterns is expected to save half a billion litres of water a year, enough to provide the Greater Dublin area's needs for a day.
The major water-saving initiative signed yesterday will see traditional WCs replaced with the newer dual flush models in new-build properties and homes where lavatories are being replaced.
Brought in under the amendment to Part G (Hygiene) of the Building Regulations, the switch is intended to reduce water consumption and should see household water savings of up to 10pc a year. It is estimated that one third of all drinking water produced by treatment works is used to flush lavatories, and old-style toilets use between six and nine litres per flush.
But dual flush toilet cisterns give users two options -- a short flush which users four litres of water and a longer flush which uses six litres. The environmenttally-conscious move was first mooted in 2006 by Mr Gormley's predecessor, Dick Roche. An assessment of whether a ban would work found that only one out of five visits to the WC warranted a full flush. It is estimated that five flushes are made per person per day.
"When applied to current annual housing projections, dual flush toilets in new dwellings should reduce drinking water consumption by approximately 10pc in these dwellings, or by almost 500 million litres of drinking water every year. This is equivalent to the total volume of water consumed in the Greater Dublin area every day," Mr Gormley said.
"As our economy and population increases, so does the demand for water. Water is a precious resource and should be used wisely. Treated water is expensive to produce.
"Wasting water means unnecessary expense to the consumer and producer, puts undue pressure on our raw water sources and can lead to environmental degradation."
Metering
Only dual-flush toilets will be available at supermarkets, DIY and plumbing supplies stores and hardware shops from November 1, and Mr Gormley said other water-saving measures would be introduced.
However the Department of the Environment has said there are no plans to introduce water metering for domestic customers.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The new eircom headquarters.
WHAT's red, blue, purple and green and holds 1,500 people?
The new eircom headquarters.
And our pictures show Dublin's first red-light district in decades lighting up as engineers test the unusual lighting system which will illuminate the night sky around Heuston Station.
The system allows engineers to light up the building in multiple colours, but eircom chiefs are remaining tight-lipped as to what they plan to do with it.
At the moment, they're just testing, but when they decide what to use it for, they'll have to seek approval from Dublin City Council.
Depending on your point of view, it's the epitome of tackiness or state-of-the-art technology. But while new to Ireland, there are other examples of the technology used throughout the world.
The National Library of Belarus -- a rhombicuboctahedron, or diamond shape -- is lit at night using thousands of LED fixtures, while the Full Moon Tower, the centrepiece of Galaxy Park, the main civic plaza in Tianjin, China, also has the technology.
Bills
Eircom says that, despite all the lights, the building is environmentally friendly and is designed to ensure that heating bills don't cost the earth.
"The state-of-the-art facility has been designed to the highest standards of sustainability," a spokesman said. "The building incorporates a twin skin facade to maximise natural ventilation, to cool the building and minimise energy costs.
"The system is currently going through its initial testing phase. A decision on how to use the lighting system has yet to be taken. Staff have started to move in to the building and it is hoped to be fully occupied by late September."
The HQ, at 1 Heuston South Quarter, off St John's Road, will hold 1,500 staff.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The new eircom headquarters.
And our pictures show Dublin's first red-light district in decades lighting up as engineers test the unusual lighting system which will illuminate the night sky around Heuston Station.
The system allows engineers to light up the building in multiple colours, but eircom chiefs are remaining tight-lipped as to what they plan to do with it.
At the moment, they're just testing, but when they decide what to use it for, they'll have to seek approval from Dublin City Council.
Depending on your point of view, it's the epitome of tackiness or state-of-the-art technology. But while new to Ireland, there are other examples of the technology used throughout the world.
The National Library of Belarus -- a rhombicuboctahedron, or diamond shape -- is lit at night using thousands of LED fixtures, while the Full Moon Tower, the centrepiece of Galaxy Park, the main civic plaza in Tianjin, China, also has the technology.
Bills
Eircom says that, despite all the lights, the building is environmentally friendly and is designed to ensure that heating bills don't cost the earth.
"The state-of-the-art facility has been designed to the highest standards of sustainability," a spokesman said. "The building incorporates a twin skin facade to maximise natural ventilation, to cool the building and minimise energy costs.
"The system is currently going through its initial testing phase. A decision on how to use the lighting system has yet to be taken. Staff have started to move in to the building and it is hoped to be fully occupied by late September."
The HQ, at 1 Heuston South Quarter, off St John's Road, will hold 1,500 staff.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Garden centre plans fail to take root
AN BORD Pleanála has ruled against a developer who proposed building townhouses with sunken gardens instead of the leisure facility he originally got planning permission for.
Developer Wesley Curran's Otranto Properties got the thumbs up in February from the planning board to build 56 apartments in two blocks at Mackey's Garden Centre and Harry Byrne's at 1 Castle Close on Castlepark Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin.
The planning permission included a single storey building with a gym, janitor's office, basement and a 16m swimming pool.
But Otranto then sought to ditch the leisure centre and build three two-storey-over-basement townhouses with sunken gardens and terraces instead.
It was also looking to add four more apartments to an apartment block by reducing the size of three apartments and making the floor area of the building bigger.
An Bord Pleanála criticised the proposal to replace the health facilities building, saying that it would reduce the usable open space and recreational amenities associated with the proposed building to unacceptable levels. Regarding the proposal to build an additional four apartments, it said the resulting increase in the scale of the block would cause overlooking and visual dominance to adjoining residential property .
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Developer Wesley Curran's Otranto Properties got the thumbs up in February from the planning board to build 56 apartments in two blocks at Mackey's Garden Centre and Harry Byrne's at 1 Castle Close on Castlepark Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin.
The planning permission included a single storey building with a gym, janitor's office, basement and a 16m swimming pool.
But Otranto then sought to ditch the leisure centre and build three two-storey-over-basement townhouses with sunken gardens and terraces instead.
It was also looking to add four more apartments to an apartment block by reducing the size of three apartments and making the floor area of the building bigger.
An Bord Pleanála criticised the proposal to replace the health facilities building, saying that it would reduce the usable open space and recreational amenities associated with the proposed building to unacceptable levels. Regarding the proposal to build an additional four apartments, it said the resulting increase in the scale of the block would cause overlooking and visual dominance to adjoining residential property .
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plan to demolish D4 offices and build two new blocks
DEVELOPER David Daly of Albany Homes has applied to demolish Franklin House on Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, and build two office blocks ranging in height from four to eight storeys and connected by an atrium.
Daly bought Franklin House from developer Gerrry Gannon in 2006 for €25 million.
All of the sites suitable for development in the centre of Ballsbridge are owned by a small group of high-profile developers, most of whom paid huge prices.
As well the Jurys Berkeley Court site, developer Sean Dunne owns Hume House, also on Pembroke Road, which he bought for €130 million and where he hopes to build a 14-storey office block.
Bernard McNamara and Jerry O'Reilly, paid €46 million last year for Carrisbrook House, which is on the corner of Northumberland Road.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Daly bought Franklin House from developer Gerrry Gannon in 2006 for €25 million.
All of the sites suitable for development in the centre of Ballsbridge are owned by a small group of high-profile developers, most of whom paid huge prices.
As well the Jurys Berkeley Court site, developer Sean Dunne owns Hume House, also on Pembroke Road, which he bought for €130 million and where he hopes to build a 14-storey office block.
Bernard McNamara and Jerry O'Reilly, paid €46 million last year for Carrisbrook House, which is on the corner of Northumberland Road.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Refusal for 420 homes at racecourse
REGENTS Park Developments has been refused planning permission for over 420 homes and six retail units as part of the fifth phase of Stapolin Village on the former racecourse lands in Baldoyle, Co Dublin.
Seán Mulryan's Helsingor has already secured permission for the first four phases of the six-phase development which is expected to comprise 2,600 units when finished. But An Bord Pleanála told Regents Park Developments that the scale and height of the development would be out of keeping with the emerging pattern in the overall development and wouldn't "provide a residential environment of appropriate amenity levels".
The directors of Regents Park Developments are in the same family as businessman Jim Kennedy. He hit the headlines some years ago when the Mahon Tribunal and the Criminal Assets Bureau sought to interview him in relation to land in Leopardstown, owned by Jackson Way.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Seán Mulryan's Helsingor has already secured permission for the first four phases of the six-phase development which is expected to comprise 2,600 units when finished. But An Bord Pleanála told Regents Park Developments that the scale and height of the development would be out of keeping with the emerging pattern in the overall development and wouldn't "provide a residential environment of appropriate amenity levels".
The directors of Regents Park Developments are in the same family as businessman Jim Kennedy. He hit the headlines some years ago when the Mahon Tribunal and the Criminal Assets Bureau sought to interview him in relation to land in Leopardstown, owned by Jackson Way.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Planning applications fall as builders hold back
THE NUMBER of planning applications for residential developments fell in the first half of this year, according to Dublin's local authorities.
The slowdown in the residential sector has seen fewer builders risk embarking on new housing developments this year.
And in contrast to last year, when domestic applications soared, the first half of 2008 saw home owners rein in their finances, driving planning applications for home improvements downwards in all of the local authorities.
But as extensions under 40sq m (431sq ft) do not need planning permission, the local authority figures only give part of the picture.
Dublin City Council says planning applications for residential developments of two or more units have fallen by 33 per cent, from 270 to 180. Interestingly, although applications are down, the number of residential units being applied for has increased by 100 to 1,130.
A source from Dublin City Council says this might be as a result of the banks leaning on developers to realise the value of their lands.
"Commencement notices are down and planning applications are down and the credit crunch is affecting everyone. The banks could be leaning on some developers to go through the planning process so they can realise the market value of land they've acquired. It some cases it could be purely a financial exercise."
Domestic applications are down 10 per cent on last year, in the city, while one-off houses and adjacent houses saw a drop from 230 applications in the first six months of 2007, to 160 for the same period in 2008, representing a drop of 30 per cent.
South Dublin County Council reports a fairly dramatic 36 per cent differential in the number of residential units applied for since last year. The figure fell from from 2,623 units up to the end of July 2007 to 1,660 this year.
South Dublin says that planning applications for domestic extensions and alterations fell by 16 per cent on 2007.
In the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area, the number of applications in the category that includes residential developments fell by nearly 19 per cent on the period to end-July last year.
More startling is the 62 per cent plummet in the number of residential units applied for between May and the end of July. It has dropped by a massive 62 per cent on the same period last year - from 3,861 to 1,415 units this year.
In Fingal County Council applications fell by around 25 per cent and domestic extension figures were down from 428 to 410, comparing each year to June. Income from planning fees on applications is down to €963,932 compared to €1,8829,076 in the same period.
This drop in applications seems set to continue. Tony Shanahan of South Dublin County Council says "if trends continue" the planners anticipate a slowdown in the number of applications coming in.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The slowdown in the residential sector has seen fewer builders risk embarking on new housing developments this year.
And in contrast to last year, when domestic applications soared, the first half of 2008 saw home owners rein in their finances, driving planning applications for home improvements downwards in all of the local authorities.
But as extensions under 40sq m (431sq ft) do not need planning permission, the local authority figures only give part of the picture.
Dublin City Council says planning applications for residential developments of two or more units have fallen by 33 per cent, from 270 to 180. Interestingly, although applications are down, the number of residential units being applied for has increased by 100 to 1,130.
A source from Dublin City Council says this might be as a result of the banks leaning on developers to realise the value of their lands.
"Commencement notices are down and planning applications are down and the credit crunch is affecting everyone. The banks could be leaning on some developers to go through the planning process so they can realise the market value of land they've acquired. It some cases it could be purely a financial exercise."
Domestic applications are down 10 per cent on last year, in the city, while one-off houses and adjacent houses saw a drop from 230 applications in the first six months of 2007, to 160 for the same period in 2008, representing a drop of 30 per cent.
South Dublin County Council reports a fairly dramatic 36 per cent differential in the number of residential units applied for since last year. The figure fell from from 2,623 units up to the end of July 2007 to 1,660 this year.
South Dublin says that planning applications for domestic extensions and alterations fell by 16 per cent on 2007.
In the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area, the number of applications in the category that includes residential developments fell by nearly 19 per cent on the period to end-July last year.
More startling is the 62 per cent plummet in the number of residential units applied for between May and the end of July. It has dropped by a massive 62 per cent on the same period last year - from 3,861 to 1,415 units this year.
In Fingal County Council applications fell by around 25 per cent and domestic extension figures were down from 428 to 410, comparing each year to June. Income from planning fees on applications is down to €963,932 compared to €1,8829,076 in the same period.
This drop in applications seems set to continue. Tony Shanahan of South Dublin County Council says "if trends continue" the planners anticipate a slowdown in the number of applications coming in.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Student architects transform an Atlantic village
DESIGN: SLEEPING ON scaffolding, mopping out shower blocks , and building a bird hide from bales of straw are not quite the activities that one associates with an architectural career.
However, several hundred students are challenging their own perceptions about their professional role, as well as testing their constitutions, as they transform the village of Letterfrack into one large architectural exhibition.
"We know that some people doubted us when we told them that Diamond Hill was right behind us," Sean Feeney, director of the European Architecture Students' Assembly, laughs.
"As for the Inagh valley, you could barely see it in the blanket of cloud and sheets of rain when we were coming through by coach."
The 360 participants from across Europe and Latin America are holding their annual assembly for the first time in Ireland, on the theme of "adaptation".
Relocating to the west from Dublin over the past week has been an integral part of the experience, in adapting to a change of pace, scale and context in a small village on the edge of the Atlantic.
On arrival at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology furniture college Connemara West campus, the students were allocated "lodgings" in bunks made of scaffolding under the shelter of two large circus marquees. They were given a roster for cleaning, waste sorting and meal preparation, and the schedule for workshops and lectures.
The workshops, based in canvas domes, outbuildings and in the campus crèche, range from furniture design to ethical architecture. "Kraftka", for instance, is a timber-built corridor space fitted with audio, video and light installations.
As tutor Dijana Omeragik of Macedonia explains, the structure is intended to make the observer feel "disoriented" as he or she walks through it.
"Too Cool for Stool" is the name of another workshop, led by Mira Uzonovic and Alexander Popovic of Serbia. "We try to avoid using any nails or screws as we make small pieces of furniture from wood and glue," Uzonovic says. "Zauna" is a mobile timber sauna built by Italian tutor Eros Laini and team. On completion, it will be transported to Renvyle pier and fitted with its stove. "You have your sauna, you jump into the Atlantic after!" Laini says.
The "Green Room" is a sustainable, mobile classroom which provides an alternative to the plague of portacabins in overcrowded Irish schools.
Out in the furniture college courtyard, a pavilion entitled "Lunch Box" designed by Dublin School of Architecture graduates Dermot Reynolds, Ronan Costelloe and Joe McMahon, is meant to represent "an inverted mountain contour range''.
Some of the students are also working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Letterfrack on a bird-hide made from straw bales which will be a permanent feature.
The projects will be finished this weekend in time for the final exhibition.
The exhibition is open to the public from 3pm until 8pm on Saturday, August 23rd. Some pieces and a photography exhibition will remain on show until September 1st. See www.easa008.ie
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
However, several hundred students are challenging their own perceptions about their professional role, as well as testing their constitutions, as they transform the village of Letterfrack into one large architectural exhibition.
"We know that some people doubted us when we told them that Diamond Hill was right behind us," Sean Feeney, director of the European Architecture Students' Assembly, laughs.
"As for the Inagh valley, you could barely see it in the blanket of cloud and sheets of rain when we were coming through by coach."
The 360 participants from across Europe and Latin America are holding their annual assembly for the first time in Ireland, on the theme of "adaptation".
Relocating to the west from Dublin over the past week has been an integral part of the experience, in adapting to a change of pace, scale and context in a small village on the edge of the Atlantic.
On arrival at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology furniture college Connemara West campus, the students were allocated "lodgings" in bunks made of scaffolding under the shelter of two large circus marquees. They were given a roster for cleaning, waste sorting and meal preparation, and the schedule for workshops and lectures.
The workshops, based in canvas domes, outbuildings and in the campus crèche, range from furniture design to ethical architecture. "Kraftka", for instance, is a timber-built corridor space fitted with audio, video and light installations.
As tutor Dijana Omeragik of Macedonia explains, the structure is intended to make the observer feel "disoriented" as he or she walks through it.
"Too Cool for Stool" is the name of another workshop, led by Mira Uzonovic and Alexander Popovic of Serbia. "We try to avoid using any nails or screws as we make small pieces of furniture from wood and glue," Uzonovic says. "Zauna" is a mobile timber sauna built by Italian tutor Eros Laini and team. On completion, it will be transported to Renvyle pier and fitted with its stove. "You have your sauna, you jump into the Atlantic after!" Laini says.
The "Green Room" is a sustainable, mobile classroom which provides an alternative to the plague of portacabins in overcrowded Irish schools.
Out in the furniture college courtyard, a pavilion entitled "Lunch Box" designed by Dublin School of Architecture graduates Dermot Reynolds, Ronan Costelloe and Joe McMahon, is meant to represent "an inverted mountain contour range''.
Some of the students are also working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Letterfrack on a bird-hide made from straw bales which will be a permanent feature.
The projects will be finished this weekend in time for the final exhibition.
The exhibition is open to the public from 3pm until 8pm on Saturday, August 23rd. Some pieces and a photography exhibition will remain on show until September 1st. See www.easa008.ie
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Council cites flood fears in refusal of planning approval for €50m retail park
CLARE COUNTY Council yesterday refused planning permission for a €50 million retail park on the outskirts of Ennis because the proposal is located on a floodplain.
In 2003, councillors voted to rezone the proposed development site "commercial" as part of the Ennis Development Plan, vastly increasing the value of the lands. Two years later the 48-acre site was purchased by Galway developer Stephen Harris for €18 million from local landowner JJ McCabe.
Clare councillor Brian Meaney (Green) yesterday questioned why the floodplain was zoned commercial in the first place. He said: "There may be even compensatory issues in relation to these matters as this large tract of land was bought on the basis of the rezoning."
In refusing planning permission to Mr Harris for the application, which was two years in the planning process, the council stated that the site is at risk of flooding due to the site being located on the Lower Fergus floodplain.
The council also refused planning permission due to the inability of the area's current sewerage infrastructure to deal with the development.
A flooding report commissioned by Clare County Council subsequent to the rezoning and completed earlier this year stated that the site comprises lands that are designated as a 100-year flood risk.
The lands will only be developed if the Government sanctions a €14 million flood defence scheme for the outskirts of Ennis.
However, the planner's report released yesterday stated: "Until such time as these works are completed, these lands remain as floodplain and at risk of flooding.
"Therefore, to permit development on lands currently functioning as floodplain would not be in the interests of sustainable development."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In 2003, councillors voted to rezone the proposed development site "commercial" as part of the Ennis Development Plan, vastly increasing the value of the lands. Two years later the 48-acre site was purchased by Galway developer Stephen Harris for €18 million from local landowner JJ McCabe.
Clare councillor Brian Meaney (Green) yesterday questioned why the floodplain was zoned commercial in the first place. He said: "There may be even compensatory issues in relation to these matters as this large tract of land was bought on the basis of the rezoning."
In refusing planning permission to Mr Harris for the application, which was two years in the planning process, the council stated that the site is at risk of flooding due to the site being located on the Lower Fergus floodplain.
The council also refused planning permission due to the inability of the area's current sewerage infrastructure to deal with the development.
A flooding report commissioned by Clare County Council subsequent to the rezoning and completed earlier this year stated that the site comprises lands that are designated as a 100-year flood risk.
The lands will only be developed if the Government sanctions a €14 million flood defence scheme for the outskirts of Ennis.
However, the planner's report released yesterday stated: "Until such time as these works are completed, these lands remain as floodplain and at risk of flooding.
"Therefore, to permit development on lands currently functioning as floodplain would not be in the interests of sustainable development."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Opposition grows against advertising panel plan in return for bike rental
ARCHISEEK, IRELAND'S architectural discussion website, has added its voice to calls on Dublin City Council to halt the erection of free-standing advertising panels on footpaths in the city pending a review and investigation.
Under a deal agreed by city council management without the prior knowledge of councillors, French-owned advertising company JC Decaux was permitted to erect 120 of these panels in return for a bicycle rental scheme on the Paris Vélib model.
Opponents of what Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe termed a "dodgy deal" include the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, An Taisce and the Dublin City Business Association - mainly because of the obstruction of footpaths by the metal-framed panels.
The arrangement required JC Decaux to supply four rental bikes per on-street panel, amounting to a total of 480, compared to 12 per panel under the Vélib scheme in Paris, where the city council also receives an annual rental of more than €2,000 per unit.
The deal first became public in December 2006 after a contributor to the Archiseek website initiated a discussion under the heading "And you thought Dublin's Streets were cluttered already". Not even then Lord Mayor Vincent Jackson (Ind) was aware of it.
JC Decaux subsequently lodged 120 separate planning applications for the advertising structures with no environmental impact statement (EIS). For anyone to appeal all to An Bord Pleanála, the total cost of the fees involved would have been €26,400.
"Of the original scheme, fortunately only half managed to get through - thanks in many instances to appeals by conscientious Dublin citizens", Archiseek said. "Any so-called 'metropole' unit that was appealed to the board was shot down 100 per cent.
"Since then, it has become apparent that the scheme is an unmitigated disaster and epitomises what-not-to-do when engaging in urban planning . . . Already some of the units have been withdrawn, having been blatantly unsafe and manifestly hazardous.
"Outrageously, this scheme has simply been dumped on poorer and working class areas", Archiseek said. "No billboards for a southside dual-carriageway such as Donnybrook, yet plenty for North King Street and Dorset Street and also Malahide Road in Coolock".
According to Archiseek's Paul Clerkin, who described its statement as unprecedented, "these units were only removed following complaints from the public, and we believe others are a hazard to public safety - Parnell Street being one very obvious example".
He said it was "a gross irony and disgrace that the first clients have been the Department of Environment lecturing the public about not despoiling their environment" - the billboards being the central vehicle of a €200,000 campaign.
Dublin City Council said it "completely refutes" Archiseek's allegations, saying its officials had "implemented an open and transparent process to procure a suitable advertising agency which would provide amenities for the city in a partnership approach".
After being awarded the contract in December 2006, JC Decaux applied for planning permission to erect 120 advertising panels, of which 72 were granted; under the terms of the contract, the level of amenities depended on the number of permissions.
"It was agreed that 450 bicycles would be made available at 50 stations located in the city centre", the council said. These locations are now being identified and the city bike scheme will be launched during Mobility Week at the end of September.
It said there would be a "six-month lead-in phase" from procurement of the bicycles to installation of the stands, with the scheme being implemented "between spring and summer 2009". So far, however, no charges have been fixed for renting the bikes.
"Dublin City Council has exclusive use of all JC Decaux advertising panels at no cost, for public information campaigns until August 31st", the statement said.
"From September 1st, the city council will acquire 38 of these panels, also at no cost."
It added that JC Decaux had "indemnified the city council with regard to public liability claims arising from accidents pertaining to the advertising panels". It had also removed 50 large advertising billboards throughout the city as part of the deal.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Under a deal agreed by city council management without the prior knowledge of councillors, French-owned advertising company JC Decaux was permitted to erect 120 of these panels in return for a bicycle rental scheme on the Paris Vélib model.
Opponents of what Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe termed a "dodgy deal" include the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, An Taisce and the Dublin City Business Association - mainly because of the obstruction of footpaths by the metal-framed panels.
The arrangement required JC Decaux to supply four rental bikes per on-street panel, amounting to a total of 480, compared to 12 per panel under the Vélib scheme in Paris, where the city council also receives an annual rental of more than €2,000 per unit.
The deal first became public in December 2006 after a contributor to the Archiseek website initiated a discussion under the heading "And you thought Dublin's Streets were cluttered already". Not even then Lord Mayor Vincent Jackson (Ind) was aware of it.
JC Decaux subsequently lodged 120 separate planning applications for the advertising structures with no environmental impact statement (EIS). For anyone to appeal all to An Bord Pleanála, the total cost of the fees involved would have been €26,400.
"Of the original scheme, fortunately only half managed to get through - thanks in many instances to appeals by conscientious Dublin citizens", Archiseek said. "Any so-called 'metropole' unit that was appealed to the board was shot down 100 per cent.
"Since then, it has become apparent that the scheme is an unmitigated disaster and epitomises what-not-to-do when engaging in urban planning . . . Already some of the units have been withdrawn, having been blatantly unsafe and manifestly hazardous.
"Outrageously, this scheme has simply been dumped on poorer and working class areas", Archiseek said. "No billboards for a southside dual-carriageway such as Donnybrook, yet plenty for North King Street and Dorset Street and also Malahide Road in Coolock".
According to Archiseek's Paul Clerkin, who described its statement as unprecedented, "these units were only removed following complaints from the public, and we believe others are a hazard to public safety - Parnell Street being one very obvious example".
He said it was "a gross irony and disgrace that the first clients have been the Department of Environment lecturing the public about not despoiling their environment" - the billboards being the central vehicle of a €200,000 campaign.
Dublin City Council said it "completely refutes" Archiseek's allegations, saying its officials had "implemented an open and transparent process to procure a suitable advertising agency which would provide amenities for the city in a partnership approach".
After being awarded the contract in December 2006, JC Decaux applied for planning permission to erect 120 advertising panels, of which 72 were granted; under the terms of the contract, the level of amenities depended on the number of permissions.
"It was agreed that 450 bicycles would be made available at 50 stations located in the city centre", the council said. These locations are now being identified and the city bike scheme will be launched during Mobility Week at the end of September.
It said there would be a "six-month lead-in phase" from procurement of the bicycles to installation of the stands, with the scheme being implemented "between spring and summer 2009". So far, however, no charges have been fixed for renting the bikes.
"Dublin City Council has exclusive use of all JC Decaux advertising panels at no cost, for public information campaigns until August 31st", the statement said.
"From September 1st, the city council will acquire 38 of these panels, also at no cost."
It added that JC Decaux had "indemnified the city council with regard to public liability claims arising from accidents pertaining to the advertising panels". It had also removed 50 large advertising billboards throughout the city as part of the deal.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Planners to clamp down on new homes in risky areas
New developments will be allowed in areas at risk of flooding only in exceptional circumstances, under strict new government guidelines.
The planning guidelines will not place an outright ban on building on flood plains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
The move came as Environment Minister John Gormley donned a pair of wellies to visit Carlow town, where flooding has left residents angry over the decade-long delay to works to prevent flooding.
The minister last night vowed to fast-track a €30m flood-relief scheme in Carlow as a massive clean-up operation continued. Mr Gormley promised the tightening of government spending would not affect the project.
The Carlow flood-relief scheme has been designed and approved and is awaiting to go out to tender.
"It is important now that we proceed as quickly as possible with these flood-relief measures," said Mr Gormley.
He admitted that the administrative delays with the tendering of contracts for the schemes were "unacceptable".
"That's why I did give an absolute commitment to the council that we will ensure that money is made available and it happens."
The minister said he hoped these difficulties would be resolved in the short-term.
Guidelines
Mr Gormley also said his department would issue guidelines to ensure "proper planning" takes place in future where there are buildings in areas with a history of flooding.
A spate of flooding incidents in recent weeks has raised concerns that over-development may have caused some of the damage, as storm drains struggle to cope.
Under new guidelines, unless it can be proved to local authorities that flooding will not arise because of building on flood plains, planning permission is to be refused.
And local authorities will have to identify the flooding risk on areas of land they wish to rezone for development.
The planning acts already provide a local authority with the power to limit development in areas at risk, but the new procedures will provide clarity, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said yesterday.
"We're providing clarity for planning authorities in assessing flooding risk," he said. "If you take a major urban centre and there's a town centre at risk of flooding, we're not blocking the local authority from considering development, but they must consider what to build -- not a hospital or sewerage treatment works, but maybe a car park."
The guidelines, drawn up by the Department of the Environment and Office of Public Works, will be published in the coming weeks, before going out for public consultation.
Last night, Labour's environment spokesperson Joanna Tuffy said that Carlow was just one of many towns in Ireland where flood relief works were "put on the long finger" and accused the Government of taking its "eye off the ball".
Mr Gormley refused to take responsibility for the problems in Carlow, stating that his department was not the agency which dealt with flooding. "That's the OPW (Office of Public Works). I think Minister Martin Mansergh will be back at the end of the week," he told the Irish Independent.
Paul Melia and Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning guidelines will not place an outright ban on building on flood plains, but will mean that new developments will only get approval with strong justification.
The move came as Environment Minister John Gormley donned a pair of wellies to visit Carlow town, where flooding has left residents angry over the decade-long delay to works to prevent flooding.
The minister last night vowed to fast-track a €30m flood-relief scheme in Carlow as a massive clean-up operation continued. Mr Gormley promised the tightening of government spending would not affect the project.
The Carlow flood-relief scheme has been designed and approved and is awaiting to go out to tender.
"It is important now that we proceed as quickly as possible with these flood-relief measures," said Mr Gormley.
He admitted that the administrative delays with the tendering of contracts for the schemes were "unacceptable".
"That's why I did give an absolute commitment to the council that we will ensure that money is made available and it happens."
The minister said he hoped these difficulties would be resolved in the short-term.
Guidelines
Mr Gormley also said his department would issue guidelines to ensure "proper planning" takes place in future where there are buildings in areas with a history of flooding.
A spate of flooding incidents in recent weeks has raised concerns that over-development may have caused some of the damage, as storm drains struggle to cope.
Under new guidelines, unless it can be proved to local authorities that flooding will not arise because of building on flood plains, planning permission is to be refused.
And local authorities will have to identify the flooding risk on areas of land they wish to rezone for development.
The planning acts already provide a local authority with the power to limit development in areas at risk, but the new procedures will provide clarity, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said yesterday.
"We're providing clarity for planning authorities in assessing flooding risk," he said. "If you take a major urban centre and there's a town centre at risk of flooding, we're not blocking the local authority from considering development, but they must consider what to build -- not a hospital or sewerage treatment works, but maybe a car park."
The guidelines, drawn up by the Department of the Environment and Office of Public Works, will be published in the coming weeks, before going out for public consultation.
Last night, Labour's environment spokesperson Joanna Tuffy said that Carlow was just one of many towns in Ireland where flood relief works were "put on the long finger" and accused the Government of taking its "eye off the ball".
Mr Gormley refused to take responsibility for the problems in Carlow, stating that his department was not the agency which dealt with flooding. "That's the OPW (Office of Public Works). I think Minister Martin Mansergh will be back at the end of the week," he told the Irish Independent.
Paul Melia and Eimear Ni Bhraonain
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanala ruling costs university €154,000
A DECISION by the board of An Bord Pleanala not to confer voluntary status on the University of Limerick (UL) is to cost the university more than €150,000.
The board overruled its inspector's decision to exempt UL from paying €154,000 demanded by Clare County Council after it found that the council had properly applied its development contribution scheme in the case.
Earlier this year, UL secured planning permission for development of an Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at Garraun, Clonlara, Co Clare, a project that included two performance theatres, music practice rooms, and computer and research suites.
As part of the decision, Clare County Council told UL to pay €304,000 in development contributions.
But UL appealed against this payment saying the council was wrong to exclude it from its development exemptions as the university was a voluntary body, registered as a charity trust.
Concerts
UL said its voluntary status was accepted by the Revenue Commissioners and the academy was to be used by the people of Clare and Limerick as well as by its students.
But the council argued the academy building did not come under its definition of voluntary schemes as it would charge fees for courses taught there.
The council also said the academy was to be a venue for concerts and exhibitions, which would generate revenue through ticket sales, while the development would connect to existing public water and sewerage schemes.
In his report, the board inspector said the term "voluntary organisation" had not been defined in the Planning and Development Act, 2000, but it was likely UL came within this remit and should qualify for a full exemption from the council's development charge.
The inspector also ruled UL should be exempt from making a €150,000 contribution towards upgrading the local road network.
However, in its consideration of the inspector's report, the board said it did not accept UL came within the scope of the exemptions for voluntary organisations contained in the development contribution scheme and it considered the scheme was properly applied by the planning authority.
The board, however, ordered the removal of the demand for the €150,000 contribution for the road network as UL had already contributed €500,000 for a related development at its campus in Co Clare.
Gordon Deegan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The board overruled its inspector's decision to exempt UL from paying €154,000 demanded by Clare County Council after it found that the council had properly applied its development contribution scheme in the case.
Earlier this year, UL secured planning permission for development of an Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at Garraun, Clonlara, Co Clare, a project that included two performance theatres, music practice rooms, and computer and research suites.
As part of the decision, Clare County Council told UL to pay €304,000 in development contributions.
But UL appealed against this payment saying the council was wrong to exclude it from its development exemptions as the university was a voluntary body, registered as a charity trust.
Concerts
UL said its voluntary status was accepted by the Revenue Commissioners and the academy was to be used by the people of Clare and Limerick as well as by its students.
But the council argued the academy building did not come under its definition of voluntary schemes as it would charge fees for courses taught there.
The council also said the academy was to be a venue for concerts and exhibitions, which would generate revenue through ticket sales, while the development would connect to existing public water and sewerage schemes.
In his report, the board inspector said the term "voluntary organisation" had not been defined in the Planning and Development Act, 2000, but it was likely UL came within this remit and should qualify for a full exemption from the council's development charge.
The inspector also ruled UL should be exempt from making a €150,000 contribution towards upgrading the local road network.
However, in its consideration of the inspector's report, the board said it did not accept UL came within the scope of the exemptions for voluntary organisations contained in the development contribution scheme and it considered the scheme was properly applied by the planning authority.
The board, however, ordered the removal of the demand for the €150,000 contribution for the road network as UL had already contributed €500,000 for a related development at its campus in Co Clare.
Gordon Deegan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Desmond turns sights on hotel in battle over high-rises
BILLIONAIRE businessman Dermot Desmond has launched another broadside against developers who plan to build high-rise buildings in the capital.
His latest target is Treasury Holdings, which plans to build a 152-metre hotel of 35 storeys in the Dublin Docklands.
It is the third appeal against a high-rise building submitted by Mr Desmond since the proposed developments sought planning approval.
He has also asked An Bord Pleanala to refuse permission for developer Sean Dunne's plans for a 37-storey block on the Jurys/Berkeley Court site in Ballsbridge, and objected to another plan by developer Ray Grehan for a 15-storey tower on the former UCD veterinary school site, describing it as an "incongruous spike".
The financier also accused Mr Grehan of being concerned with "the maximisation of profit". He levelled a similar charge at Mr Dunne, with a submission to An Bord Pleanala saying the design of the Ballsbridge scheme was "reflective of the need to maximise the commercial development of the site".
Submission
And, in a submission to Dublin City Council, Mr Desmond uses the same terminology to object to the development of a hotel beside the National Conference Centre at Spencer Dock.
He says the plan is "completely incongruous" -- a similar description in his appeal against plans by Glenkerrin Homes -- and warns against allowing "the desired financial return of any developer to be a valid planning consideration".
The submission claims that the planning application is out of context with the surrounding buildings on the river front which will be "dwarfed" and will impact on the IFSC.
"A building of this kind, if permitted, would explode all the good planning principles in the area," he says.
He notes that Dublin City Council is conducting a study on maximum permitted heights of buildings in the city, and says it would be "entirely premature" to grant planning permission until the study is complete.
"To permit this development in the absence of such a study would be to engage in an ad hoc approach to tall buildings and, of course, would undermine the planned approach to tall buildings and the identification of appropriate sites for their selection," he adds
The council is expected to decide this week if the Treasury scheme will be approved.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
His latest target is Treasury Holdings, which plans to build a 152-metre hotel of 35 storeys in the Dublin Docklands.
It is the third appeal against a high-rise building submitted by Mr Desmond since the proposed developments sought planning approval.
He has also asked An Bord Pleanala to refuse permission for developer Sean Dunne's plans for a 37-storey block on the Jurys/Berkeley Court site in Ballsbridge, and objected to another plan by developer Ray Grehan for a 15-storey tower on the former UCD veterinary school site, describing it as an "incongruous spike".
The financier also accused Mr Grehan of being concerned with "the maximisation of profit". He levelled a similar charge at Mr Dunne, with a submission to An Bord Pleanala saying the design of the Ballsbridge scheme was "reflective of the need to maximise the commercial development of the site".
Submission
And, in a submission to Dublin City Council, Mr Desmond uses the same terminology to object to the development of a hotel beside the National Conference Centre at Spencer Dock.
He says the plan is "completely incongruous" -- a similar description in his appeal against plans by Glenkerrin Homes -- and warns against allowing "the desired financial return of any developer to be a valid planning consideration".
The submission claims that the planning application is out of context with the surrounding buildings on the river front which will be "dwarfed" and will impact on the IFSC.
"A building of this kind, if permitted, would explode all the good planning principles in the area," he says.
He notes that Dublin City Council is conducting a study on maximum permitted heights of buildings in the city, and says it would be "entirely premature" to grant planning permission until the study is complete.
"To permit this development in the absence of such a study would be to engage in an ad hoc approach to tall buildings and, of course, would undermine the planned approach to tall buildings and the identification of appropriate sites for their selection," he adds
The council is expected to decide this week if the Treasury scheme will be approved.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Flatley’s 9,100 sq ft island idyll rejected by planners
PLANS by dancer Michael Flatley to build a "modest" holiday retreat covering more than 9,000 square feet of a Co Kerry island have been rejected.
Kerry County Council yesterday refused planning permission for a proposal to build a cottage several times larger than an average family home on Rossmore island in Kenmare Bay.
The Lord of the Dance star had already scaled back plans for a 70,000 sq ft mansion, but planners decided the smaller proposal was out of character with the “sensitive” landscape of the area.
Flatley (50) had proposed an L-shaped one-and-a-half storey building, of 9,100 sq ft, to include a guest wing, staff quarters, central fountain, garage and playroom.
Refused
Described as “a modern interpretation of a traditional thatched cottage”, it was to be located at the island’s eastern edge and would be entered by a private laneway and would only be visible from the water. Among the project’s supporters were former Mayor of Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae.
Kerry Councty Council planners rejected the scheme on the grounds of its “design, scale and bulk, on an elevated, open and exposed site”.
It was also refused because the design was not “sympathetic” to the building it was to replace and would contravene the country development plan.
The planning authority also raised concerns about whether effluent could be adequately disposed of at the site.
“The proposed development would, therefore, be prejudicial to public health,” it added.
Flatley, who made his name with Riverdance, already owns Castlehyde House near Fermoy, Co Cork, which he restored at a cost of €50m. The restoration of the former home of Ireland’s first president, Douglas Hyde, has been hailed as the most impressive privately-funded project ever undertaken in the country. Flatley also has homes in Barbados, Chicago, France and London.
The decision can be appealed, and if it eventually gets the goahead Flatley’s neighbours would include the Smurfit family who have had a holiday home near Rossdohan in the Ring of Kerry and car importers the O'Flahertys.
Rossmore is only a few minutes’ drive from the gourmet attractions of Kenmare, Sneem and Parknasilla by bridge.
Paul Melia and Olivia Kelleher
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Kerry County Council yesterday refused planning permission for a proposal to build a cottage several times larger than an average family home on Rossmore island in Kenmare Bay.
The Lord of the Dance star had already scaled back plans for a 70,000 sq ft mansion, but planners decided the smaller proposal was out of character with the “sensitive” landscape of the area.
Flatley (50) had proposed an L-shaped one-and-a-half storey building, of 9,100 sq ft, to include a guest wing, staff quarters, central fountain, garage and playroom.
Refused
Described as “a modern interpretation of a traditional thatched cottage”, it was to be located at the island’s eastern edge and would be entered by a private laneway and would only be visible from the water. Among the project’s supporters were former Mayor of Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae.
Kerry Councty Council planners rejected the scheme on the grounds of its “design, scale and bulk, on an elevated, open and exposed site”.
It was also refused because the design was not “sympathetic” to the building it was to replace and would contravene the country development plan.
The planning authority also raised concerns about whether effluent could be adequately disposed of at the site.
“The proposed development would, therefore, be prejudicial to public health,” it added.
Flatley, who made his name with Riverdance, already owns Castlehyde House near Fermoy, Co Cork, which he restored at a cost of €50m. The restoration of the former home of Ireland’s first president, Douglas Hyde, has been hailed as the most impressive privately-funded project ever undertaken in the country. Flatley also has homes in Barbados, Chicago, France and London.
The decision can be appealed, and if it eventually gets the goahead Flatley’s neighbours would include the Smurfit family who have had a holiday home near Rossdohan in the Ring of Kerry and car importers the O'Flahertys.
Rossmore is only a few minutes’ drive from the gourmet attractions of Kenmare, Sneem and Parknasilla by bridge.
Paul Melia and Olivia Kelleher
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Traffic ban to create pedestrian spine through the heart of Dublin
TRAFFIC is to be completely banned from the Grafton Street corner of Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green when a public plaza is created as part of works for the Metro North light-rail system.
The Railway Procurement Agency is currently in discussions with Dublin City Council about creating the plaza at the top of the city’s premier shopping street, which could see the whole area transformed into a pedestrian-only area.
And yesterday it emerged the Fusilier's Arch at the entrance to St Stephen’s Green will have be removed for four years during construction works.
The statue of Daniel O’Connell on the capital’s main thoroughfare will also be temporarily removed during the construction of underground stations.
No decision has been made as to where to relocate the iconic statue during the four years of building work, but it is planned to re-instate it once the stations are completed.
And it has emerged that more than 40 mature trees will have to be removed from St Stephen’s Green to accommodate an underground station, work on which is expected to start next year.
The RPA’s chief architect, Jim Quinlan, last night outlined the vision for St Stephen's Green and the city centre after works are complete and Metro North is up and running.
“We want to try and declutter that area and create a public plaza,” he told the Irish Independent.
“It’s already a great place for people to meet and we’re going to remove traffic and create a much more pedestrian zone with more, and better, street furniture.
“We’ll move the bike stands to create space, and we’ll have to figure out where to put the horse and carts, taxis and bikes.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity and it could be extended to College Green and Westmoreland Street because we’re digging that up as well. It’s a great opportunity to create a pedestrian spine through the heart of the city.”
But parts of St Stephen’s Green will be changed forever, with up to 45 mature trees removed to facilitate construction of the underground station. Three small ‘boxes' or escape hatches will also be built within the park walls, while air vents will be located on the island in the middle of the lake.
However a 'living wall' will be created, which will see plants and shrubbery shielding the vents from park users over time. “St Stephen’s Green can’t go back exactly as it was, there will be some vents on the island, but they’ll be disguised,” he said.
“A lot of the trees in place need a lot of root space, and we’re working with the Office of Public Works to see what species can go back in. We think 44 or 45 mature trees will have to be removed.”
Mr Quinlan, who is leaving the RPA later this week to take up a new position as chief architect with the Dubai light rail project, also said he expected the project to be delivered by its 2014 deadline.
But he admitted the construction works would be painful, and that “hundreds of acres” of land would be needed for the project. “There’s radar mapping now which tells us exactly what’s underground,” he said. “We’ll need quite a lot of land, but we’ve tried to ensure we’re under public roads and land. Traffic management will have an impact on the city, and it (disruption) will be more than Luas.
“St Stephen’s Green, O’Connell Street, Parnell Square, the Mater and Drumcondra all present big problems. Abbey Street to the Quays will have to be dug up, and some side streets will be closed off in Drumcondra. The 2014 deadline is a big call, it’s very complex but we’re taking an optimistic view. Some things are out of our hands, and planning could take longer (than expected).” Construction works will start at a number of locations across the city, assuming An Bord Pleanala approve the project, he added.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The Railway Procurement Agency is currently in discussions with Dublin City Council about creating the plaza at the top of the city’s premier shopping street, which could see the whole area transformed into a pedestrian-only area.
And yesterday it emerged the Fusilier's Arch at the entrance to St Stephen’s Green will have be removed for four years during construction works.
The statue of Daniel O’Connell on the capital’s main thoroughfare will also be temporarily removed during the construction of underground stations.
No decision has been made as to where to relocate the iconic statue during the four years of building work, but it is planned to re-instate it once the stations are completed.
And it has emerged that more than 40 mature trees will have to be removed from St Stephen’s Green to accommodate an underground station, work on which is expected to start next year.
The RPA’s chief architect, Jim Quinlan, last night outlined the vision for St Stephen's Green and the city centre after works are complete and Metro North is up and running.
“We want to try and declutter that area and create a public plaza,” he told the Irish Independent.
“It’s already a great place for people to meet and we’re going to remove traffic and create a much more pedestrian zone with more, and better, street furniture.
“We’ll move the bike stands to create space, and we’ll have to figure out where to put the horse and carts, taxis and bikes.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity and it could be extended to College Green and Westmoreland Street because we’re digging that up as well. It’s a great opportunity to create a pedestrian spine through the heart of the city.”
But parts of St Stephen’s Green will be changed forever, with up to 45 mature trees removed to facilitate construction of the underground station. Three small ‘boxes' or escape hatches will also be built within the park walls, while air vents will be located on the island in the middle of the lake.
However a 'living wall' will be created, which will see plants and shrubbery shielding the vents from park users over time. “St Stephen’s Green can’t go back exactly as it was, there will be some vents on the island, but they’ll be disguised,” he said.
“A lot of the trees in place need a lot of root space, and we’re working with the Office of Public Works to see what species can go back in. We think 44 or 45 mature trees will have to be removed.”
Mr Quinlan, who is leaving the RPA later this week to take up a new position as chief architect with the Dubai light rail project, also said he expected the project to be delivered by its 2014 deadline.
But he admitted the construction works would be painful, and that “hundreds of acres” of land would be needed for the project. “There’s radar mapping now which tells us exactly what’s underground,” he said. “We’ll need quite a lot of land, but we’ve tried to ensure we’re under public roads and land. Traffic management will have an impact on the city, and it (disruption) will be more than Luas.
“St Stephen’s Green, O’Connell Street, Parnell Square, the Mater and Drumcondra all present big problems. Abbey Street to the Quays will have to be dug up, and some side streets will be closed off in Drumcondra. The 2014 deadline is a big call, it’s very complex but we’re taking an optimistic view. Some things are out of our hands, and planning could take longer (than expected).” Construction works will start at a number of locations across the city, assuming An Bord Pleanala approve the project, he added.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
€2.2m public park to open in Limerick
A NEW public park will be opened in the Limerick suburb of Castletroy later this week.
The €2.2m park is one of the largest purpose-built public amenity areas developed in the county.
The development features 1.2 km of pedestrian pathways, a fully equipped children’s playground, skateboarding area, circular cycle route and central performance/exhibition area with covering structure.
It also features an array of natural habitats, including a 4,300 sq. metre lake, wetlands, wildflower grass areas and woodlands. The development, which is located opposite Castletroy College, is complemented by park furniture, ornamental planting areas, a public car park and main entrance feature. It will be open to the public seven days a week at daytime.
Cllr John Gallahue, chairman of Limerick Co Council, said: “These new facilities are a significant and welcome addition to Limerick’s outdoor recreational infrastructure. The provision of this state-of-the-art public park demonstrates the council’s commitment to further improving the quality of life for local communities. The development will be of particular benefit to the growing population of Castletroy and surrounding areas.”
Gerry Behan, deputy county manager, said the provision of sporting and recreational facilities and services is one of the core functions of local government.
He said: “Castletroy continues to experience growth in terms of developments and population. Therefore, it is imperative that this is matched by the provision of important infrastructure, such as recreational amenities.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The €2.2m park is one of the largest purpose-built public amenity areas developed in the county.
The development features 1.2 km of pedestrian pathways, a fully equipped children’s playground, skateboarding area, circular cycle route and central performance/exhibition area with covering structure.
It also features an array of natural habitats, including a 4,300 sq. metre lake, wetlands, wildflower grass areas and woodlands. The development, which is located opposite Castletroy College, is complemented by park furniture, ornamental planting areas, a public car park and main entrance feature. It will be open to the public seven days a week at daytime.
Cllr John Gallahue, chairman of Limerick Co Council, said: “These new facilities are a significant and welcome addition to Limerick’s outdoor recreational infrastructure. The provision of this state-of-the-art public park demonstrates the council’s commitment to further improving the quality of life for local communities. The development will be of particular benefit to the growing population of Castletroy and surrounding areas.”
Gerry Behan, deputy county manager, said the provision of sporting and recreational facilities and services is one of the core functions of local government.
He said: “Castletroy continues to experience growth in terms of developments and population. Therefore, it is imperative that this is matched by the provision of important infrastructure, such as recreational amenities.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Advice sought to halt planning hearing
OPPONENTS OF a meat and bonemeal incinerator proposed for Co Meath are to seek legal advice on securing an injunction preventing Bord Pleanála from proceeding next week with an oral hearing into the development.
The hearing into objections to the plans by rendering company College Proteins to build an eight megawatt biomass incinerator and ash landfill at its existing plant in Nobber, Co Meath, is expected to take at least two weeks. It is being assessed by the board under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
The company says two megawatts would be used for its own operations and the balance would be exported to the national electricity grid. The power available for distribution to the grid represented the electricity demand of 4,000 homes.
There is much local opposition to the incinerator. The campaign group says it has health and environmental concerns and needs more time to prepare its expert witnesses.
At yesterday's preliminary hearing the inspector was told by Christy O'Reilly, chairman of North East Against Incineration, that more time was needed.
He said this was illustrated by the number of documents which were brought to the hearing yesterday by An Bord Pleanála that the group had not seen. "Our experts need time to examine the documents", he said.
Asking the inspector to consider adjourning the hearing, the group said a number of people who had made valid submissions to the board were not notified about the hearing.
Mr O'Reilly said the decision not to postpone the hearing meant these people were being denied their statutory right.
The inspector was also told the notice informing people of yesterday's preliminary hearing, where observers had to attend to ensure they could make submissions at the hearing, was sent when a lot of families were on holidays and some did not know about it.
Local councillor Eugene Cassidy said while the planning board had written to seven local authorities advising them they could make submissions, this was done two weeks ago.
He said because no council meetings were held in August, no submissions could be ratified.
The inspector Pauline Fitzpatrick said the hearing would not be postponed and she referred to the Strategic Infrastructure Act which by law requires the board to make a decision within 18 weeks of the closing date for submissions.
Meath deputy Shane McEntee said he did not accept that.The board did not have its house in order and it was not the problem of the people of north Meath if this was the case.
Meanwhile, the executive of Meath County Council in its submission said it had no objection in principle to the proposed development. It added, however, that the hearing would be told that elected members to the council might be taking a different view.
The formal hearing gets under way in Navan next Tuesday unless delayed or blocked by legal action.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The hearing into objections to the plans by rendering company College Proteins to build an eight megawatt biomass incinerator and ash landfill at its existing plant in Nobber, Co Meath, is expected to take at least two weeks. It is being assessed by the board under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
The company says two megawatts would be used for its own operations and the balance would be exported to the national electricity grid. The power available for distribution to the grid represented the electricity demand of 4,000 homes.
There is much local opposition to the incinerator. The campaign group says it has health and environmental concerns and needs more time to prepare its expert witnesses.
At yesterday's preliminary hearing the inspector was told by Christy O'Reilly, chairman of North East Against Incineration, that more time was needed.
He said this was illustrated by the number of documents which were brought to the hearing yesterday by An Bord Pleanála that the group had not seen. "Our experts need time to examine the documents", he said.
Asking the inspector to consider adjourning the hearing, the group said a number of people who had made valid submissions to the board were not notified about the hearing.
Mr O'Reilly said the decision not to postpone the hearing meant these people were being denied their statutory right.
The inspector was also told the notice informing people of yesterday's preliminary hearing, where observers had to attend to ensure they could make submissions at the hearing, was sent when a lot of families were on holidays and some did not know about it.
Local councillor Eugene Cassidy said while the planning board had written to seven local authorities advising them they could make submissions, this was done two weeks ago.
He said because no council meetings were held in August, no submissions could be ratified.
The inspector Pauline Fitzpatrick said the hearing would not be postponed and she referred to the Strategic Infrastructure Act which by law requires the board to make a decision within 18 weeks of the closing date for submissions.
Meath deputy Shane McEntee said he did not accept that.The board did not have its house in order and it was not the problem of the people of north Meath if this was the case.
Meanwhile, the executive of Meath County Council in its submission said it had no objection in principle to the proposed development. It added, however, that the hearing would be told that elected members to the council might be taking a different view.
The formal hearing gets under way in Navan next Tuesday unless delayed or blocked by legal action.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Flatley plans for 'modest' 9,100 sq ft cottage turned down
PLANS BY dancer Michael Flatley to build a "modest cottage" on Rossmore Island in Kenmare Bay, near Sneem in Co Kerry, have been refused by Kerry County Council, according to planning sources.
The cottage was to be a second home after much larger plans for a permanent home would not be considered by the council.
The official result will not be posted until tomorrow. Flatley's planning consultants have been made aware of the result, though not officially. Aan appeal to An Bord Pleanála is thought likely.
Planners have recommended refusal on a number of grounds, including the size of the house and its impact on visual amenities of the area. They also maintained it would contravene the county development plan.
The 9,100 sq ft dwelling was to be set on 56 acres on the eastern tip of the island, which is connected by bridge to the mainland.
It involved the demolition of an existing farmhouse and the incorporation of farm buildings into the design.
The L-shaped structure, designed by a Geneva-based architect, included guest and staff quarters as well as substantial family quarters, courtyard and fountain along with garages.
The application had represented a compromise proposal after senior planners at a pre-planning meeting refused to consider a Palladian mansion of 70,000 sq ft for the sensitive site alongside an important special area of conservation governing the whole of the drowned glacial valley that is Kenmare Bay.
Both the Department of the Environment and An Taisce as well as a third party had made submissions.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The cottage was to be a second home after much larger plans for a permanent home would not be considered by the council.
The official result will not be posted until tomorrow. Flatley's planning consultants have been made aware of the result, though not officially. Aan appeal to An Bord Pleanála is thought likely.
Planners have recommended refusal on a number of grounds, including the size of the house and its impact on visual amenities of the area. They also maintained it would contravene the county development plan.
The 9,100 sq ft dwelling was to be set on 56 acres on the eastern tip of the island, which is connected by bridge to the mainland.
It involved the demolition of an existing farmhouse and the incorporation of farm buildings into the design.
The L-shaped structure, designed by a Geneva-based architect, included guest and staff quarters as well as substantial family quarters, courtyard and fountain along with garages.
The application had represented a compromise proposal after senior planners at a pre-planning meeting refused to consider a Palladian mansion of 70,000 sq ft for the sensitive site alongside an important special area of conservation governing the whole of the drowned glacial valley that is Kenmare Bay.
Both the Department of the Environment and An Taisce as well as a third party had made submissions.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plan to 'store' millions of tonnes of gas off Dublin Bay
MILLIONS OF tonnes of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and natural gas could end up being "stored" in undersea caverns beneath the Kish Bank, off Dublin Bay, under a project being planned by an Irish-Malaysian joint venture.
Providence Resources, headed by Tony O'Reilly jnr, and its partner, Star Energy, are to begin evaluating the potential of the Kish Bank basin for "carbon sequestration" and natural gas storage, it was announced yesterday.
The study, dubbed the "Ulysses project", is being carried out on a 50/50 basis with Star Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petronas, the Malaysian national oil company, which claims to be the leading gas-storage operator in Britain.
Providence and Star Energy were recently awarded a three-year licensing option over eight blocks in the Kish Bank basin by the Department of Energy. It also covers oil and gas exploration.
The Ulysses project will assess the potential use of Triassic-aged sandstone reservoirs beneath the Kish Bank - 20km east of Dublin Bay - as possible sites for carbon sequestration, with the overlying shale used to seal it.
Mr O'Reilly said he hoped the project would contribute to reducing Ireland's carbon footprint as well as increasing its natural gas storage capacity, both identified by the Government as strategic national objectives.
Speaking to The Irish Times , he said the two partners were "not fooling ourselves to think that this will be a quick and easy process". However, they hoped to find out "within a year" whether the Kish Bank basin would be suitable.
He said Providence and Star Energy would also be talking to electricity producers, notably the ESB, about buying into the project if it turned out to be a runner. These were the "obvious candidates" to avail of a facility to store both gas and CO2.
"We think this is an exciting project, and we're obviously anxious to progress it," Mr O'Reilly said. "We want to see whether we can capture the CO2, pipe it and then inject it 1.5km into the earth. And it's encouraging that this has been done before."
Roland Wessel, chief executive of Star Energy, said: "We are excited to be working with Providence on the Ulysses project which has the potential to be the first successful offshore carbon sequestration project in both Ireland and the UK."
A similar offshore CO2 sequestration project known as Sleipner has been successfully operating in the North Sea by Norwegian oil company Statoil Hydro since 1996. It was designed to offset carbon tax liabilities estimated at €34 million per annum.
CO2 sequestration, or storage, is seen by oil companies and others as a technological "fix" for climate change by capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere. Last April, StatoilHydro said Sleipner had so far sequestered 10 million tonnes.
Undersea storage of natural gas is also seen as increasingly vital. Marathon Oil operates Ireland's only gas-storage facility at the Kinsale Head field, off the coast of Co Cork, but it only has a storage capacity of five to seven billion cubic feet.
The Government's Green Paper on Energy, published last year, recommends that Ireland should have at least three months of reserve natural gas storage (around 45 billion cubic feet) in the event of any interruption in supply.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Providence Resources, headed by Tony O'Reilly jnr, and its partner, Star Energy, are to begin evaluating the potential of the Kish Bank basin for "carbon sequestration" and natural gas storage, it was announced yesterday.
The study, dubbed the "Ulysses project", is being carried out on a 50/50 basis with Star Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petronas, the Malaysian national oil company, which claims to be the leading gas-storage operator in Britain.
Providence and Star Energy were recently awarded a three-year licensing option over eight blocks in the Kish Bank basin by the Department of Energy. It also covers oil and gas exploration.
The Ulysses project will assess the potential use of Triassic-aged sandstone reservoirs beneath the Kish Bank - 20km east of Dublin Bay - as possible sites for carbon sequestration, with the overlying shale used to seal it.
Mr O'Reilly said he hoped the project would contribute to reducing Ireland's carbon footprint as well as increasing its natural gas storage capacity, both identified by the Government as strategic national objectives.
Speaking to The Irish Times , he said the two partners were "not fooling ourselves to think that this will be a quick and easy process". However, they hoped to find out "within a year" whether the Kish Bank basin would be suitable.
He said Providence and Star Energy would also be talking to electricity producers, notably the ESB, about buying into the project if it turned out to be a runner. These were the "obvious candidates" to avail of a facility to store both gas and CO2.
"We think this is an exciting project, and we're obviously anxious to progress it," Mr O'Reilly said. "We want to see whether we can capture the CO2, pipe it and then inject it 1.5km into the earth. And it's encouraging that this has been done before."
Roland Wessel, chief executive of Star Energy, said: "We are excited to be working with Providence on the Ulysses project which has the potential to be the first successful offshore carbon sequestration project in both Ireland and the UK."
A similar offshore CO2 sequestration project known as Sleipner has been successfully operating in the North Sea by Norwegian oil company Statoil Hydro since 1996. It was designed to offset carbon tax liabilities estimated at €34 million per annum.
CO2 sequestration, or storage, is seen by oil companies and others as a technological "fix" for climate change by capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere. Last April, StatoilHydro said Sleipner had so far sequestered 10 million tonnes.
Undersea storage of natural gas is also seen as increasingly vital. Marathon Oil operates Ireland's only gas-storage facility at the Kinsale Head field, off the coast of Co Cork, but it only has a storage capacity of five to seven billion cubic feet.
The Government's Green Paper on Energy, published last year, recommends that Ireland should have at least three months of reserve natural gas storage (around 45 billion cubic feet) in the event of any interruption in supply.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Site for new town centre in Bray to be restored to car park, says council
BRAY TOWN Council has said its site for a new town centre is to be restored to a car park by November, following the decision of its joint venture partner Ballymore to stall the project.
The council, which has been working on the project with Ballymore for almost 13 years, said it now at least had "some certainty" over the immediate future of the site, which was partly compiled with the aid of compulsory purchase orders.
Bray town councillors had hoped to see a major development, to be known as the Florentine Centre, incorporating an anchor retail store, a new street, shops, offices and apartments.
Over the years, the site - which is accessed from Quinnsboro Road and Florence Road - grew to incorporate a number of buildings on the Main Street, some of which were demolished and others which are now boarded up.
As the site was being assembled, the main portion of it was used as a car park but in recent years it has been closed. Local traders have complained about the unsightly nature of a large trench around the perimeter.
Despite having secured final planning approval Ballymore announced last month that it was to proceed with just a portion of the development, a single store of 5,574 square metres. The company has also offered to build subject to the planning process, a multi-storey car park which would be jointly owned with the council.
Efforts to contact a spokeswoman for Ballymore yesterday were unsuccessful. However, Bray town clerk Christine Flood confirmed that following Ballymore's decision not to proceed immediately with major elements of the scheme, the car park would be restored in time for Christmas.
Ms Flood said the council and local traders had grave concerns about the lack of parking in the town over the years.
The new arrangement with Ballymore would "have some certainty and some positive effects" in that part of the centre would be built and parking would once more be available. "It is better to have something and some certainty," she said.
The new arrangements do not preclude Ballymore from developing the remaining elements of the scheme once the economy picks up again.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The council, which has been working on the project with Ballymore for almost 13 years, said it now at least had "some certainty" over the immediate future of the site, which was partly compiled with the aid of compulsory purchase orders.
Bray town councillors had hoped to see a major development, to be known as the Florentine Centre, incorporating an anchor retail store, a new street, shops, offices and apartments.
Over the years, the site - which is accessed from Quinnsboro Road and Florence Road - grew to incorporate a number of buildings on the Main Street, some of which were demolished and others which are now boarded up.
As the site was being assembled, the main portion of it was used as a car park but in recent years it has been closed. Local traders have complained about the unsightly nature of a large trench around the perimeter.
Despite having secured final planning approval Ballymore announced last month that it was to proceed with just a portion of the development, a single store of 5,574 square metres. The company has also offered to build subject to the planning process, a multi-storey car park which would be jointly owned with the council.
Efforts to contact a spokeswoman for Ballymore yesterday were unsuccessful. However, Bray town clerk Christine Flood confirmed that following Ballymore's decision not to proceed immediately with major elements of the scheme, the car park would be restored in time for Christmas.
Ms Flood said the council and local traders had grave concerns about the lack of parking in the town over the years.
The new arrangement with Ballymore would "have some certainty and some positive effects" in that part of the centre would be built and parking would once more be available. "It is better to have something and some certainty," she said.
The new arrangements do not preclude Ballymore from developing the remaining elements of the scheme once the economy picks up again.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Planned and approved waste facilities
Incineration leads the way in planning controversy ...
• Poolbeg incinerator in Dublin has planning permission, but is awaiting a waste licence to treat 600,000 tonnes of waste a year from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• An Indaver plant at Duleek, Co Meath, has planning permission and a waste licence and is under construction. It will treat 200,000 tonnes of waste a year.
• Next month, five local authorities in the south east will ask private companies to express an interest in building a plant to cater for 170,000 tonnes of waste a year.
• A plant is proposed in Connacht to deal with 175,000 tonnes a year.
• Another plant to serve Limerick, Clare and Kerry, with 200,000 tonnes, is being considered.
• A midlands plant for 150,000 tonnes is also proposed.
• The N7 Rathcoole plant will treat 365,000 tonnes a year, if granted planning permission.
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
• Poolbeg incinerator in Dublin has planning permission, but is awaiting a waste licence to treat 600,000 tonnes of waste a year from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• An Indaver plant at Duleek, Co Meath, has planning permission and a waste licence and is under construction. It will treat 200,000 tonnes of waste a year.
• Next month, five local authorities in the south east will ask private companies to express an interest in building a plant to cater for 170,000 tonnes of waste a year.
• A plant is proposed in Connacht to deal with 175,000 tonnes a year.
• Another plant to serve Limerick, Clare and Kerry, with 200,000 tonnes, is being considered.
• A midlands plant for 150,000 tonnes is also proposed.
• The N7 Rathcoole plant will treat 365,000 tonnes a year, if granted planning permission.
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Planners' jig over Flatley cottage
ORIGINALLY he wanted to build a gigantic Palladian mansion on his Kerry island, but now it looks like planners won't allow dancer Michael Flatley to build his scaled-back "cottage" with gym and staff quarters.
A flat refusal is on the cards for the multi-millionaire dancer calls a "modest" cottage on his island home on the Kenmare Bay in Co Kerry. The news will be delivered tomorrow morning -- but the dancer can appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala.
Already the 50-year-old Lord of the Dance had been persuaded to scale down original plans for a gigantic Palladian mansion, with a total floor space of 70,000sq ft on the eastern end of Rossmore, an island just off Sneem and connected to the mainland by bridge.
He has contracted to buy practically the whole north eastern tip of the island. Originally, the plan was for a permanent home, but the new smaller house application is for a second home.
At a pre-planning meeting earlier this year, it is understood Kerry planners danced a jig at the size of what was being proposed for a site alongside an area of special conservation. They told his agents to submit a less ambitious drawing.
In a letter on the planning files in Tralee, Flatley's agents, Cork based McCutcheon Mulcahy said: "While the planning officials were very keen to accommodate Mr Flatley's housing needs in Co Kerry, it was generally felt that a Palladian house of around 70,000 sq feet would be excessive in this location."
The decision was taken to submit a plan for a smaller house. This would be for a second home for Mr Flatley who has already restored the remarkable Castle Hyde near Fermoy, Co Cork. When finally submitted, the Swiss architect-designed "cottage" on 56 acres was just 13 per cent of what Flatley wanted originally -- but was still over 9,100sq ft, several times the size of the average house in most parts of Kerry.
His planning consultants told the council the cottage would be a second home and because it involved the demolition of an existing farmhouse would meet the county development plan guidelines.
"There is a history in Kerry of large houses being permitted in the area," the planning consultants state in their submission. In any case they considered the proposal "modest in size", given the size of the site, they told the council.
Several castles as well as manor houses from the 19th century line this side of Kenmare Bay. Clashnacree House, (the first house in the country seized by the Criminal Assets Burea) Derryquin manor, and Parknasilla -- the hotel favoured by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when he was in office -- are just a few.
The Flatleys could count as neighbours ex-Kerry Group boss Denis Brosnan along with Eimear Mulhearn (daughter of Charles J Haughey) and her businessman husband, John.
Labelled on the design sheet: "Construction of a cottage" and designed by Geneva-based architects Andreas Durr and Associates, the immaculately drawn plans show an L-Shaped one-and-a-half-storey development which would have guest suites in a guest wing , family and facilities as well as staff quarters.
The family living room alone was to measure 1,302sq ft (121sq m).
There was to be a central courtyard and fountain along with a garage and playroom, laundry and a powder room.
Located on the eastern end of the island where there is little development, it would be entered by a private laneway and would only be visible from the water, according to one of its most ardent supporters, Michael Healy-Rae. He has written to the council planners supporting the application. The former mayor of Kerry said he remained convinced the Flatleys would be moving from Castlehyde in Fermoy to a permanent residence in Rossmore. Michael Flatley's wife, Niamh, had fallen in love with the area.
"This would be like a small factory to the area and the county will be sending out all the wrong messages if it does not get the go-ahead," according to Mr Healy-Rae who is noted for his pro-development stance and attacks on conservation bodies like An Taisce.
He said people would travel to the area and take boat trips just to see the house and there would be spin-off in maintenance and in the actual construction.
Anne Lucey
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
A flat refusal is on the cards for the multi-millionaire dancer calls a "modest" cottage on his island home on the Kenmare Bay in Co Kerry. The news will be delivered tomorrow morning -- but the dancer can appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala.
Already the 50-year-old Lord of the Dance had been persuaded to scale down original plans for a gigantic Palladian mansion, with a total floor space of 70,000sq ft on the eastern end of Rossmore, an island just off Sneem and connected to the mainland by bridge.
He has contracted to buy practically the whole north eastern tip of the island. Originally, the plan was for a permanent home, but the new smaller house application is for a second home.
At a pre-planning meeting earlier this year, it is understood Kerry planners danced a jig at the size of what was being proposed for a site alongside an area of special conservation. They told his agents to submit a less ambitious drawing.
In a letter on the planning files in Tralee, Flatley's agents, Cork based McCutcheon Mulcahy said: "While the planning officials were very keen to accommodate Mr Flatley's housing needs in Co Kerry, it was generally felt that a Palladian house of around 70,000 sq feet would be excessive in this location."
The decision was taken to submit a plan for a smaller house. This would be for a second home for Mr Flatley who has already restored the remarkable Castle Hyde near Fermoy, Co Cork. When finally submitted, the Swiss architect-designed "cottage" on 56 acres was just 13 per cent of what Flatley wanted originally -- but was still over 9,100sq ft, several times the size of the average house in most parts of Kerry.
His planning consultants told the council the cottage would be a second home and because it involved the demolition of an existing farmhouse would meet the county development plan guidelines.
"There is a history in Kerry of large houses being permitted in the area," the planning consultants state in their submission. In any case they considered the proposal "modest in size", given the size of the site, they told the council.
Several castles as well as manor houses from the 19th century line this side of Kenmare Bay. Clashnacree House, (the first house in the country seized by the Criminal Assets Burea) Derryquin manor, and Parknasilla -- the hotel favoured by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when he was in office -- are just a few.
The Flatleys could count as neighbours ex-Kerry Group boss Denis Brosnan along with Eimear Mulhearn (daughter of Charles J Haughey) and her businessman husband, John.
Labelled on the design sheet: "Construction of a cottage" and designed by Geneva-based architects Andreas Durr and Associates, the immaculately drawn plans show an L-Shaped one-and-a-half-storey development which would have guest suites in a guest wing , family and facilities as well as staff quarters.
The family living room alone was to measure 1,302sq ft (121sq m).
There was to be a central courtyard and fountain along with a garage and playroom, laundry and a powder room.
Located on the eastern end of the island where there is little development, it would be entered by a private laneway and would only be visible from the water, according to one of its most ardent supporters, Michael Healy-Rae. He has written to the council planners supporting the application. The former mayor of Kerry said he remained convinced the Flatleys would be moving from Castlehyde in Fermoy to a permanent residence in Rossmore. Michael Flatley's wife, Niamh, had fallen in love with the area.
"This would be like a small factory to the area and the county will be sending out all the wrong messages if it does not get the go-ahead," according to Mr Healy-Rae who is noted for his pro-development stance and attacks on conservation bodies like An Taisce.
He said people would travel to the area and take boat trips just to see the house and there would be spin-off in maintenance and in the actual construction.
Anne Lucey
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
CAB probes shadowy company's zoning bid
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is examining a new rezoning submission by the mysterious Jackson Way Properties, which is already the subject of a freezing order for unjust enrichment after the Flood tribunal heard allegations that Frank Dunlop had bribed Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors.
The submission emerged last week when Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council published 281 submissions from developers for residential and office developments worth billions of euro as part of the County Development Plan 2010-2016.
Town-planning consultancy firm Kiaran O'Malley & Co Ltd made the submission on behalf of Jackson Way Properties, but would not comment on Friday when asked on whose personal behalf it was acting. The tribunal linked businessman Jim Kennedy and English solicitor John Caldwell to the 70-acre site, which was rezoned in 1992. Frank Dunlop alleged to the Flood tribunal that he had bribed two Dun Laoghaire councillors in order to get the lands rezoned from agricultural to use for apartments and offices.
This increased the value of the lands from around €10m to €63m. After an investigation by cab, the High Court agreed this had been the result of corruption and that the increased value was a result of "unjust enrichment". A freeze was put on the development or disposal of the lands.
Part of the Jackson Way lands at Carrickmines in south Co Dublin were taken over by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council for roadworks around the M50, and lawyers acting on behalf of the company sought compensation of €113m for the loss of the 20 acres. However, an independent arbitrator decided the amount of compensation should be €12.5m. The compensation has not been paid and if the county council were to attempt to pay the money, CAB would step in and take the cheque as part payment, according to garda sources.
The submission on behalf of Jackson Way states that Dun Laoghaire should, under its forthcoming development plan, zone the lands for "E" use (economic development and employment). The submission contains drawings and proposals for a mixed use of offices, shops and apartments.
Jackson Way proposes "to create a local neighbourhood hub proximate to what would become a four-armed roundabout on the Glenamuck Road/LAP connect road", the submissions states. It also states that if the draft plan for the county "changes appreciably", Jackson Way "may be obliged" to appeal this.
It states: "Having regard to the above, the council is invited to agree to our clients' submission and to rezone their land at Carrickmines for land-use zoning objective E (economic development and employment) or a variant of it with perhaps a few additions to the list of permitted uses and/or the promotion of certain open-for-consideration uses in the zoning objectives matrix."
The 281 submissions which were lodged in June contain applications from some of the biggest developers in the country. Despite the downturn in the property market it seems the big developers have an eye to another boom.
Treasury Holdings has huge plans for lands it owns in Stillorgan and Rathmichael. It is still looking for permission for a major development at Stillorgan, where it owns the shopping centre and adjoining sites, and has 41 acres at Rathmichael, where it wants to do a major development.
The submissions also contain one from the National Roads Agency, which wants Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown to make provision for the eastern bypass, which has been under consideration for almost two decades. The proposal is to link the Port Tunnel with another major tunnel beneath Dublin Bay, going under Booterstown and emerging either at Stillorgan or continuing on to the M50.
There are a considerable number of submissions from residents' groups and individuals complaining that the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area has been the subject of unrestricted over-development in recent years.
JIM CUSACK
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The submission emerged last week when Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council published 281 submissions from developers for residential and office developments worth billions of euro as part of the County Development Plan 2010-2016.
Town-planning consultancy firm Kiaran O'Malley & Co Ltd made the submission on behalf of Jackson Way Properties, but would not comment on Friday when asked on whose personal behalf it was acting. The tribunal linked businessman Jim Kennedy and English solicitor John Caldwell to the 70-acre site, which was rezoned in 1992. Frank Dunlop alleged to the Flood tribunal that he had bribed two Dun Laoghaire councillors in order to get the lands rezoned from agricultural to use for apartments and offices.
This increased the value of the lands from around €10m to €63m. After an investigation by cab, the High Court agreed this had been the result of corruption and that the increased value was a result of "unjust enrichment". A freeze was put on the development or disposal of the lands.
Part of the Jackson Way lands at Carrickmines in south Co Dublin were taken over by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council for roadworks around the M50, and lawyers acting on behalf of the company sought compensation of €113m for the loss of the 20 acres. However, an independent arbitrator decided the amount of compensation should be €12.5m. The compensation has not been paid and if the county council were to attempt to pay the money, CAB would step in and take the cheque as part payment, according to garda sources.
The submission on behalf of Jackson Way states that Dun Laoghaire should, under its forthcoming development plan, zone the lands for "E" use (economic development and employment). The submission contains drawings and proposals for a mixed use of offices, shops and apartments.
Jackson Way proposes "to create a local neighbourhood hub proximate to what would become a four-armed roundabout on the Glenamuck Road/LAP connect road", the submissions states. It also states that if the draft plan for the county "changes appreciably", Jackson Way "may be obliged" to appeal this.
It states: "Having regard to the above, the council is invited to agree to our clients' submission and to rezone their land at Carrickmines for land-use zoning objective E (economic development and employment) or a variant of it with perhaps a few additions to the list of permitted uses and/or the promotion of certain open-for-consideration uses in the zoning objectives matrix."
The 281 submissions which were lodged in June contain applications from some of the biggest developers in the country. Despite the downturn in the property market it seems the big developers have an eye to another boom.
Treasury Holdings has huge plans for lands it owns in Stillorgan and Rathmichael. It is still looking for permission for a major development at Stillorgan, where it owns the shopping centre and adjoining sites, and has 41 acres at Rathmichael, where it wants to do a major development.
The submissions also contain one from the National Roads Agency, which wants Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown to make provision for the eastern bypass, which has been under consideration for almost two decades. The proposal is to link the Port Tunnel with another major tunnel beneath Dublin Bay, going under Booterstown and emerging either at Stillorgan or continuing on to the M50.
There are a considerable number of submissions from residents' groups and individuals complaining that the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area has been the subject of unrestricted over-development in recent years.
JIM CUSACK
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Councillor criticises Irish Rail’s routing of Kildare line
A Labour Party councillor in Dublin has accused Irish Rail of ‘‘pandering to the interests of big business’’ in its routing of the Kildare rail line.
Councillor Michael Conaghan also accused the semi-state company of taking a ‘‘dismissive, arrogant and biased’’ attitude towards the local community.
He criticised Irish Rail for not including the new rail station at Ballyfermot on the Kildare route project and its decision to close the station that existed at Cherry Orchard.
Conaghan claimed Ballyfermot was one of Dublin’s biggest suburbs - with more than 20,000 residents - and that the Kylemore Road was ‘‘choking with through traffic’’. The ongoing Kildare route project will double the number of tracks to four, with two dedicated lines for commuter services and two lines for Intercity and regional services.
Click Here!
As part of the plan, Cherry Orchard station was closed earlier this month and replaced with a station at Parkwest. An Irish Rail spokesman said the Parkwest station was 700 metres up the line from Cherry Orchard and served a much higher density of people.
However, Conaghan said that the residents of Ballyfermot had a very high dependency on public transport, which was catered for by the station at Cherry Orchard. He said that a new station at Kylemore Road would have been a viable and sensible choice for inclusion as part of the Kildare route project.
‘‘If big businesses and shiny new apartment complexes were located in Ballyfermot, it would have been a different story - this is the very reason that Parkwest now has a new station and the local community in Ballyfermot have lost one,” he said.
‘‘Young people, commuters and elderly residents could have been serviced by this rail station, which will connect with the Luas at Heuston station,’’ Conaghan said.
An Irish Rail spokesman said that, because higher frequency and faster trains were using the new route, a stop at Kylemore Road was not possible.
‘‘We have had an increase of passengers at Parkwest, while numbers using the service at Cherry Orchard were small,” he said. ‘‘When the Dart service is electrified and extended, we can look at the possibility of a station.”
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Councillor Michael Conaghan also accused the semi-state company of taking a ‘‘dismissive, arrogant and biased’’ attitude towards the local community.
He criticised Irish Rail for not including the new rail station at Ballyfermot on the Kildare route project and its decision to close the station that existed at Cherry Orchard.
Conaghan claimed Ballyfermot was one of Dublin’s biggest suburbs - with more than 20,000 residents - and that the Kylemore Road was ‘‘choking with through traffic’’. The ongoing Kildare route project will double the number of tracks to four, with two dedicated lines for commuter services and two lines for Intercity and regional services.
Click Here!
As part of the plan, Cherry Orchard station was closed earlier this month and replaced with a station at Parkwest. An Irish Rail spokesman said the Parkwest station was 700 metres up the line from Cherry Orchard and served a much higher density of people.
However, Conaghan said that the residents of Ballyfermot had a very high dependency on public transport, which was catered for by the station at Cherry Orchard. He said that a new station at Kylemore Road would have been a viable and sensible choice for inclusion as part of the Kildare route project.
‘‘If big businesses and shiny new apartment complexes were located in Ballyfermot, it would have been a different story - this is the very reason that Parkwest now has a new station and the local community in Ballyfermot have lost one,” he said.
‘‘Young people, commuters and elderly residents could have been serviced by this rail station, which will connect with the Luas at Heuston station,’’ Conaghan said.
An Irish Rail spokesman said that, because higher frequency and faster trains were using the new route, a stop at Kylemore Road was not possible.
‘‘We have had an increase of passengers at Parkwest, while numbers using the service at Cherry Orchard were small,” he said. ‘‘When the Dart service is electrified and extended, we can look at the possibility of a station.”
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Hearing into Dunne high-rise complex in Ballsbridge to be held next month
A BORD Pleanála public hearing into developer Seán Dunne’s controversial plans for a high-rise complex, including a 37-storey tower, on the site of the former Jurys and Berkeley Court hotels in Ballsbridge, Dublin, will be held next month.
The planning board received a record 127 appeals in relation to the planning application.
While several local residents and residents’ groups have been vocal in their opposition to the development, 87 of the appeals are in favour of the development.
This unprecedented number of appeals in favour of a planning application, includes one from Mr Dunne who is calling on the board to reinstate the 37-storey tower which was not granted permission by Dublin City Council.
The council last March granted permission for the bulk of the development, including an 18-storey tower, 294 apartments, a 232-bedroom hotel, a shopping centre, an embassy building, and a cultural centre, but rejected the 37-storey building on the grounds of excessive height.
Despite the strong support for the project, Mr Dunne will face considerable opposition to his attempts to have the tower passed, and runs the risk of having the entire development rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
The Department of the Environment, whose views were sought by the board, said the development would be “contrary to Dublin City Council’s policy to protect the architectural character of the area”.
Billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond, a resident of Ailesbury Road, has appealed against the development.
However, Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan, who is cultural adviser for the project, and public relations consultant Bill O’Herlihy have made submissions supporting the scheme.
The hearing will begin in Croke Park on September 9th, and is expected to last at least a week.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning board received a record 127 appeals in relation to the planning application.
While several local residents and residents’ groups have been vocal in their opposition to the development, 87 of the appeals are in favour of the development.
This unprecedented number of appeals in favour of a planning application, includes one from Mr Dunne who is calling on the board to reinstate the 37-storey tower which was not granted permission by Dublin City Council.
The council last March granted permission for the bulk of the development, including an 18-storey tower, 294 apartments, a 232-bedroom hotel, a shopping centre, an embassy building, and a cultural centre, but rejected the 37-storey building on the grounds of excessive height.
Despite the strong support for the project, Mr Dunne will face considerable opposition to his attempts to have the tower passed, and runs the risk of having the entire development rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
The Department of the Environment, whose views were sought by the board, said the development would be “contrary to Dublin City Council’s policy to protect the architectural character of the area”.
Billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond, a resident of Ailesbury Road, has appealed against the development.
However, Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan, who is cultural adviser for the project, and public relations consultant Bill O’Herlihy have made submissions supporting the scheme.
The hearing will begin in Croke Park on September 9th, and is expected to last at least a week.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley pledges action on Killarney House
A PLEDGE to take an initiative to end the State’s neglect of historic Killarney House has been made by Minister for the Environment John Gormley in a letter to local Senator Paul Coghlan who has been campaigning for years on the issue.
Earlier this year the only daughter of John and Mary McShain, American builders and philanthropists who gave much of the 27,000-acre Killarney National Park to the State, described the treatment of Killarney House, her parents’ home for 40 years, as “a disgrace”.
In response to Mr Coghlan’s persistent lobbying on the issue the Minister wrote a letter last week in which he promised action from his officials to deal with the problem.
“I can now advise that an interdepartmental committee comprised of officials from both the Office of Public Works and my department has been established with a view to overseeing a successful resolution to this issue,” said the letter.
“This committee is considering all options including an initial need to undertake remedial repairs to the structure of the building involving mainly roof and window repairs and to enhance its external appearance. These works would be appropriate, regardless of the future longer-term plans for the house,” said the Minister.
He added that depending on the levels of funding available it may be possible to make progress in the shorter term on work which would improve the house and its grounds at an early stage to the benefit of the town of Killarney.
“In the meantime this would facilitate a more considered review of the possible appropriate new uses for the building itself. In this regard, some preliminary discussions are taking place with Fáilte Ireland in regard to its tourism capital investment programme to explore funding possibilities,” said the Minister.
Mr Coghlan said yesterday that he hoped the Minister’s initiative would lead to early action as it was urgently required to protect the house, which had been sold to the State by the McShains 10 years ago for a fraction of its real value.
“It is sad and disappointing that this beautiful house and gardens has been allowed to decay but I know Minister Gormley’s heart is in the right place and I hope that he will be able to put things to right,” said Mr Coghlan.
Earlier this year Pauline McShain, whose parents sold Killarney House to the State, said she was sad and disillusioned by the attitude of the Government and asked for an explanation of how the house, which dates from the early 18th century, had been left to fall apart and was being used by squatters.
“My parents restored and beautified Killarney House. It is a treasure. It should be the centre of Killarney National Park. But it’s falling into a ruin,” she said.
The deterioration of the historic building, part of a French-style chateau which was home to the earls of Kenmare, has been the subject of ongoing concern and the issue has been raised repeatedly in the Seanad by Mr Coghlan.
The US developers and philanthropists John and Mary McShain agreed to sell their home and lands to the State for a fraction of their value.
They did so on the basis that the property would be maintained and incorporated into Killarney National Park.
Two development plans have been put forward in the 10 years since the chateau came into State ownership but the necessary funding has not materialised.
Furnishings from Killarney House were acquired by the State so that the main rooms could be opened to the public – but the house has remained closed.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Earlier this year the only daughter of John and Mary McShain, American builders and philanthropists who gave much of the 27,000-acre Killarney National Park to the State, described the treatment of Killarney House, her parents’ home for 40 years, as “a disgrace”.
In response to Mr Coghlan’s persistent lobbying on the issue the Minister wrote a letter last week in which he promised action from his officials to deal with the problem.
“I can now advise that an interdepartmental committee comprised of officials from both the Office of Public Works and my department has been established with a view to overseeing a successful resolution to this issue,” said the letter.
“This committee is considering all options including an initial need to undertake remedial repairs to the structure of the building involving mainly roof and window repairs and to enhance its external appearance. These works would be appropriate, regardless of the future longer-term plans for the house,” said the Minister.
He added that depending on the levels of funding available it may be possible to make progress in the shorter term on work which would improve the house and its grounds at an early stage to the benefit of the town of Killarney.
“In the meantime this would facilitate a more considered review of the possible appropriate new uses for the building itself. In this regard, some preliminary discussions are taking place with Fáilte Ireland in regard to its tourism capital investment programme to explore funding possibilities,” said the Minister.
Mr Coghlan said yesterday that he hoped the Minister’s initiative would lead to early action as it was urgently required to protect the house, which had been sold to the State by the McShains 10 years ago for a fraction of its real value.
“It is sad and disappointing that this beautiful house and gardens has been allowed to decay but I know Minister Gormley’s heart is in the right place and I hope that he will be able to put things to right,” said Mr Coghlan.
Earlier this year Pauline McShain, whose parents sold Killarney House to the State, said she was sad and disillusioned by the attitude of the Government and asked for an explanation of how the house, which dates from the early 18th century, had been left to fall apart and was being used by squatters.
“My parents restored and beautified Killarney House. It is a treasure. It should be the centre of Killarney National Park. But it’s falling into a ruin,” she said.
The deterioration of the historic building, part of a French-style chateau which was home to the earls of Kenmare, has been the subject of ongoing concern and the issue has been raised repeatedly in the Seanad by Mr Coghlan.
The US developers and philanthropists John and Mary McShain agreed to sell their home and lands to the State for a fraction of their value.
They did so on the basis that the property would be maintained and incorporated into Killarney National Park.
Two development plans have been put forward in the 10 years since the chateau came into State ownership but the necessary funding has not materialised.
Furnishings from Killarney House were acquired by the State so that the main rooms could be opened to the public – but the house has remained closed.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 15 August 2008
€4 million hotel plan opposed
PLANS BY Clare hurling star and Waterford senior manager Davy Fitzgerald to build a €4 million boutique hotel near Shannon airport are facing opposition.
Last month the double All-Ireland winning goalkeeper applied to demolish the Bellsfort Inn pub and function room and replace it with a two-storey, 23-bed hotel with a bar and function room.
The proposed development is on a country road linking Newmarket-on-Fergus and Shannon airport. It is three miles from the airport, which was used by over 3.6 million people last year.
In an objection to Clare County Council, Séamus and Anne Ryan, Fairfield, Lemanaghmore, Newmarket, say "nothing in the development proposal indicates that it makes any contribution to the local area, or presents a demonstrable need for this type of development in the area. The Shannon area is currently well served with food and accommodation facilities."
The Ryans say the overdevelopment of the site would give rise to "serious detrimental impact to the amenity of the property, generate traffic hazards and give rise to serious negative impact on the environment".
They argue the provision of a second storey would not simply result in a building higher than adjacent properties but would result in a dominant, top-heavy structure, "which is incongruous with the surrounding area . . . and will be highly visible in the area".
A stated objective of the Clare County Development Plan is to ensure the existing character of an area is respected and that new development does not harm the amenity of adjoining properties and the surrounding area.
A decision is due on the application next month.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Last month the double All-Ireland winning goalkeeper applied to demolish the Bellsfort Inn pub and function room and replace it with a two-storey, 23-bed hotel with a bar and function room.
The proposed development is on a country road linking Newmarket-on-Fergus and Shannon airport. It is three miles from the airport, which was used by over 3.6 million people last year.
In an objection to Clare County Council, Séamus and Anne Ryan, Fairfield, Lemanaghmore, Newmarket, say "nothing in the development proposal indicates that it makes any contribution to the local area, or presents a demonstrable need for this type of development in the area. The Shannon area is currently well served with food and accommodation facilities."
The Ryans say the overdevelopment of the site would give rise to "serious detrimental impact to the amenity of the property, generate traffic hazards and give rise to serious negative impact on the environment".
They argue the provision of a second storey would not simply result in a building higher than adjacent properties but would result in a dominant, top-heavy structure, "which is incongruous with the surrounding area . . . and will be highly visible in the area".
A stated objective of the Clare County Development Plan is to ensure the existing character of an area is respected and that new development does not harm the amenity of adjoining properties and the surrounding area.
A decision is due on the application next month.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Concern over peat power plant
MAYO COUNTY Council's decision to grant planning permission for a 100 megawatt peat-and-mixed-fuel power plant at the former Asahi chemicals site near Killala has been questioned by Bord Pleanála.
The appeals board has requested the developers to justify the proposed use of 400,000 tons of peat annually given that the "proposal might be contrary to national policy to reduce power generation from peat as a fuel source".
In a request for further information on the project, the board asked the developers - Mayo Power Ltd - to "consider and advise whether the proposed development can be operated using biomass and coal as fuel sources only".
The company is headed by former Mayo Fine Gael TD and senator Myles Staunton, who owns it jointly with a US-UK consortium, Rockland Holdings, led by Gerald Crotty. It has estimated the cost of the proposed development at €140 million.
The power plant - if approved - would use a mix of peat, woodchips and a small amount of coal as its feedstock. The developers say it will meet Mayo's electricity demand and stabilise the transmission network in the area.
However, An Taisce and the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) are appealing the county council's decision to Bord Pleanála, while Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has raised it with the European Commission.
The commission has called on Ireland to implement "effective management and protection measures" for its remaining peatlands, several which are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EU habitats directive.
In a written response to a question from Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas described the conservation status of peatlands in Ireland as "particularly alarming", and said peat "does not represent a renewable resource".
The environmental groups welcomed the commissioner's statement and called on the Government to clarify the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 which continues to support the co-firing of peat with biomass in power generation.
The IPCC has pointed out that 82 per cent of Ireland's original peatlands of more than one million hectares has been lost over the past four centuries, mostly as a result of Bord na Móna's peat extraction activities since the 1930s.
FIE said statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show that more than 23 million tons of carbon-dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere in the 10 years from 1990 to 2000 as a result of peat extraction for combustion in Ireland.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The appeals board has requested the developers to justify the proposed use of 400,000 tons of peat annually given that the "proposal might be contrary to national policy to reduce power generation from peat as a fuel source".
In a request for further information on the project, the board asked the developers - Mayo Power Ltd - to "consider and advise whether the proposed development can be operated using biomass and coal as fuel sources only".
The company is headed by former Mayo Fine Gael TD and senator Myles Staunton, who owns it jointly with a US-UK consortium, Rockland Holdings, led by Gerald Crotty. It has estimated the cost of the proposed development at €140 million.
The power plant - if approved - would use a mix of peat, woodchips and a small amount of coal as its feedstock. The developers say it will meet Mayo's electricity demand and stabilise the transmission network in the area.
However, An Taisce and the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) are appealing the county council's decision to Bord Pleanála, while Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has raised it with the European Commission.
The commission has called on Ireland to implement "effective management and protection measures" for its remaining peatlands, several which are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EU habitats directive.
In a written response to a question from Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas described the conservation status of peatlands in Ireland as "particularly alarming", and said peat "does not represent a renewable resource".
The environmental groups welcomed the commissioner's statement and called on the Government to clarify the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 which continues to support the co-firing of peat with biomass in power generation.
The IPCC has pointed out that 82 per cent of Ireland's original peatlands of more than one million hectares has been lost over the past four centuries, mostly as a result of Bord na Móna's peat extraction activities since the 1930s.
FIE said statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show that more than 23 million tons of carbon-dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere in the 10 years from 1990 to 2000 as a result of peat extraction for combustion in Ireland.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
TaraWatch against UN heritage status
TARAWATCH, the group campaigning against the route of the M3 motorway in Co Meath, is to oppose efforts to establish Tara as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) world heritage site.
The designation is being sought by Minister for the Environment John Gormley as a means to prevent future development in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara.
Mr Gormley has retained the services of a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the official advisory body to Unesco.
The decision to oppose his efforts was taken after members of TaraWatch attended a Unesco World Heritage convention in Canada recently.
The group said while Tara was "undoubtedly a site of outstanding universal value" worthy of inclusion as a world heritage site, the M3 motorway would "drastically diminish its integrity and value".
TaraWatch also said Ireland has been in breach of the Unesco World Heritage Convention since it signed the convention in 1992 because of the State's failure to nominate Tara before now.
The group is planning a number of activities to oppose the Minister's plan, and is hoping to use Heritage Week, which runs from August 24th to 31st, to highlight its campaign.
Members will also lobby Unesco to require a rerouting of the motorway before its inclusion in the list.
The group said efforts would also be made to rally international support from the World Museums Fund, the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists, among others.
"We are going to take every possible action, with international support, to oppose the Minister's plan," said spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The designation is being sought by Minister for the Environment John Gormley as a means to prevent future development in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara.
Mr Gormley has retained the services of a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the official advisory body to Unesco.
The decision to oppose his efforts was taken after members of TaraWatch attended a Unesco World Heritage convention in Canada recently.
The group said while Tara was "undoubtedly a site of outstanding universal value" worthy of inclusion as a world heritage site, the M3 motorway would "drastically diminish its integrity and value".
TaraWatch also said Ireland has been in breach of the Unesco World Heritage Convention since it signed the convention in 1992 because of the State's failure to nominate Tara before now.
The group is planning a number of activities to oppose the Minister's plan, and is hoping to use Heritage Week, which runs from August 24th to 31st, to highlight its campaign.
Members will also lobby Unesco to require a rerouting of the motorway before its inclusion in the list.
The group said efforts would also be made to rally international support from the World Museums Fund, the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists, among others.
"We are going to take every possible action, with international support, to oppose the Minister's plan," said spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Public hearing into 'super-dump' to be reopened
AN BORD Pleanála is to reopen its public hearing into the proposed 500,000-tonne capacity "super-dump" near Lusk in north Dublin, to consider a new report that criticises Fingal County Council's archaeological assessment of the site.
The report by a leading expert in Iron Age archaeology, Prof John Waddell of NUI Galway, was commissioned by the planning board, following the advice of Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
Prof Waddell found several deficiencies in the archeological report carried out by Fingal, the local authority seeking permission for the landfill, which he said was poorly structured and "remarkably brief" and perfunctory in places.
The report could jeopardise the council's chances of gaining planning permission for the dump even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already proposed granting it a waste licence to run the facility.
An Bord Pleanála originally conducted a hearing in October 2006 into the council's plans for the landfill at Nevitt, Lusk, which would take 16 per cent of waste produced by the greater Dublin region.
The board had been due to give its decision in relation to the landfill in October 2007, but deferred its ruling and the following month sought the direction of the Department of the Environment in relation to the archaeological issues that had been raised during the hearing.
In December 2007 the department told the board that further archaeological investigations of the site should take place.
In a follow-up letter in February of this year, the department said Mr Gormley wanted an independent expert on Iron Age Ireland to assess the archeological evidence.
The board then commissioned Prof John Waddell to conduct the report. On the basis on his report and to assess "any significant evidence which has come to light" since 2006, the board will reopen the hearing on September 9th next.
The council's archeological report consisted of a 37-page introduction followed by 12 appendices.
The introduction was "noteworthy for the limited analysis offered of the archeology of the surrounding landscape and the brevity of the analysis of the archeological sites identified within the area of the proposed development," Prof Waddell said.
One particular landscape feature at Knightstown, which was a possible archaeological monument, is listed by the council, but there was "no indication that any fieldwork was undertaken" to assess its significance he said.
The council said the National Monuments Service found no evidence to suggest that the Knightstown feature was a national monument.
It said it did not agree with Prof Waddell's assessment that there were deficiencies in its archaeological report.
A spokeswoman said the council was looking forward to a speedy conclusion of the hearing.
"Assuming development consent is then granted by An Bord Pleanála and a full waste licence is issued by the EPA to build and operate a new landfill at Tooman/Nevitt, Fingal County Council proposes to proceed with the project at the earliest opportunity."
The Nevitt Lusk Action Group which is opposing the dump said the weight of evidence showed this was the wrong site for such as facility.
"How unsuitable does this site have to be before Fingal County Council see sense and abandon their plans?" group spokeswoman Gemma Larkin said.
Dr Waddell's report confirmed the group's own objections in relation to the council's archaeological report, Ms Larkin said.
"From the beginning we have stated that this site is wrong for this kind of development and the archaeological survey demanded by An Bord Pleanála found such important evidence that the hearing must now be reopened."
Last September the EPA announced its proposal to grant a licence for the dump. Following objections it held an oral hearing last March. It is unlikely to give a final decision on the licence until the planning hearing has ended.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The report by a leading expert in Iron Age archaeology, Prof John Waddell of NUI Galway, was commissioned by the planning board, following the advice of Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
Prof Waddell found several deficiencies in the archeological report carried out by Fingal, the local authority seeking permission for the landfill, which he said was poorly structured and "remarkably brief" and perfunctory in places.
The report could jeopardise the council's chances of gaining planning permission for the dump even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already proposed granting it a waste licence to run the facility.
An Bord Pleanála originally conducted a hearing in October 2006 into the council's plans for the landfill at Nevitt, Lusk, which would take 16 per cent of waste produced by the greater Dublin region.
The board had been due to give its decision in relation to the landfill in October 2007, but deferred its ruling and the following month sought the direction of the Department of the Environment in relation to the archaeological issues that had been raised during the hearing.
In December 2007 the department told the board that further archaeological investigations of the site should take place.
In a follow-up letter in February of this year, the department said Mr Gormley wanted an independent expert on Iron Age Ireland to assess the archeological evidence.
The board then commissioned Prof John Waddell to conduct the report. On the basis on his report and to assess "any significant evidence which has come to light" since 2006, the board will reopen the hearing on September 9th next.
The council's archeological report consisted of a 37-page introduction followed by 12 appendices.
The introduction was "noteworthy for the limited analysis offered of the archeology of the surrounding landscape and the brevity of the analysis of the archeological sites identified within the area of the proposed development," Prof Waddell said.
One particular landscape feature at Knightstown, which was a possible archaeological monument, is listed by the council, but there was "no indication that any fieldwork was undertaken" to assess its significance he said.
The council said the National Monuments Service found no evidence to suggest that the Knightstown feature was a national monument.
It said it did not agree with Prof Waddell's assessment that there were deficiencies in its archaeological report.
A spokeswoman said the council was looking forward to a speedy conclusion of the hearing.
"Assuming development consent is then granted by An Bord Pleanála and a full waste licence is issued by the EPA to build and operate a new landfill at Tooman/Nevitt, Fingal County Council proposes to proceed with the project at the earliest opportunity."
The Nevitt Lusk Action Group which is opposing the dump said the weight of evidence showed this was the wrong site for such as facility.
"How unsuitable does this site have to be before Fingal County Council see sense and abandon their plans?" group spokeswoman Gemma Larkin said.
Dr Waddell's report confirmed the group's own objections in relation to the council's archaeological report, Ms Larkin said.
"From the beginning we have stated that this site is wrong for this kind of development and the archaeological survey demanded by An Bord Pleanála found such important evidence that the hearing must now be reopened."
Last September the EPA announced its proposal to grant a licence for the dump. Following objections it held an oral hearing last March. It is unlikely to give a final decision on the licence until the planning hearing has ended.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Hendrons Building on Dominick Street
The 1940s Hendrons Building on Dominick Street, Dublin 1, will be demolished if a planning application is successful.
AB Properties has applied for permission to Dublin City Council for a 14-storey mixed use development at Hendrons Building at the junction of Upper Dominick Street and Western Way, Dublin.
The planning application is proving controversial with the artists who have workshops there, one of whom said that they feel that they are being "pushed out". The building is one of few modernist buildings in the city.
The proposal is to demolish the existing building and build 48 apartments, four live/work units, 32 apart-hotel units, offices, a neighbourhood centre, and an artists' gallery, studio, and a shop, in three blocks.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
AB Properties has applied for permission to Dublin City Council for a 14-storey mixed use development at Hendrons Building at the junction of Upper Dominick Street and Western Way, Dublin.
The planning application is proving controversial with the artists who have workshops there, one of whom said that they feel that they are being "pushed out". The building is one of few modernist buildings in the city.
The proposal is to demolish the existing building and build 48 apartments, four live/work units, 32 apart-hotel units, offices, a neighbourhood centre, and an artists' gallery, studio, and a shop, in three blocks.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bray town centre plan appealed
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: A PROPOSAL to build a €2 billion scheme in Bray town centre has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
The development, which encompasses former Bray golf club lands, straddles both Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Bray Town Council's jurisdictions.
Pizarro Developments is looking to build 348 homes on the former Industrial Yarns site in Bray, in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's area, as well as shops and a new access off the Dublin Road.
On the Bray side of the development Pizarro is proposing a seafront residential area of over 600 homes.
The core of the development would have more than 100 standard shops plus four anchor shops, 5,795sq m (62,376sq ft) of offices, a 103-bed hotel as well as 17 bars, restaurants and cinemas.
An Bord Pleanála received 10 third-party appeals, eight of which relate to the Wicklow side of the development. In its appeal Zapi Properties, owned by developers Seán Dunne and Seán Mulryan, says the development is premature on the grounds of insufficient capacity in the road network, the absence of flood defence works, and the fact there has been no decision on the Luas interconnector from Wilford interchange to Bray Dart station via the golf club lands.
Zapi is involved in a major residential and shopping and office development at Charlesland, just outside Greystones.
Joanne Connolly of Sutton Park, Dublin 13, says that the height of the development contravenes the restrictions set out in the Bray Golf Club Area Action Plan. She says that serious traffic congestion in Bray will be aggravated, and the scheme "cannot work" until the Dublin Road has been widened.
Maeve McCormack and Colm McCormack, of Newcourt Road, Bray, maintain the scheme "could damage the traditional retail and administrative centre of Bray town" by moving the retail and commercial centre to north of Dargle.
They say the proposed blocks are too high "to retain the visual link between the harbour and the mountains".
Bray Retailers Group is concerned about the scale of the retail element, saying it should be in proportion "to the needs of the area and the protection of the town centre".
Swap, which represents "residents of the lowlands of Little Bray", says the development is premature pending flood defence works and maintains the lands were rezoned Town Centre "in direct violation of OPW guidelines for flood plains".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The development, which encompasses former Bray golf club lands, straddles both Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Bray Town Council's jurisdictions.
Pizarro Developments is looking to build 348 homes on the former Industrial Yarns site in Bray, in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's area, as well as shops and a new access off the Dublin Road.
On the Bray side of the development Pizarro is proposing a seafront residential area of over 600 homes.
The core of the development would have more than 100 standard shops plus four anchor shops, 5,795sq m (62,376sq ft) of offices, a 103-bed hotel as well as 17 bars, restaurants and cinemas.
An Bord Pleanála received 10 third-party appeals, eight of which relate to the Wicklow side of the development. In its appeal Zapi Properties, owned by developers Seán Dunne and Seán Mulryan, says the development is premature on the grounds of insufficient capacity in the road network, the absence of flood defence works, and the fact there has been no decision on the Luas interconnector from Wilford interchange to Bray Dart station via the golf club lands.
Zapi is involved in a major residential and shopping and office development at Charlesland, just outside Greystones.
Joanne Connolly of Sutton Park, Dublin 13, says that the height of the development contravenes the restrictions set out in the Bray Golf Club Area Action Plan. She says that serious traffic congestion in Bray will be aggravated, and the scheme "cannot work" until the Dublin Road has been widened.
Maeve McCormack and Colm McCormack, of Newcourt Road, Bray, maintain the scheme "could damage the traditional retail and administrative centre of Bray town" by moving the retail and commercial centre to north of Dargle.
They say the proposed blocks are too high "to retain the visual link between the harbour and the mountains".
Bray Retailers Group is concerned about the scale of the retail element, saying it should be in proportion "to the needs of the area and the protection of the town centre".
Swap, which represents "residents of the lowlands of Little Bray", says the development is premature pending flood defence works and maintains the lands were rezoned Town Centre "in direct violation of OPW guidelines for flood plains".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Building defects to force closure of centre
THE BALLYMUN Regional Youth Resource Centre building has been contaminated with pyrite, a substance that expands and causes cracks in walls and foundations when it comes in contact with water, the High Court was told yesterday.
Counsel for the centre Rossa Fanning said 38 staff were ready to move out of the building, which will be be closed to 700 young people who use it every week.
He told Mr Justice John Quirke staff were already packing up to allow testing and monitoring to establish the nature of defects to the building. This period of several months would be followed by a suggested six months of remedial works. Mr Fanning said that in the meantime, the centre would have to move to smaller and less suitable temporary accommodation.
He said Mr Justice Kelly had already granted an injunction restraining remedial works by the builder, James Elliott Construction, from taking place for six months while Irish Asphalt, the company alleged to have supplied aggregate containing the pyrite, carried out detailed tests.
Stephen Dowling, counsel for Irish Asphalt, Rosemount, Ballycoolin Road, Dublin, told the court his client was being sued by the Co Cavan-based James Elliot Construction group for damages.
The centre yesterday sought to be made a notice party to these proceedings and to be granted liberty to have Mr Justice Kelly's order set aside or varied. It claimed it could be confined to temporary, less suitable accommodation for up to a year if Judge Kelly's order was allowed to stand.
Mr Justice Quirke said common sense could be the answer. If experts and solicitors representing all parties applied their minds to a solution regarding tests, one could possibly be reached within a week.
He directed such a meeting take place and adjourned the centre's application until August 22nd.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Counsel for the centre Rossa Fanning said 38 staff were ready to move out of the building, which will be be closed to 700 young people who use it every week.
He told Mr Justice John Quirke staff were already packing up to allow testing and monitoring to establish the nature of defects to the building. This period of several months would be followed by a suggested six months of remedial works. Mr Fanning said that in the meantime, the centre would have to move to smaller and less suitable temporary accommodation.
He said Mr Justice Kelly had already granted an injunction restraining remedial works by the builder, James Elliott Construction, from taking place for six months while Irish Asphalt, the company alleged to have supplied aggregate containing the pyrite, carried out detailed tests.
Stephen Dowling, counsel for Irish Asphalt, Rosemount, Ballycoolin Road, Dublin, told the court his client was being sued by the Co Cavan-based James Elliot Construction group for damages.
The centre yesterday sought to be made a notice party to these proceedings and to be granted liberty to have Mr Justice Kelly's order set aside or varied. It claimed it could be confined to temporary, less suitable accommodation for up to a year if Judge Kelly's order was allowed to stand.
Mr Justice Quirke said common sense could be the answer. If experts and solicitors representing all parties applied their minds to a solution regarding tests, one could possibly be reached within a week.
He directed such a meeting take place and adjourned the centre's application until August 22nd.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Ireland tops recycling table
More than 21 million electronic goods including washing machines, cookers and kettles have been recycled in the past three years, placing Ireland at the top of an EU recycling league.
New figures show that 9kg of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) were collected and recycled per person in 2007 -- more than twice the 4kg target set for Ireland by the EU.
This means 100,000 tonnes of electronic waste have been diverted from landfill since August 2005. Over 70pc of waste collected has been processed in Ireland, with the remainder going to WEEE treatment plants in the UK and Europe.
Any household item that requires a plug or battery to function and is at the end of its life is considered WEEE. These items can be disposed of at any of 80 civic amenity sites nationwide, while customers can also take back old items to electrical retail shops when equivalent items are being purchased.
The figures show:
l Some 2.1 million large household appliances including fridges, washing machines and cookers have been recycled since August 2005.
l About 12 million small appliances were reprocessed, including kettles and toasters.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
New figures show that 9kg of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) were collected and recycled per person in 2007 -- more than twice the 4kg target set for Ireland by the EU.
This means 100,000 tonnes of electronic waste have been diverted from landfill since August 2005. Over 70pc of waste collected has been processed in Ireland, with the remainder going to WEEE treatment plants in the UK and Europe.
Any household item that requires a plug or battery to function and is at the end of its life is considered WEEE. These items can be disposed of at any of 80 civic amenity sites nationwide, while customers can also take back old items to electrical retail shops when equivalent items are being purchased.
The figures show:
l Some 2.1 million large household appliances including fridges, washing machines and cookers have been recycled since August 2005.
l About 12 million small appliances were reprocessed, including kettles and toasters.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
€20m theatre goes for red in Olympic-style light-up
A NEW €20m theatre will light up during performances, using technology featured at this year's Olympics in Beijing.
The outer walls of the 600-seater Ryan Maynooth Centre in Co Kildare, pictured left in an artist's impression, will be illuminated in red and be seen for miles around.
Dublin-based Smith and Kennedy won the contract to design the project, which will use the ground-breaking ETFE foil technology. ETFE technology was used in the design of Beijing National Aquatics Centre. Architect Joe Kennedy said: "The theatre building will turn red when the theatre is in use, signalling to the community that something is happening. This will allow the theatre to communicate with its public through projection."
Construction is due to begin next year on the facility, which includes a 600-seat public theatre with a floor area of over 4,000 square metres.
The project will also include a separate student theatre space, tutorial rooms, rehearsal rooms, training studios, offices and media facilities alongside a public exhibition space, restaurant and bar facilities.
The unusual design of the new theatre, which is named after the late businessman Cathal Ryan, is expected to help attract major performances from both Ireland and abroad.
Senan Hogan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The outer walls of the 600-seater Ryan Maynooth Centre in Co Kildare, pictured left in an artist's impression, will be illuminated in red and be seen for miles around.
Dublin-based Smith and Kennedy won the contract to design the project, which will use the ground-breaking ETFE foil technology. ETFE technology was used in the design of Beijing National Aquatics Centre. Architect Joe Kennedy said: "The theatre building will turn red when the theatre is in use, signalling to the community that something is happening. This will allow the theatre to communicate with its public through projection."
Construction is due to begin next year on the facility, which includes a 600-seat public theatre with a floor area of over 4,000 square metres.
The project will also include a separate student theatre space, tutorial rooms, rehearsal rooms, training studios, offices and media facilities alongside a public exhibition space, restaurant and bar facilities.
The unusual design of the new theatre, which is named after the late businessman Cathal Ryan, is expected to help attract major performances from both Ireland and abroad.
Senan Hogan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Pipeline can bypass local planning
NO COUNTY planning application will be required for a 25km Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline following a decision by An Bord Pleanála that it is "strategic infrastructure".
The pipeline will link the planned Shannon LNG terminal on the Shannon estuary near Tarbert, Co Kerry, to the Bord Gáis national gas network near Foynes, Co Limerick.
As strategic infrastructure, the planning application does not have to go through the local Kerry and Limerick planning processes, but will be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for decision.
Earlier this year, the appeals board gave the go-ahead to Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of the US-owned Hess corporation, for the LNG terminal. Forty conditions were imposed, including that the gas could not leave the terminal by road. The terminal was also deemed a strategic infrastructure development.
An oral hearing in Tralee was told the €500 million facility, the first in the State, proposes to supply just under half the State's gas needs.
Kilcolgan Residents' Association criticised the proposed pipeline route and called on the council to use its influence to "at a minimum" demand the natural gas be made available locally. Residents said the separate purchase last week of the nearby Tarbert ESB power station by the Spanish energy giant Endesa means the Shannon estuary area of Kerry was to be "an energy hub", and the pipeline proposed was too far from the ESB power station.
"The pipeline route proposed by Shannon LNG in its secret agreement with Bord Pleanála is at least two miles from the power station, with no consideration whatsoever being given on where or how the pipeline could be linked to the ESB station," the residents said.
The Kilcolgan residents told the hearing they had serious concerns about a lack of a co-ordinated safety plan by the various bodies and wanted the terminal, which will include a regasification plant and giant storage tanks, to be located offshore. The residents and an environmental group have initiated legal action seeking a judicial review of the An Bord Pleanála decision to give the terminal the go-ahead. They refer to the lack of an environmental assessment of the project as well as marine safety issues.
Although the councils will not be able to make a decision on the pipeline, they will be invited to make a submission, the residents said. The residents are "now calling on Kerry County Council to demand, as a minimum, a strategic assessment of the oil and gas storage hub now proposed for the Shannon estuary," they said.
"If the dangerous LNG storage facility is to be forced on north Kerry, the least that the council can do in return for the millions that it will receive each year in rates is to ensure that north Kerry has access to the gas for the development of the region. It is no use looking for it once permission is given for the route preferred by the developer."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The pipeline will link the planned Shannon LNG terminal on the Shannon estuary near Tarbert, Co Kerry, to the Bord Gáis national gas network near Foynes, Co Limerick.
As strategic infrastructure, the planning application does not have to go through the local Kerry and Limerick planning processes, but will be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for decision.
Earlier this year, the appeals board gave the go-ahead to Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of the US-owned Hess corporation, for the LNG terminal. Forty conditions were imposed, including that the gas could not leave the terminal by road. The terminal was also deemed a strategic infrastructure development.
An oral hearing in Tralee was told the €500 million facility, the first in the State, proposes to supply just under half the State's gas needs.
Kilcolgan Residents' Association criticised the proposed pipeline route and called on the council to use its influence to "at a minimum" demand the natural gas be made available locally. Residents said the separate purchase last week of the nearby Tarbert ESB power station by the Spanish energy giant Endesa means the Shannon estuary area of Kerry was to be "an energy hub", and the pipeline proposed was too far from the ESB power station.
"The pipeline route proposed by Shannon LNG in its secret agreement with Bord Pleanála is at least two miles from the power station, with no consideration whatsoever being given on where or how the pipeline could be linked to the ESB station," the residents said.
The Kilcolgan residents told the hearing they had serious concerns about a lack of a co-ordinated safety plan by the various bodies and wanted the terminal, which will include a regasification plant and giant storage tanks, to be located offshore. The residents and an environmental group have initiated legal action seeking a judicial review of the An Bord Pleanála decision to give the terminal the go-ahead. They refer to the lack of an environmental assessment of the project as well as marine safety issues.
Although the councils will not be able to make a decision on the pipeline, they will be invited to make a submission, the residents said. The residents are "now calling on Kerry County Council to demand, as a minimum, a strategic assessment of the oil and gas storage hub now proposed for the Shannon estuary," they said.
"If the dangerous LNG storage facility is to be forced on north Kerry, the least that the council can do in return for the millions that it will receive each year in rates is to ensure that north Kerry has access to the gas for the development of the region. It is no use looking for it once permission is given for the route preferred by the developer."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin tunnel could take 20 electric trains per hour
TWENTY ELECTRIC trains per hour - one every three minutes - would run through the planned tunnel linking Heuston Station with Docklands, according to Iarnród Éireann.
But the tunnel is intended not only to provide the missing link between Dart and suburban commuter rail services in Dublin; it will also transform services on the existing Dart line.
Dart trains originating in Bray or Greystones would terminate at Maynooth, while those originating in Howth or Malahide would run through the tunnel to Hazelhatch and, ultimately, Kildare.
Anyone wishing to travel from, say, Dún Laoghaire to Howth (or vice versa) would have to change at Pearse Station, Westland Row; the continuous service around Dublin Bay would cease.
One major benefit, according to Iarnród Éireann, is that the current bottleneck at Connolly Station would be freed up, enabling the company to provide a wider range of rail services.
Another major benefit - indeed, the raison d'etre for this €2 billion project - would be to bring an end to the historic isolation of Heuston Station, knitting it into a new suburban rail network.
The journey time between Heuston and Docklands would be less than 10 minutes, with just three intermediate stops - Christ Church, St Stephen's Green and Pearse Station, all roughly 1km apart.
Along the way, the Dart underground - as the company has branded it - would link up with the Tallaght Luas line at Heuston and Docklands as well as the Sandyford Luas line at St Stephen's Green.
"Every rail line into Dublin will see a massive increase in capacity from this project," according to Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny. "Without it, we would have guaranteed gridlock for evermore."
Resignalling at Connolly is intended to increase its throughput from 12 to 18 trains per hour in each direction, including the Maynooth line, but even this would be less than the interconnector's capacity.
The company forecasts that the number of peak-hour passengers using its commuter rail services in the Greater Dublin Area would increase almost threefold, from 22,000 now to 62,000 in 2020.
Mr Kenny said four-tracking the Kildare line as far as Hazelhatch - currently its biggest rail project, costing €350 million - would be "dwarfed" by the investment in the Heuston-Docklands tunnel.
Electrification of the Kildare line to Hazelhatch is provided for in the Government's Transport 21 programme. The Maynooth line would also have to be electrified in order to make Dart Underground work.
Diesel engines would only be used in the tunnel section after hours for maintenance; otherwise all trains would be electric. Anyone travelling to or from Kildare would have to change at Hazelhatch or Heuston. Asked why no station was being provided to serve the Digital Hub in Thomas Street, project manager Peter Muldoon said this area was within walking distance of Heuston or the proposed station at Christ Church.
It is also intended to retain the relatively new station above ground in Docklands, probably as a terminus for the proposed Navan commuter line. This would be 100 metres from the entrance to the underground.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
But the tunnel is intended not only to provide the missing link between Dart and suburban commuter rail services in Dublin; it will also transform services on the existing Dart line.
Dart trains originating in Bray or Greystones would terminate at Maynooth, while those originating in Howth or Malahide would run through the tunnel to Hazelhatch and, ultimately, Kildare.
Anyone wishing to travel from, say, Dún Laoghaire to Howth (or vice versa) would have to change at Pearse Station, Westland Row; the continuous service around Dublin Bay would cease.
One major benefit, according to Iarnród Éireann, is that the current bottleneck at Connolly Station would be freed up, enabling the company to provide a wider range of rail services.
Another major benefit - indeed, the raison d'etre for this €2 billion project - would be to bring an end to the historic isolation of Heuston Station, knitting it into a new suburban rail network.
The journey time between Heuston and Docklands would be less than 10 minutes, with just three intermediate stops - Christ Church, St Stephen's Green and Pearse Station, all roughly 1km apart.
Along the way, the Dart underground - as the company has branded it - would link up with the Tallaght Luas line at Heuston and Docklands as well as the Sandyford Luas line at St Stephen's Green.
"Every rail line into Dublin will see a massive increase in capacity from this project," according to Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny. "Without it, we would have guaranteed gridlock for evermore."
Resignalling at Connolly is intended to increase its throughput from 12 to 18 trains per hour in each direction, including the Maynooth line, but even this would be less than the interconnector's capacity.
The company forecasts that the number of peak-hour passengers using its commuter rail services in the Greater Dublin Area would increase almost threefold, from 22,000 now to 62,000 in 2020.
Mr Kenny said four-tracking the Kildare line as far as Hazelhatch - currently its biggest rail project, costing €350 million - would be "dwarfed" by the investment in the Heuston-Docklands tunnel.
Electrification of the Kildare line to Hazelhatch is provided for in the Government's Transport 21 programme. The Maynooth line would also have to be electrified in order to make Dart Underground work.
Diesel engines would only be used in the tunnel section after hours for maintenance; otherwise all trains would be electric. Anyone travelling to or from Kildare would have to change at Hazelhatch or Heuston. Asked why no station was being provided to serve the Digital Hub in Thomas Street, project manager Peter Muldoon said this area was within walking distance of Heuston or the proposed station at Christ Church.
It is also intended to retain the relatively new station above ground in Docklands, probably as a terminus for the proposed Navan commuter line. This would be 100 metres from the entrance to the underground.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
'Huge pressure' to fast track rail tunnel link
IARNRÓD ÉIREANN is under "huge pressure" from the Department of Transport and politicians to make rapid progress in delivering an underground rail link between Dublin's Heuston and Docklands stations.
Project manager Peter Muldoon also said there was "not a peep that the project is being targeted for cuts" by the Government to trim public expenditure - even though it carries an estimated price tag of €2 billion.
Omagh-born Mr Muldoon, who spent most of his working life in the private sector, told The Irish Times he had made a full presentation of the "Dart underground" project to Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey last month.
"The Minister has told us that this is Iarnród Éireann's number one priority, because he wants to get it done," said the company's spokesman, Barry Kenny. "Every aspect of it is being pushed as well as being scrutinised by the department."
The latest plan is now out for public consultation, with meetings taking place over the next week. Tenders are also being prepared with a view to engaging a multidisciplinary team of consultants to take it forward as a public-private partnership (PPP) project.
Consultants are expected to be appointed later this month to prepare an environmental impact statement on the 5.2km (three miles) route, including the excavation of underground stations at Heuston, Christ Church Cathedral, St Stephen's Green, Pearse Station and Docklands.
At Christ Church, the intention is to excavate the amphitheatre of the Civic Offices to install a station there and also a green area on Cook Street just north of St Audoen's Catholic Church, to provide a second means of access to and from the station.
Mr Muldoon said four tunnel boring machines would be used to dig twin tunnels through limestone bedrock, with two starting from Docklands in the direction of St Stephen's Green while the other two would work their way from Heuston towards the Green.
The average depth of the tunnels would be 25 to 30 metres, each with an internal diameter of six metres - sufficiently wide to accommodate an eight-carriage Dart-type commuter train and the overhead 1,500-volt electricity wires.
Some of the tunnelling work, particularly for stations, would involve substantial cut-and-cover excavations and/or "mining" from the surface to minimise the impact at ground level. But Mr Muldoon conceded that there was bound to be some disruption to traffic.
At Heuston Station, two options are being considered. One would involve excavating an underground station beneath the old station hall, necessitating the closure of four platforms, or alternatively excavating part of the vast Guinness transport yard nearby.
Diageo plc, which owns Guinness, has serious concerns about the impact on its freight movements if the latter option was to be chosen.
But given that the company is rationalising its brewery at St James's Gate, Iarnród Éireann expects a "positive outcome". Mr Muldoon said the Civic Offices amphitheatre had been chosen to excavate the Christ Church station because it had already been "archaeologically resolved"; alternative locations in High Street were ruled out because the "risks were too great". He said the excavation would stop short of the old Viking city wall on Wood Quay, just three metres to the south. "We'll be carrying out an archaeological excavation in these areas [on the Civic Offices site and Cook Street] to make sure there are no surprises".
The Dart station at St Stephen's Green would be slotted in beneath the station planned by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) for Metro North, which would require the excavation of the north-western corner of the Green, including removal of the Fusiliers Arch.
After starting out separately, Iarnród Éireann and the RPA have been holding bi-weekly project meetings over the past year to co- ordinate planning of this multi-level station. It is also likely that tracks for a Luas city centre link will be laid within the enclosure.
Mr Muldoon conceded that Iarnród Éireann's works would have a negative impact on the north side of the Green, facing Dawson Street and Kildare Street, and also on the north of Merrion Square, where an entrance/exit is planned for the station serving Pearse.
He emphasised that the huge cut-and-cover excavation for the Docklands underground station would have no impact on traffic that will be using a new bridge linking Macken Street with Guild Street, as it would all be done on vacant land to the east.
The twin tunnels would be bored some five metres beneath the bed of the river Liffey to take the underground trains to and from Docklands station, where there would also be a direct connection with the Luas extension from Connolly to the Point on Mayor Street.
Mr Muldoon said electrification of the rail lines to Maynooth and Hazelhatch (on the Kildare line) was "fundamental" to the project, though it is not included in the cost estimate. However, he stressed that there was "no fat in this programme whatsoever".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Project manager Peter Muldoon also said there was "not a peep that the project is being targeted for cuts" by the Government to trim public expenditure - even though it carries an estimated price tag of €2 billion.
Omagh-born Mr Muldoon, who spent most of his working life in the private sector, told The Irish Times he had made a full presentation of the "Dart underground" project to Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey last month.
"The Minister has told us that this is Iarnród Éireann's number one priority, because he wants to get it done," said the company's spokesman, Barry Kenny. "Every aspect of it is being pushed as well as being scrutinised by the department."
The latest plan is now out for public consultation, with meetings taking place over the next week. Tenders are also being prepared with a view to engaging a multidisciplinary team of consultants to take it forward as a public-private partnership (PPP) project.
Consultants are expected to be appointed later this month to prepare an environmental impact statement on the 5.2km (three miles) route, including the excavation of underground stations at Heuston, Christ Church Cathedral, St Stephen's Green, Pearse Station and Docklands.
At Christ Church, the intention is to excavate the amphitheatre of the Civic Offices to install a station there and also a green area on Cook Street just north of St Audoen's Catholic Church, to provide a second means of access to and from the station.
Mr Muldoon said four tunnel boring machines would be used to dig twin tunnels through limestone bedrock, with two starting from Docklands in the direction of St Stephen's Green while the other two would work their way from Heuston towards the Green.
The average depth of the tunnels would be 25 to 30 metres, each with an internal diameter of six metres - sufficiently wide to accommodate an eight-carriage Dart-type commuter train and the overhead 1,500-volt electricity wires.
Some of the tunnelling work, particularly for stations, would involve substantial cut-and-cover excavations and/or "mining" from the surface to minimise the impact at ground level. But Mr Muldoon conceded that there was bound to be some disruption to traffic.
At Heuston Station, two options are being considered. One would involve excavating an underground station beneath the old station hall, necessitating the closure of four platforms, or alternatively excavating part of the vast Guinness transport yard nearby.
Diageo plc, which owns Guinness, has serious concerns about the impact on its freight movements if the latter option was to be chosen.
But given that the company is rationalising its brewery at St James's Gate, Iarnród Éireann expects a "positive outcome". Mr Muldoon said the Civic Offices amphitheatre had been chosen to excavate the Christ Church station because it had already been "archaeologically resolved"; alternative locations in High Street were ruled out because the "risks were too great". He said the excavation would stop short of the old Viking city wall on Wood Quay, just three metres to the south. "We'll be carrying out an archaeological excavation in these areas [on the Civic Offices site and Cook Street] to make sure there are no surprises".
The Dart station at St Stephen's Green would be slotted in beneath the station planned by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) for Metro North, which would require the excavation of the north-western corner of the Green, including removal of the Fusiliers Arch.
After starting out separately, Iarnród Éireann and the RPA have been holding bi-weekly project meetings over the past year to co- ordinate planning of this multi-level station. It is also likely that tracks for a Luas city centre link will be laid within the enclosure.
Mr Muldoon conceded that Iarnród Éireann's works would have a negative impact on the north side of the Green, facing Dawson Street and Kildare Street, and also on the north of Merrion Square, where an entrance/exit is planned for the station serving Pearse.
He emphasised that the huge cut-and-cover excavation for the Docklands underground station would have no impact on traffic that will be using a new bridge linking Macken Street with Guild Street, as it would all be done on vacant land to the east.
The twin tunnels would be bored some five metres beneath the bed of the river Liffey to take the underground trains to and from Docklands station, where there would also be a direct connection with the Luas extension from Connolly to the Point on Mayor Street.
Mr Muldoon said electrification of the rail lines to Maynooth and Hazelhatch (on the Kildare line) was "fundamental" to the project, though it is not included in the cost estimate. However, he stressed that there was "no fat in this programme whatsoever".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Locals fear Ballynagran will become Superdump
Residents living under the shadow of Ballynagran Landfill say there is no way Greenstar should be allowed bring waste from all over Ireland on to the site for fear it will turn into a Superdump.'They further allege that the dump already can't cope with the amount of waste already on the site with foul odours a constant problem.
Residents living under the shadow of Ballynagran Landfill say there is no way Greenstar should be allowed bring waste from all over Ireland on to the site for fear it will turn into a Superdump.'
They further allege that the dump already can't cope with the amount of waste already on the site with foul odours a constant problem.
If they get permission then we are afraid that further down the line the dump will be extended into some kind of Superdump. That would be the absolute end of us all,' says Michael Mulvihill, whose home is overlooked by the dump.
In 2003 An Bord Pleneala ruled that two-thirds of all waste to be dumped at Ballynagran Landfill had to be generated within the county, with the remaining one third coming from neighbouring counties. Now Greenstar want that condition lifted to allow them collect waste from all over the country regardless of proximity to Wicklow.
People living in the picturesque setting of Ballynagran and Coolbeg have long been opposed to the dump and see this latest move as a real slap in the face.'
I already have two letters of non-compliance issued by the EPA because of the foul stench coming from the dump. How can they be allowed to bring more waste from outside the county on site when they already can't stop the horrible smell as things stand?' adds Mr. Mulvihill, who aims to lodge his own objection with Wicklow County Council before Friday's deadline.
We are four years down the line from when the dump first opened and we are still having the same problems we were promised would never arise in the first place.'
Mr. Mulvihill also complains that the constant odours are having a negative affect on the health of his asthmatic son, who now has to spend most of his time living with friends or relatives because of the smells.
However a spokesperson for Greenstar rebuked the notion that they were hoping to bring more waste on site.
A removal of this restriction would have no affect on the amount of waste that the Ballynagran residual landfill facility can accept. Technically it would mean we could collect waste from other parts of the country but that isn't what we intend to do. It would just free us up to collect more waste from neighbouring counties. '
Currently the facility is permitted to dispose of 150,000 tonnes of residual, commercial and industrial and municipal waste per year.
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
Residents living under the shadow of Ballynagran Landfill say there is no way Greenstar should be allowed bring waste from all over Ireland on to the site for fear it will turn into a Superdump.'
They further allege that the dump already can't cope with the amount of waste already on the site with foul odours a constant problem.
If they get permission then we are afraid that further down the line the dump will be extended into some kind of Superdump. That would be the absolute end of us all,' says Michael Mulvihill, whose home is overlooked by the dump.
In 2003 An Bord Pleneala ruled that two-thirds of all waste to be dumped at Ballynagran Landfill had to be generated within the county, with the remaining one third coming from neighbouring counties. Now Greenstar want that condition lifted to allow them collect waste from all over the country regardless of proximity to Wicklow.
People living in the picturesque setting of Ballynagran and Coolbeg have long been opposed to the dump and see this latest move as a real slap in the face.'
I already have two letters of non-compliance issued by the EPA because of the foul stench coming from the dump. How can they be allowed to bring more waste from outside the county on site when they already can't stop the horrible smell as things stand?' adds Mr. Mulvihill, who aims to lodge his own objection with Wicklow County Council before Friday's deadline.
We are four years down the line from when the dump first opened and we are still having the same problems we were promised would never arise in the first place.'
Mr. Mulvihill also complains that the constant odours are having a negative affect on the health of his asthmatic son, who now has to spend most of his time living with friends or relatives because of the smells.
However a spokesperson for Greenstar rebuked the notion that they were hoping to bring more waste on site.
A removal of this restriction would have no affect on the amount of waste that the Ballynagran residual landfill facility can accept. Technically it would mean we could collect waste from other parts of the country but that isn't what we intend to do. It would just free us up to collect more waste from neighbouring counties. '
Currently the facility is permitted to dispose of 150,000 tonnes of residual, commercial and industrial and municipal waste per year.
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
Marlton Quarter is refused
The proposed Marlton Quarter proposed by Lusra Teoranta has been refused. This planning application would have provided a shopping mall, multiplex cinema, medical centre, leisure facilities, youth centre, hotel and leisure complex, bowling alley, pubs, cafes and restaurants, offices, residential units, and crèches.
Edel Bermingham, Wicklow County Council planner, identified the following reasons for refusal:
1. Having regard to the location of the development, on a Greenfield site at the edge of Wicklow Town, the pattern and character of surrounding development, the scale and massing of the development, it is considered that the proposed development would represent over-development of the site, would be visually intrusive and would seriously injure the amenities of adjoining residential development and would materially contravene the objectives of the Local Area Plan for Action Area 6 which require that the development be non-intrusive and residential amenity be protected at all times. The development would therefore be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
2. Given the location of the development with respect to Wicklow Town and having regard to:
i. Retail Planning Guidelines.
ii. Greater Dublin Area Retail Strategy.
iii. Wicklow County Draft Retail Strategy.
iv. Local Area Plan for Action Area 6 2006-2012.
v. Wicklow and Environs Integrated Framework for Land Use and
Transportation Study
vi. information contained in the Environmental Impact Statement, and further information.
It is considered the size and scale of development would be excessive having regard to the existing core area of Wicklow town, would not link effectively with the existing town centre so that there is commercial synergy between the development and the town and is therefore likely to have an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Wicklow Town centre, contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
3. It is considered that the development would materially contravene the zoning objective for the site as set out in the Local Area Plan for AA6 2006-2012 i.e.
‘To provide for a retail and mixed use development centre in conjunction with the
Masterplan for the overall development, and to provide for high density residential development, and to identify, reinforce, strengthen and promote urban design concepts and linkages with the existing town centre activity areas’.
The development as proposed has not established synergy with the existing town centre and would therefore be contrary to the objectives as set out and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
4. Having regard to the Environmental Impact Statement it is considered that inadequate assessment has been carried out with respect to the following :
a. Traffic impact.
b. Examination of retail development with respect to alternatives.
c. Car parking provision.
In the absence of such information the development is likely to be contrary to the amenities of the area, give rise to a traffic hazard and traffic obstruction and would not accord with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
The applicant now has to decide whether to appeal.
www.buckplanning.ie
Edel Bermingham, Wicklow County Council planner, identified the following reasons for refusal:
1. Having regard to the location of the development, on a Greenfield site at the edge of Wicklow Town, the pattern and character of surrounding development, the scale and massing of the development, it is considered that the proposed development would represent over-development of the site, would be visually intrusive and would seriously injure the amenities of adjoining residential development and would materially contravene the objectives of the Local Area Plan for Action Area 6 which require that the development be non-intrusive and residential amenity be protected at all times. The development would therefore be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
2. Given the location of the development with respect to Wicklow Town and having regard to:
i. Retail Planning Guidelines.
ii. Greater Dublin Area Retail Strategy.
iii. Wicklow County Draft Retail Strategy.
iv. Local Area Plan for Action Area 6 2006-2012.
v. Wicklow and Environs Integrated Framework for Land Use and
Transportation Study
vi. information contained in the Environmental Impact Statement, and further information.
It is considered the size and scale of development would be excessive having regard to the existing core area of Wicklow town, would not link effectively with the existing town centre so that there is commercial synergy between the development and the town and is therefore likely to have an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Wicklow Town centre, contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
3. It is considered that the development would materially contravene the zoning objective for the site as set out in the Local Area Plan for AA6 2006-2012 i.e.
‘To provide for a retail and mixed use development centre in conjunction with the
Masterplan for the overall development, and to provide for high density residential development, and to identify, reinforce, strengthen and promote urban design concepts and linkages with the existing town centre activity areas’.
The development as proposed has not established synergy with the existing town centre and would therefore be contrary to the objectives as set out and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
4. Having regard to the Environmental Impact Statement it is considered that inadequate assessment has been carried out with respect to the following :
a. Traffic impact.
b. Examination of retail development with respect to alternatives.
c. Car parking provision.
In the absence of such information the development is likely to be contrary to the amenities of the area, give rise to a traffic hazard and traffic obstruction and would not accord with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
The applicant now has to decide whether to appeal.
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Dublin bike scheme billboards threat to drivers
DUBLIN’S “free bike scheme” for its citizens has encountered an unexpected obstacle.
It has emerged that the city council will be liable for accidents caused by the billboards that have been erected on the capital’s streets as part of the scheme, even though the boards are privately owned.
The council has allowed JC Decaux, a French company, to erect 72 advertising panels in exchange for 450 bicycles in a “bikes-for-billboards” scheme. But the panels have been criticised as unsafe by drivers, pedestrians and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).
Unlike usual billboards, the advertising panels are attached to the footpath, with edges finished in steel. Drivers claim they block sightlines and could cause accidents.
Legal advice given last year to Jim Keogan, the city planner, from Terence O’Keeffe, a law agent, states that as the council is responsible for all “repairs and maintenance”, it also becomes “responsible for any public liability issues that arise in those areas in the event of accidents etc, occurring”.
The council asked O’Keeffe for legal advice before a hearing into the bikes-for-billboards scheme last October. In Chicago, a similar scheme is on hold because of questions over public liability.
“It’s all about lawyers. That’s the only hang-up,” Chicago’s mayor, Richard M Daley, said earlier this month.
Ian Lumley of An Taisce, said: “It is bizarre that the local authority may be carrying the can of legal responsibility for units belonging to a private developer.”
Lumley’s criticism is echoed by former Lord Mayor and Labour councillor Dermot Lacey, who is calling for the scheme to be “immediately suspended”. Lacey said that it would be “completely, totally, and utterly unacceptable” for the council to be responsible for private commercial hoardings that are “potentially dangerous” and “visually obtrusive”.
In some instances, such as at Synnott Place on Dorset Street, and at Rathmines, billboards were quickly removed after motorists complained they obscured sightlines.
Des Kenny of the NCBI said: “JC- Decaux was offered assistance \ 18 months ago. We were surprised when the offer was not taken up, as it was made free-of-charge.”
He added: “If the company was already aware that it was not legally responsible for the billboards, did it take as much care in its attention to design and location as it would have otherwise?”
The council will receive no revenue from the advertising or rental of the advertising spaces, but 32 panels will carry civic information on one side. However, there is still no sign of the promised bikes. The council said this weekend that they are due to arrive next spring. It has yet to disclose how much it will cost Dubliners to use them.
In other cities where JCDecaux has set up schemes, users pre-register with a credit card, paying about ¤30 a year on top of the charge for using a bicycle. If someone loses a bicycle or fails to return it to a docking station within a set period of time, the replacement cost of a bicycle, about ¤150, is deducted from their credit card.
The company has established schemes in 21 cities, including Paris, Seville, Cordoba, Brussels, Vienna and Lyon.
In Paris, 100,000 people use the 20,000 Velib bikes every day, but vandalism and the cost of spare parts for the bikes cost JCDecaux ¤20.6m in the first half of the year. In the first year, a third of the bikes were damaged or stolen.
Two Velib riders have been killed and the French Cycle Touring Federation said there have been problems with “letting loose hundreds of people who haven’t been on a bike in years”.
Dublin city council said this weekend that its legal department was still examining the issue of public liability over the billboards.
JCDecaux declined to comment.
Sunday Times
www.buckplanning.ie
It has emerged that the city council will be liable for accidents caused by the billboards that have been erected on the capital’s streets as part of the scheme, even though the boards are privately owned.
The council has allowed JC Decaux, a French company, to erect 72 advertising panels in exchange for 450 bicycles in a “bikes-for-billboards” scheme. But the panels have been criticised as unsafe by drivers, pedestrians and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).
Unlike usual billboards, the advertising panels are attached to the footpath, with edges finished in steel. Drivers claim they block sightlines and could cause accidents.
Legal advice given last year to Jim Keogan, the city planner, from Terence O’Keeffe, a law agent, states that as the council is responsible for all “repairs and maintenance”, it also becomes “responsible for any public liability issues that arise in those areas in the event of accidents etc, occurring”.
The council asked O’Keeffe for legal advice before a hearing into the bikes-for-billboards scheme last October. In Chicago, a similar scheme is on hold because of questions over public liability.
“It’s all about lawyers. That’s the only hang-up,” Chicago’s mayor, Richard M Daley, said earlier this month.
Ian Lumley of An Taisce, said: “It is bizarre that the local authority may be carrying the can of legal responsibility for units belonging to a private developer.”
Lumley’s criticism is echoed by former Lord Mayor and Labour councillor Dermot Lacey, who is calling for the scheme to be “immediately suspended”. Lacey said that it would be “completely, totally, and utterly unacceptable” for the council to be responsible for private commercial hoardings that are “potentially dangerous” and “visually obtrusive”.
In some instances, such as at Synnott Place on Dorset Street, and at Rathmines, billboards were quickly removed after motorists complained they obscured sightlines.
Des Kenny of the NCBI said: “JC- Decaux was offered assistance \ 18 months ago. We were surprised when the offer was not taken up, as it was made free-of-charge.”
He added: “If the company was already aware that it was not legally responsible for the billboards, did it take as much care in its attention to design and location as it would have otherwise?”
The council will receive no revenue from the advertising or rental of the advertising spaces, but 32 panels will carry civic information on one side. However, there is still no sign of the promised bikes. The council said this weekend that they are due to arrive next spring. It has yet to disclose how much it will cost Dubliners to use them.
In other cities where JCDecaux has set up schemes, users pre-register with a credit card, paying about ¤30 a year on top of the charge for using a bicycle. If someone loses a bicycle or fails to return it to a docking station within a set period of time, the replacement cost of a bicycle, about ¤150, is deducted from their credit card.
The company has established schemes in 21 cities, including Paris, Seville, Cordoba, Brussels, Vienna and Lyon.
In Paris, 100,000 people use the 20,000 Velib bikes every day, but vandalism and the cost of spare parts for the bikes cost JCDecaux ¤20.6m in the first half of the year. In the first year, a third of the bikes were damaged or stolen.
Two Velib riders have been killed and the French Cycle Touring Federation said there have been problems with “letting loose hundreds of people who haven’t been on a bike in years”.
Dublin city council said this weekend that its legal department was still examining the issue of public liability over the billboards.
JCDecaux declined to comment.
Sunday Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Rare butterfly at site of planned Ennis development disappears
THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment says the disappearance of a rare and protected butterfly from a site outside Ennis, earmarked for a €50 million retail park, is a matter of serious concern to be investigated by its heritage branch.
In a late bid to prevent Clare County Council from granting planning permission for the retail park proposal by Galway developer Stephen Harris, the department has lodged a fresh objection on environmental grounds, recommending that "planning permission not be granted".
The department's submission follows the developer's lodgement of a report last month with the planners stating that colonies of the protected Marsh Fritillary butterfly were now extinct at the 48-acre site.
Populations of the butterfly were moved in autumn 2004 to the site now earmarked for the retail park to make way for the Ennis bypass. This was done by the bypass contractors, Gama Construction Ltd.
A planning application for the retail park was lodged in 2006. The presence of the butterfly on the site resulted in the Department of the Environment lodging an initial submission with the council to state that the development would be contrary to the aims of the EU habitats directive.
Ken Bond of University College Cork, an expert employed by Mr Harris, drew up a report on the Marsh Fritillary and found populations of the only butterfly protected under the EU habitats directive at the site in 2006 and 2007.
However, Mr Bond said, in the report lodged last month with the council, it was his opinion that the butterfly had become extinct there due to heavy grazing last autumn and winter, combined with flooding over the past three winters.
The disappearance of the butterfly removes one of the few remaining planning hurdles for a development that has been in the planning process for two years.
The department said: "The apparent recent loss of an important population of the Marsh Fritillary, which is possibly linked to the failure of mitigation measures associated with the nearby Ennis bypass, is a matter of serious concern that has yet to be investigated and pursued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service."
It added that the reports provided did not address adequately the serious concerns raised in respect of key nature conservation issues at the site.
"A flood assessment of the site and the proposed development, taking into account cumulative effects of other development, is lacking," it said.
"The proposed development will result in significant biodiversity losses in terms of wetland habitats of ecological value and invertebrate populations, including permanent losses or local extinction of the EU habitats directive species, Marsh Fritillary."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In a late bid to prevent Clare County Council from granting planning permission for the retail park proposal by Galway developer Stephen Harris, the department has lodged a fresh objection on environmental grounds, recommending that "planning permission not be granted".
The department's submission follows the developer's lodgement of a report last month with the planners stating that colonies of the protected Marsh Fritillary butterfly were now extinct at the 48-acre site.
Populations of the butterfly were moved in autumn 2004 to the site now earmarked for the retail park to make way for the Ennis bypass. This was done by the bypass contractors, Gama Construction Ltd.
A planning application for the retail park was lodged in 2006. The presence of the butterfly on the site resulted in the Department of the Environment lodging an initial submission with the council to state that the development would be contrary to the aims of the EU habitats directive.
Ken Bond of University College Cork, an expert employed by Mr Harris, drew up a report on the Marsh Fritillary and found populations of the only butterfly protected under the EU habitats directive at the site in 2006 and 2007.
However, Mr Bond said, in the report lodged last month with the council, it was his opinion that the butterfly had become extinct there due to heavy grazing last autumn and winter, combined with flooding over the past three winters.
The disappearance of the butterfly removes one of the few remaining planning hurdles for a development that has been in the planning process for two years.
The department said: "The apparent recent loss of an important population of the Marsh Fritillary, which is possibly linked to the failure of mitigation measures associated with the nearby Ennis bypass, is a matter of serious concern that has yet to be investigated and pursued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service."
It added that the reports provided did not address adequately the serious concerns raised in respect of key nature conservation issues at the site.
"A flood assessment of the site and the proposed development, taking into account cumulative effects of other development, is lacking," it said.
"The proposed development will result in significant biodiversity losses in terms of wetland habitats of ecological value and invertebrate populations, including permanent losses or local extinction of the EU habitats directive species, Marsh Fritillary."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Call to stop building on lands prone to flooding
LOCAL AUTHORITIES must stop rezoning land for housing on flood plains to avoid future flooding disasters, NUI Maynooth climatologist Prof John Sweeney has said.
Climate research indicated that extreme weather events, such as the heavy rainfalls which have caused flooding in recent days, were likely to become more common, Prof Sweeney said, and better planning was needed to avoid severe flooding.
The equivalent of a month's rain fell in parts of Dublin and other east coast areas on Saturday, resulting in flash flooding and travel chaos. More rain is expected in the coming days, with a risk of further flooding in already waterlogged areas, according to Met Éireanns.
Flood plains are areas beside rivers and streams which are covered in fine alluvial sediment which is laid down over years as a result of flooding. This sediment acts as a type of storage area for flood waters and helps to prevent floods spreading. However, if flood plains are built on, that water storage capacity is lost.
"Once you start urbanisation on flood plains, you remove the storage capability for flooding and the water ends up going into the main channel down stream," Prof Sweeney said. "Low-lying, more vulnerable areas should not be built on, we should not be putting people in there, and you have to be very careful about putting infrastructure such as roads and rail in."
Measures to protect buildings in areas prone to flooding can make matters worse as man-made barriers cause the water to move more quickly and flood other areas.
"When walls are put in around a development this can affect other areas and make the flood peak higher and the flood peak quicker than it otherwise would."
In recent decades there had been a huge amount of construction of flood plains, but householders may not be aware that their property was at risk.
"In the short term, a house could be built and sold and 10 years down the line, that's when the flooding happens, when the person who built and sold the house is long since departed leaving long-term flooding problems behind."
However, Prof Sweeney said developers were not necessarily the ones to blame.
"The problem starts earlier than with the developers. Local authorities rezone agricultural land for residential development and people are entitled to expect that if the land has been zoned for housing and they've bought a house built on it, that there isn't a problem."
Climate research was showing that rainfall amounts were increasing. While there was not yet sufficient evidence to attribute this to climate change, Prof Sweeney said, warmer conditions were likely to lead to increased rainfall because warm air holds more water vapour.
"The ultimate bottom line is that we shouldn't be rezoning in areas that are known to have a vulnerability to flooding. More conservative planning is what's needed, the precautionary principle needs to be applied more ruthlessly in order so that you don't put people at risk. You have to take a long-term view."
Earlier this year the Department of the Environment issued new planning guidelines to local authorities which recommended land in areas at the highest-risk from flooding should be used for amenity purposes and parking, ahead of housing, however it did not propose a ban on building on flood plains.
The department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, is finalising further guidelines in relation to flood risk management. However, these will not prohibit residential development on flood plains, a department official said.
Rain will spread eastwards tonight and tomorrow, but will also remain heavy in Connacht, Munster and Ulster, according to Met Éireann.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Climate research indicated that extreme weather events, such as the heavy rainfalls which have caused flooding in recent days, were likely to become more common, Prof Sweeney said, and better planning was needed to avoid severe flooding.
The equivalent of a month's rain fell in parts of Dublin and other east coast areas on Saturday, resulting in flash flooding and travel chaos. More rain is expected in the coming days, with a risk of further flooding in already waterlogged areas, according to Met Éireanns.
Flood plains are areas beside rivers and streams which are covered in fine alluvial sediment which is laid down over years as a result of flooding. This sediment acts as a type of storage area for flood waters and helps to prevent floods spreading. However, if flood plains are built on, that water storage capacity is lost.
"Once you start urbanisation on flood plains, you remove the storage capability for flooding and the water ends up going into the main channel down stream," Prof Sweeney said. "Low-lying, more vulnerable areas should not be built on, we should not be putting people in there, and you have to be very careful about putting infrastructure such as roads and rail in."
Measures to protect buildings in areas prone to flooding can make matters worse as man-made barriers cause the water to move more quickly and flood other areas.
"When walls are put in around a development this can affect other areas and make the flood peak higher and the flood peak quicker than it otherwise would."
In recent decades there had been a huge amount of construction of flood plains, but householders may not be aware that their property was at risk.
"In the short term, a house could be built and sold and 10 years down the line, that's when the flooding happens, when the person who built and sold the house is long since departed leaving long-term flooding problems behind."
However, Prof Sweeney said developers were not necessarily the ones to blame.
"The problem starts earlier than with the developers. Local authorities rezone agricultural land for residential development and people are entitled to expect that if the land has been zoned for housing and they've bought a house built on it, that there isn't a problem."
Climate research was showing that rainfall amounts were increasing. While there was not yet sufficient evidence to attribute this to climate change, Prof Sweeney said, warmer conditions were likely to lead to increased rainfall because warm air holds more water vapour.
"The ultimate bottom line is that we shouldn't be rezoning in areas that are known to have a vulnerability to flooding. More conservative planning is what's needed, the precautionary principle needs to be applied more ruthlessly in order so that you don't put people at risk. You have to take a long-term view."
Earlier this year the Department of the Environment issued new planning guidelines to local authorities which recommended land in areas at the highest-risk from flooding should be used for amenity purposes and parking, ahead of housing, however it did not propose a ban on building on flood plains.
The department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, is finalising further guidelines in relation to flood risk management. However, these will not prohibit residential development on flood plains, a department official said.
Rain will spread eastwards tonight and tomorrow, but will also remain heavy in Connacht, Munster and Ulster, according to Met Éireann.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Floating gardens planned for Dublin Docklands
PLANS for a public park which would allow families and workers in the Dublin Docklands to sun themselves on patches of lawn moored in the middle of the Royal Canal have been unveiled.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority is to build a €15m Linear Park on a 1km stretch of ground from North Strand Road to Spencer Dock which will feature floating gardens, playgrounds, pavilions, new bridges and sporting facilities.
Designed by Paris-based architects Agence Ter, the park will span a six-hectare (15 acres) site in the North Lotts area of the Docklands and will include a range of different types of garden for a variety of native and exotic species. A skate park, children's playground and kayak centre will also be built.
But the main features will be the floating gardens, which while moored to the canal banks can also be moved around during the seasons.
"The Royal Canal Linear Park will be a major asset in the North Lotts area of Docklands," DDDA Director of Architecture John McLaughlin said yesterday.
Construction of phase one of the park is expected to begin at the end of the year and be completed by mid-2010.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority is to build a €15m Linear Park on a 1km stretch of ground from North Strand Road to Spencer Dock which will feature floating gardens, playgrounds, pavilions, new bridges and sporting facilities.
Designed by Paris-based architects Agence Ter, the park will span a six-hectare (15 acres) site in the North Lotts area of the Docklands and will include a range of different types of garden for a variety of native and exotic species. A skate park, children's playground and kayak centre will also be built.
But the main features will be the floating gardens, which while moored to the canal banks can also be moved around during the seasons.
"The Royal Canal Linear Park will be a major asset in the North Lotts area of Docklands," DDDA Director of Architecture John McLaughlin said yesterday.
Construction of phase one of the park is expected to begin at the end of the year and be completed by mid-2010.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Downturn 'will not affect €2bn plan' for rail tunnel
PLANS to build a €2bn underground DART tunnel through Dublin city centre will go ahead despite the economic downturn.
The Government has told Iarnrod Eireann that its plans for a 5.2km "interconnector" linking Heuston Station to the Dublin Docklands is to proceed as planned, and the project is expected to be delivered by its 2015 deadline -- a year after Metro North is completed.
Yesterday a spokesman for the rail company said the interconnector was the main priority over the coming years and it expected to seek planning permission in autumn 2009.
Physical work is expected to begin in late 2010, with a five-year construction timeframe.
There had been concerns that the project could have been delayed given the precarious state of the Government's finances. However, Iarnrod Eireann last night said it had been told to proceed as planned, and that it would be hosting four open days so the public could see the final route.
"DART Underground is a core part of Transport 21, and the Transport Minister and his Department have made it clear to us that the delivery of this project is their number one priority for Iarnrod Eireann. It's full steam ahead," the spokesman said.
"For such a crucial project for the public transport needs of the city, we want all those living along the route, and those who will benefit from it in the wider community, to be able to examine the plans, and see the service frequency and capacity benefits which will result. These public meetings are the first of many in the months ahead, to ensure that all have the opportunity to see the route, and have their say."
The interconnector, in effect a second DART line, will run underground through the heart of the city and link the Northern line to the Kildare line, with underground stops at Docklands, Pearse Station, St Stephen's Green, Christchurch and Heuston.
It will be a vital piece of infrastructure and will see the DART extended to the Northern, Maynooth and Kildare commuter lines and allow train users to travel from Cork to Belfast without leaving Iarnrod Eireann property.
Terminate
The first DART line will run from Maynooth/Pace to Connolly Station, Pearse Station, Bray and Greystones, while the second line will run from Howth/Northern Line and serve Clontarf Road, Docklands, Pearse, St Stephen's Green, Christchurch, Heuston and terminate in Hazelhatch.
Passenger numbers on DART and commuter services will increase from 33m today to over 100m on completion. It also links all rail modes -- DART, Commuter, Intercity, Luas and Metro -- to form an integrated cohesive network.
The information meetings take place on four dates from 5pm to 8pm. Today's meeting is in the Ashling Hotel on Parkgate St, while another will take place tomorrow at the Central Hotel on Exchequer Street.
Another two meetings are next week. The first on August 19 at St Mary's Youth Club on Strangford Road and the second the following day at the Alexander Hotel on Merrion Square.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The Government has told Iarnrod Eireann that its plans for a 5.2km "interconnector" linking Heuston Station to the Dublin Docklands is to proceed as planned, and the project is expected to be delivered by its 2015 deadline -- a year after Metro North is completed.
Yesterday a spokesman for the rail company said the interconnector was the main priority over the coming years and it expected to seek planning permission in autumn 2009.
Physical work is expected to begin in late 2010, with a five-year construction timeframe.
There had been concerns that the project could have been delayed given the precarious state of the Government's finances. However, Iarnrod Eireann last night said it had been told to proceed as planned, and that it would be hosting four open days so the public could see the final route.
"DART Underground is a core part of Transport 21, and the Transport Minister and his Department have made it clear to us that the delivery of this project is their number one priority for Iarnrod Eireann. It's full steam ahead," the spokesman said.
"For such a crucial project for the public transport needs of the city, we want all those living along the route, and those who will benefit from it in the wider community, to be able to examine the plans, and see the service frequency and capacity benefits which will result. These public meetings are the first of many in the months ahead, to ensure that all have the opportunity to see the route, and have their say."
The interconnector, in effect a second DART line, will run underground through the heart of the city and link the Northern line to the Kildare line, with underground stops at Docklands, Pearse Station, St Stephen's Green, Christchurch and Heuston.
It will be a vital piece of infrastructure and will see the DART extended to the Northern, Maynooth and Kildare commuter lines and allow train users to travel from Cork to Belfast without leaving Iarnrod Eireann property.
Terminate
The first DART line will run from Maynooth/Pace to Connolly Station, Pearse Station, Bray and Greystones, while the second line will run from Howth/Northern Line and serve Clontarf Road, Docklands, Pearse, St Stephen's Green, Christchurch, Heuston and terminate in Hazelhatch.
Passenger numbers on DART and commuter services will increase from 33m today to over 100m on completion. It also links all rail modes -- DART, Commuter, Intercity, Luas and Metro -- to form an integrated cohesive network.
The information meetings take place on four dates from 5pm to 8pm. Today's meeting is in the Ashling Hotel on Parkgate St, while another will take place tomorrow at the Central Hotel on Exchequer Street.
Another two meetings are next week. The first on August 19 at St Mary's Youth Club on Strangford Road and the second the following day at the Alexander Hotel on Merrion Square.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Decision on €280m Waterford development due by end of year
A DECISION on the future of a proposed €280m development for Waterford city is expected before the end of the year.
Backers of the Newgate Centre project confirmed yesterday that they have responded to a request for further information from An Bord Pleanála.
Waterford City Council has already granted planning permission to the KRM Construction Partnership for the scheme, which would see the development of 60 shops, including three anchor units; a 153-bedroom four-star hotel with a conference centre and leisure facilities; arts, cultural and community facilities and underground parking for more than 600 vehicles.
The project also contains 26 city centre homes and a rooftop viewing area.
A number of appeals were subsequently made to An Bord Pleanála following the council’s decision.
“As we indicated when we received the correspondence from the State planning appeals board dated May 27, we have made our response in the timeframe they requested,” said a spokesperson for the consortium.
“In this comprehensive submission, we addressed each of the issues raised by the board and reiterated the sound arguments for the development in the centre of the south-east’s designated gateway city.”
According to the spokesperson, they are receiving “a lot of support from the wider community” in Waterford and interest remains strong among potential tenants in Ireland and overseas.
“We now look forward to a positive decision from An Bord Pleanála on the planning appeals.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Backers of the Newgate Centre project confirmed yesterday that they have responded to a request for further information from An Bord Pleanála.
Waterford City Council has already granted planning permission to the KRM Construction Partnership for the scheme, which would see the development of 60 shops, including three anchor units; a 153-bedroom four-star hotel with a conference centre and leisure facilities; arts, cultural and community facilities and underground parking for more than 600 vehicles.
The project also contains 26 city centre homes and a rooftop viewing area.
A number of appeals were subsequently made to An Bord Pleanála following the council’s decision.
“As we indicated when we received the correspondence from the State planning appeals board dated May 27, we have made our response in the timeframe they requested,” said a spokesperson for the consortium.
“In this comprehensive submission, we addressed each of the issues raised by the board and reiterated the sound arguments for the development in the centre of the south-east’s designated gateway city.”
According to the spokesperson, they are receiving “a lot of support from the wider community” in Waterford and interest remains strong among potential tenants in Ireland and overseas.
“We now look forward to a positive decision from An Bord Pleanála on the planning appeals.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 11 August 2008
€62m local sewerage plant to be built in Portrane
THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment is to spend €62 million to build a local sewerage plant in Portrane, Co Dublin, an area which had been earmarked for a major regional sewerage plant to serve the greater Dublin area.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has given permission for Fingal County Council to build the plant to serve the coastal communities of Portrane, Donabate, Rush and Lusk.
The facility will have capacity to cater for up to 65,000 people.
The Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, published three years ago, had designated Portrane as the site for a new regional sewerage plant which would have the capacity to process the waste of up to 850,000 people and would be second in size only to the Ringsend treatment plant.
This study was commissioned by the seven local authorities in the greater Dublin area - the four Dublin councils and Meath, Kildare and Wicklow - to determine the sewerage and drainage needs of the region until 2031. The Portrane plant, which at 2005 estimates was to cost €140 million, was one of the key elements of the study. A spokesman for the Department of the Environment has acknowledged that the local plant would not be needed if the regional plant had gone ahead.
Its development has been on hold since November 2005 when Fingal councillors from all parties voted to reject any proposals for a "single super waste water treatment plant" in the Fingal area and ordered that a strategic environmental assessment be carried out on the drainage study.
Three months ago, the assessment recommended that the regional plant was necessary and should be built on the north Dublin coastline. However, the exact location of the plant will only be determined following a new site-selection process.
This does not rule out Portrane as the location for the regional plant. Consultants will shortly be appointed to undertake the new site selection study, and could still recommend Portrane as the best site for the plant.
The Department of the Environment said it was necessary to press ahead with the local plant to cater for the needs of the growing coastal communities.
"This plant will be for local needs only. If we had built the regional treatment plant, there would be no need for a new plant, but if it is decided that Portrane is the best location for that plant, there maybe a proposal to add it on," a spokesman said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has given permission for Fingal County Council to build the plant to serve the coastal communities of Portrane, Donabate, Rush and Lusk.
The facility will have capacity to cater for up to 65,000 people.
The Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, published three years ago, had designated Portrane as the site for a new regional sewerage plant which would have the capacity to process the waste of up to 850,000 people and would be second in size only to the Ringsend treatment plant.
This study was commissioned by the seven local authorities in the greater Dublin area - the four Dublin councils and Meath, Kildare and Wicklow - to determine the sewerage and drainage needs of the region until 2031. The Portrane plant, which at 2005 estimates was to cost €140 million, was one of the key elements of the study. A spokesman for the Department of the Environment has acknowledged that the local plant would not be needed if the regional plant had gone ahead.
Its development has been on hold since November 2005 when Fingal councillors from all parties voted to reject any proposals for a "single super waste water treatment plant" in the Fingal area and ordered that a strategic environmental assessment be carried out on the drainage study.
Three months ago, the assessment recommended that the regional plant was necessary and should be built on the north Dublin coastline. However, the exact location of the plant will only be determined following a new site-selection process.
This does not rule out Portrane as the location for the regional plant. Consultants will shortly be appointed to undertake the new site selection study, and could still recommend Portrane as the best site for the plant.
The Department of the Environment said it was necessary to press ahead with the local plant to cater for the needs of the growing coastal communities.
"This plant will be for local needs only. If we had built the regional treatment plant, there would be no need for a new plant, but if it is decided that Portrane is the best location for that plant, there maybe a proposal to add it on," a spokesman said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans for underground rail line for Dublin to go on public display
THE ROUTE and station plans for the new underground rail line from Heuston Station to Dublin's Docklands, will be put on public display by Iarnród Éireann from tomorrow.
The line, which the company is calling an "underground Dart", will have just five stations along its 5.2km length, at Heuston, Christchurch, St Stephen's Green, Pearse Street and Docklands.
A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said the company intends to apply for a railway order to build the underground line, which is a Transport 21 project, in autumn 2009 and hopes to complete the project in 2015. While he would not reveal the cost of the project, it has been estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.
The line is one of the most important elements of Transport 21, Iarnród Éireann said, as it will connect a number of services.
At Heuston the line will connect to the Luas Red line; at Stephen's Green it will be linked to the Luas Green line and the proposed Metro North; at Pearse Street it will connect with the Dart and commuter services; while at Docklands it will again connect with the Luas Red line. The Christchurch stop will see this area of the city connected to rail for the first time.
The new line will increase the capacity of Dart and commuter services from 33 million to more than 100 million on completion.
The company is beginning its public consultation phase with a series of four open information meetings to be held over the next two weeks. The meetings will be held by Iarnród Éireann staff between 5pm and 8pm on the following dates:
August 12th: Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8
August 13th: Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
August 19th: St Mary's Youth Club, Strangford Road, Dublin 3
August 20th: Alexander Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The line, which the company is calling an "underground Dart", will have just five stations along its 5.2km length, at Heuston, Christchurch, St Stephen's Green, Pearse Street and Docklands.
A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said the company intends to apply for a railway order to build the underground line, which is a Transport 21 project, in autumn 2009 and hopes to complete the project in 2015. While he would not reveal the cost of the project, it has been estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.
The line is one of the most important elements of Transport 21, Iarnród Éireann said, as it will connect a number of services.
At Heuston the line will connect to the Luas Red line; at Stephen's Green it will be linked to the Luas Green line and the proposed Metro North; at Pearse Street it will connect with the Dart and commuter services; while at Docklands it will again connect with the Luas Red line. The Christchurch stop will see this area of the city connected to rail for the first time.
The new line will increase the capacity of Dart and commuter services from 33 million to more than 100 million on completion.
The company is beginning its public consultation phase with a series of four open information meetings to be held over the next two weeks. The meetings will be held by Iarnród Éireann staff between 5pm and 8pm on the following dates:
August 12th: Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8
August 13th: Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
August 19th: St Mary's Youth Club, Strangford Road, Dublin 3
August 20th: Alexander Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin to get new public park on canal
DUBLIN IS to get a new public park with floating gardens, pavilions, playgrounds, cafes, cycle path, sports pitches and boating activities.
Plans for the Royal Canal Linear Park have just been unveiled by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), and show details of a three-phase project that will eventually run from the Liffey, beside the new National Conference Centre, northwards for 1.4km to North Strand Road.
The design, by French landscape and urban design company Agence Ter, was chosen from among 64 entrants to a competition judged by community representatives, Dublin City Council, Spencer Dock Development Company (which owned some of the land), the RIAI (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland) and the DDDA.
With such a diversity of judges, John McLaughlin, director of architecture at the Docklands authority, wondered whether they would all agree, but the decision was unanimous, he said. "Their approach was unique. The site comprises a 30m wide body of water with 20-odd metres either side of bank - so it is divided.
"Everybody came up with a linear arrangement but Agence Ter overcame that by blurring the separation between the banks and the canal," he said.
Olivier Philippe, who set up Agence Ter with two other landscape designers in 1986, said: "We decided to consider the area as a whole by putting floating gardens into the water and putting water into the banks."
The scheme has become known as the Harlequin garden because it comprises a patchwork of various elements such as semi-transparent pavilions, trees and those floating gardens on pontoons that will be up to 17m long.
Both the water and land-based sections will be on the same level and park users will be close to the water, said Mr Philippe.
"When you walk along the Liffey you are never close to the water - which is understandable because of the tide and the boats - but the canal is a very quiet place so the idea is to have floating gardens very low in the water." Although they are looking at safety issues, Mr Philippe said there is no barrier between Dublin's existing canal banks and the water. "We will try and avoid railings," he said.
The reason for this new space is that "Dublin needs a new park", said Mr McLaughlin, and also because it is part of a tradition of canal parks in the city. There was no park on the Docklands site previously because barge and rail freight used to be taken from the Liffey here (from the early 1800s).
Dublin's other canal parks feel more like walking routes except for the odd sitting spot such as the Patrick Kavanagh bench, dedicated to the poet who asked, "Oh commemorate me where there is water, canal water preferably . . . just a canal-bank seat for the passer by."
Ireland is used to public parks such as St Stephen's Green having traditional planting, but that won't be the case here. "We do not want to erase that past," said Mr Philippe, "but just to bring a new layer. We need to keep an identity so the trees - except in one pontoon in the next phase - will be native species, such as oak and white willow, while the flower beds will be mostly planted with exotic plants, many of which you already find in Ireland. It will be very colourful and we are working on year-round blooming."
The lighting designer Yves Adrien, of Coup d'Eclat, will work with the plant colours in his scheme, offering red glows against crimson blooms, for instance. The lighting scheme will be kept on a human level: "We want to avoid all those masts [poles] which you see everywhere in public spaces" - and is designed to make the park feel safe at night.
Construction of phase one - from the river to Sheriff Street - is due to begin in January 2009 and finish in 2010. It will fit in around other construction in the area, including canal excavation and restoration at Spencer Dock, the National Conference Centre, a Luas canal bridge by Future Systems, and the Calatrava bridge on the Liffey, due to finish at the end of next year.
The design competition - with a construction budget of €15 million - was for the complete 1.4km park to ensure "an overarching vision", said Mr McLaughlin. The first phase is being built on land provided by CIÉ and the Spencer Dock Development Company. The land purchase in the second two phases has yet to be negotiated.
"The Royal Canal Linear Park has been designed to be used and appreciated by all of Dublin's citizens, whether they want to relax, be active or appreciate the greenery," said Mr McLaughlin.
Perhaps it will answer Patrick Kavanagh's wish, in Canal Bank Walk , to be captured "in a web/Of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech/Feed the gaping needs of my senses".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans for the Royal Canal Linear Park have just been unveiled by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), and show details of a three-phase project that will eventually run from the Liffey, beside the new National Conference Centre, northwards for 1.4km to North Strand Road.
The design, by French landscape and urban design company Agence Ter, was chosen from among 64 entrants to a competition judged by community representatives, Dublin City Council, Spencer Dock Development Company (which owned some of the land), the RIAI (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland) and the DDDA.
With such a diversity of judges, John McLaughlin, director of architecture at the Docklands authority, wondered whether they would all agree, but the decision was unanimous, he said. "Their approach was unique. The site comprises a 30m wide body of water with 20-odd metres either side of bank - so it is divided.
"Everybody came up with a linear arrangement but Agence Ter overcame that by blurring the separation between the banks and the canal," he said.
Olivier Philippe, who set up Agence Ter with two other landscape designers in 1986, said: "We decided to consider the area as a whole by putting floating gardens into the water and putting water into the banks."
The scheme has become known as the Harlequin garden because it comprises a patchwork of various elements such as semi-transparent pavilions, trees and those floating gardens on pontoons that will be up to 17m long.
Both the water and land-based sections will be on the same level and park users will be close to the water, said Mr Philippe.
"When you walk along the Liffey you are never close to the water - which is understandable because of the tide and the boats - but the canal is a very quiet place so the idea is to have floating gardens very low in the water." Although they are looking at safety issues, Mr Philippe said there is no barrier between Dublin's existing canal banks and the water. "We will try and avoid railings," he said.
The reason for this new space is that "Dublin needs a new park", said Mr McLaughlin, and also because it is part of a tradition of canal parks in the city. There was no park on the Docklands site previously because barge and rail freight used to be taken from the Liffey here (from the early 1800s).
Dublin's other canal parks feel more like walking routes except for the odd sitting spot such as the Patrick Kavanagh bench, dedicated to the poet who asked, "Oh commemorate me where there is water, canal water preferably . . . just a canal-bank seat for the passer by."
Ireland is used to public parks such as St Stephen's Green having traditional planting, but that won't be the case here. "We do not want to erase that past," said Mr Philippe, "but just to bring a new layer. We need to keep an identity so the trees - except in one pontoon in the next phase - will be native species, such as oak and white willow, while the flower beds will be mostly planted with exotic plants, many of which you already find in Ireland. It will be very colourful and we are working on year-round blooming."
The lighting designer Yves Adrien, of Coup d'Eclat, will work with the plant colours in his scheme, offering red glows against crimson blooms, for instance. The lighting scheme will be kept on a human level: "We want to avoid all those masts [poles] which you see everywhere in public spaces" - and is designed to make the park feel safe at night.
Construction of phase one - from the river to Sheriff Street - is due to begin in January 2009 and finish in 2010. It will fit in around other construction in the area, including canal excavation and restoration at Spencer Dock, the National Conference Centre, a Luas canal bridge by Future Systems, and the Calatrava bridge on the Liffey, due to finish at the end of next year.
The design competition - with a construction budget of €15 million - was for the complete 1.4km park to ensure "an overarching vision", said Mr McLaughlin. The first phase is being built on land provided by CIÉ and the Spencer Dock Development Company. The land purchase in the second two phases has yet to be negotiated.
"The Royal Canal Linear Park has been designed to be used and appreciated by all of Dublin's citizens, whether they want to relax, be active or appreciate the greenery," said Mr McLaughlin.
Perhaps it will answer Patrick Kavanagh's wish, in Canal Bank Walk , to be captured "in a web/Of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech/Feed the gaping needs of my senses".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Ireland is falling into the sea
Coastal erosion will have dire consequences for the country unless measures are taken to stop it. But so far, funding has not been forthcoming and authorities are ignoring the problem. Jennifer Bray reports
Scattered sandbags, a half a road and a beach consisting of a small sandy gap between the sea and a cliff – welcome to the tourist town that is slowly falling into the ocean. Wexford's Clones/ Kilpatrick beach may once have been renowned for its vast expanses of sandy shore, but these days it is defined by the speed with which it is losing roads and houses to the sea. On a bank holiday weekend, there are three people making use of the now small beach area, a far cry from the packed coastlines that could be seen as recently as six years ago.
Perched on the edge of a cliff, a few metres above sea level, live Paddy and Keyna McAvoy, who point out another house a few metres down the beach, unprotected and a little too close to the sea to be a desirable holiday home anymore. In a storm or at high tide these houses would clearly br prone to flooded gardens. "I remember many times I've looked across to sea water lapping up to the front door of the houses," Paddy McEvoy said.
The problem is set to get worse, according to a range of reports on coastal erosion which have warned of the potentially deadly effects of climate change. Unless vastly more money is spent on combating the problem than is currently the case, the country is facing, amongst other catastrophes, 10 times as many major flooding incidents, the collapse of many sewage systems and a major threat to tourism income. Our whole coastline could be transformed.
Sea invasion
Earlier this year, the government announced it would fund work on 21 projects designed to combat the problem of coastal erosion around the country.
Last year alone, Kerry County Council spent €4m making sure the road at Inch Strand didn't fall into the sea. Laytown Golf Club in Co Meath gets a little smaller every year as the sea smashes against its sandy boundary and takes some of it away. The National Trust in Northern Ireland announced earlier this year that the Giant's Causeway was under threat from coastal erosion. Forty percent of Wexford's coastline is at risk, having been eroded inwards by around 100m in the last 30 years.
Kilpatrick beach in Castletown, north Co Wexford, where Paddy and Keyna McEvoy have lived since the early 1990s, is one of the worst affected areas. "We've certainly seen some changes around here, particularly in the proximity of the sea," said McEvoy.
A short distance up the fragmented coastal path sits the house of Harry Crosbie, one of Ireland's leading property developers. Crosbie was the subject of a recent controversy when it was decided the protective measures he had erected at the front of his beachfront home were in breach of planning regulations.
Local Fine Gael TD Michael D'Arcy blames a severe lack of funding for the worsening state of the county's coasts. "The situation is having an effect on our tourism in Wexford, but the county council has point blank refused us the resources to protect our shores," he said. "If you get a map from 50 years ago and compare it to today, you'll see how much land we've lost- and we're talking hundreds of metres. We need a lot more to solve this than what we've got."
Around 170km of Galway's coast is believed to be at risk of erosion and damage. In Oranmore, according to local resident Kieran Stevens, a popular tourist attraction is now under threat as protective walls crumble in to the sea. Ardfry House – which is next to an area that has been eroded to a "high degree" – was built in the 1770s on a peninsula jutting into Galway Bay. It was the filming location of 1970s film The MacKintosh Man which starred Paul Newman.
"This is a threat to tourism here, and also a danger to those who come down here to visit," Stevens said. "Even the walls built in the 1800s are slowly falling away, and the council's response is simple: no funding. The longer we leave it here in Galway, the worse it gets and the more expensive also," he added. Galway senator Fidelma Healy Rae adds: "We had the Vikings, the English and now the sea – but this time we're doing nothing about it."
Houses at risk
In Sutton, Co Dublin, Jim Fitzpatrick, a local in the Barrow Beach area for 25 years, has been lobbying the local council for over a decade after watching the sea approach his garden in an ever more menacing fashion. "My efforts have been to no avail," said Fitzpatrick. "There's nothing to stop the sea from coming into my back garden, which it does.
"The council put up wooden stockpoles before, and if they had of stuck around long enough to see if they worked or not they would see that there is now a gap of over 20 foot behind them rendering them useless. I am not looking for something here for some kind of elite group – this beach belongs to everyone and is one of the best-known and most popular northside beaches."
According to Fitzpatrick, it is the 'elite group' who are the first to earn the much-coveted environmental protection. "There's been expensive work done on the likes of the Portmarnock beaches – and the reason for that is because of the golf course. They've done amazing things with those beaches, involving boulders which make them completely erosion-proof. They have spent in the region of millions on that. But as far as normal residents go, there is nothing in the way of action or protection."
Green Party councillor David Healy claims securing the necessary funding required for protective measures is an increasingly difficult task. "Fingal County Council this year sought for money from the Department of Agriculture but they didn't get enough to start the work they planned. The shifting currents and increasing erosion of these beaches are going to impact on all families along these coasts when their houses are put at a new risk of flooding," he said.
Sutton is one of many at-risk areas in Dublin. Sandymount and the area around the IFSC on the north quays have continued to struggle with the effects of coastal erosion, with environmental scientist Rowan Fealy, from the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (Icarus) at Maynooth University, predicting a worse time ahead for these areas.
"Events like those severe floodings in Sandymount are likely to become more of a common thing as a direct consequence of erosion," says Fealy.
"The major weather events that are usually estimated to happen around once every hundred years in Ireland are likely to shift to one in every 10 years now."
Emissions mission
Another environmental scientist, Damian Nolan, maintains that erosion will trigger more serious consequences for Ireland, and even its islands.
"Aside from the financial impact of losing economically valuable land, there are huge risks that we will lose Bull Island when coastal sedimentation patterns change. The future for the island might be very bleak indeed which would leave the whole northern coast exposed to the influence of the sea."
Nolan also points to the effects on more unsuspecting areas – like sewerage. "Some work was done by the engineers' academy on the fact that our sewage treatment plant is very near sea level and we are putting more and more waste treatment at this level, opening the risk of salt-water infiltration and physical damage.
"Sewage treatment works in non-saline water. Salt water would disturb the microbiological ecosystem that sewage treatment plants rely on, thus rendering it useless."
According to Rowan Fealy, Ireland's CO2 emissions are causing these problems on our coast. "Without a doubt, coastal erosion is a big challenge for Ireland for the future, but we really need to look at the root cause of this problem: our emissions. Rather than consistently putting in stop-gap measures we should try to beat it at the root."
The predicted 1-2mm rise in sea levels, an "overall increase of 10-20%", would trigger further coastal erosion, he says.
Ireland's National Development Plan (NDP) makes a small provision for this contentious environmental issue, detailing measures "to address urgent coastal erosion problems and thereby preserve state-owned property, tourist amenities, natural habitats/ecology and private property.
"Approved projects will be undertaken by the coastal authorities concerned, or directly by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources."
Professor Andrew Cooper, head of the coastal research group in the University of Ulster, believes there are a number of measures that can be taken against coastal erosion.
"One is to build walls to protect the dry land. However, these often destroy the beach by cutting it off from the sand supply it needs to survive, or by cutting it off from the dunes that absorb storm energy.
"The second is to put extra sand or gravel on the beach and this is called beach nourishment. This tries to replace sand that is lost by erosion and protects the land behind it."
According to Cooper, this can be effective, but is a "neverending commitment that will cost money".
The third option Cooper suggests is to move the buildings at risk or let them fall in to the sea, a process he calls "managed retreat".
"This lets natural processes continue to operate and maintains the coast's natural resilience. It is the most sustainable approach to managing coastal erosion."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Scattered sandbags, a half a road and a beach consisting of a small sandy gap between the sea and a cliff – welcome to the tourist town that is slowly falling into the ocean. Wexford's Clones/ Kilpatrick beach may once have been renowned for its vast expanses of sandy shore, but these days it is defined by the speed with which it is losing roads and houses to the sea. On a bank holiday weekend, there are three people making use of the now small beach area, a far cry from the packed coastlines that could be seen as recently as six years ago.
Perched on the edge of a cliff, a few metres above sea level, live Paddy and Keyna McAvoy, who point out another house a few metres down the beach, unprotected and a little too close to the sea to be a desirable holiday home anymore. In a storm or at high tide these houses would clearly br prone to flooded gardens. "I remember many times I've looked across to sea water lapping up to the front door of the houses," Paddy McEvoy said.
The problem is set to get worse, according to a range of reports on coastal erosion which have warned of the potentially deadly effects of climate change. Unless vastly more money is spent on combating the problem than is currently the case, the country is facing, amongst other catastrophes, 10 times as many major flooding incidents, the collapse of many sewage systems and a major threat to tourism income. Our whole coastline could be transformed.
Sea invasion
Earlier this year, the government announced it would fund work on 21 projects designed to combat the problem of coastal erosion around the country.
Last year alone, Kerry County Council spent €4m making sure the road at Inch Strand didn't fall into the sea. Laytown Golf Club in Co Meath gets a little smaller every year as the sea smashes against its sandy boundary and takes some of it away. The National Trust in Northern Ireland announced earlier this year that the Giant's Causeway was under threat from coastal erosion. Forty percent of Wexford's coastline is at risk, having been eroded inwards by around 100m in the last 30 years.
Kilpatrick beach in Castletown, north Co Wexford, where Paddy and Keyna McEvoy have lived since the early 1990s, is one of the worst affected areas. "We've certainly seen some changes around here, particularly in the proximity of the sea," said McEvoy.
A short distance up the fragmented coastal path sits the house of Harry Crosbie, one of Ireland's leading property developers. Crosbie was the subject of a recent controversy when it was decided the protective measures he had erected at the front of his beachfront home were in breach of planning regulations.
Local Fine Gael TD Michael D'Arcy blames a severe lack of funding for the worsening state of the county's coasts. "The situation is having an effect on our tourism in Wexford, but the county council has point blank refused us the resources to protect our shores," he said. "If you get a map from 50 years ago and compare it to today, you'll see how much land we've lost- and we're talking hundreds of metres. We need a lot more to solve this than what we've got."
Around 170km of Galway's coast is believed to be at risk of erosion and damage. In Oranmore, according to local resident Kieran Stevens, a popular tourist attraction is now under threat as protective walls crumble in to the sea. Ardfry House – which is next to an area that has been eroded to a "high degree" – was built in the 1770s on a peninsula jutting into Galway Bay. It was the filming location of 1970s film The MacKintosh Man which starred Paul Newman.
"This is a threat to tourism here, and also a danger to those who come down here to visit," Stevens said. "Even the walls built in the 1800s are slowly falling away, and the council's response is simple: no funding. The longer we leave it here in Galway, the worse it gets and the more expensive also," he added. Galway senator Fidelma Healy Rae adds: "We had the Vikings, the English and now the sea – but this time we're doing nothing about it."
Houses at risk
In Sutton, Co Dublin, Jim Fitzpatrick, a local in the Barrow Beach area for 25 years, has been lobbying the local council for over a decade after watching the sea approach his garden in an ever more menacing fashion. "My efforts have been to no avail," said Fitzpatrick. "There's nothing to stop the sea from coming into my back garden, which it does.
"The council put up wooden stockpoles before, and if they had of stuck around long enough to see if they worked or not they would see that there is now a gap of over 20 foot behind them rendering them useless. I am not looking for something here for some kind of elite group – this beach belongs to everyone and is one of the best-known and most popular northside beaches."
According to Fitzpatrick, it is the 'elite group' who are the first to earn the much-coveted environmental protection. "There's been expensive work done on the likes of the Portmarnock beaches – and the reason for that is because of the golf course. They've done amazing things with those beaches, involving boulders which make them completely erosion-proof. They have spent in the region of millions on that. But as far as normal residents go, there is nothing in the way of action or protection."
Green Party councillor David Healy claims securing the necessary funding required for protective measures is an increasingly difficult task. "Fingal County Council this year sought for money from the Department of Agriculture but they didn't get enough to start the work they planned. The shifting currents and increasing erosion of these beaches are going to impact on all families along these coasts when their houses are put at a new risk of flooding," he said.
Sutton is one of many at-risk areas in Dublin. Sandymount and the area around the IFSC on the north quays have continued to struggle with the effects of coastal erosion, with environmental scientist Rowan Fealy, from the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (Icarus) at Maynooth University, predicting a worse time ahead for these areas.
"Events like those severe floodings in Sandymount are likely to become more of a common thing as a direct consequence of erosion," says Fealy.
"The major weather events that are usually estimated to happen around once every hundred years in Ireland are likely to shift to one in every 10 years now."
Emissions mission
Another environmental scientist, Damian Nolan, maintains that erosion will trigger more serious consequences for Ireland, and even its islands.
"Aside from the financial impact of losing economically valuable land, there are huge risks that we will lose Bull Island when coastal sedimentation patterns change. The future for the island might be very bleak indeed which would leave the whole northern coast exposed to the influence of the sea."
Nolan also points to the effects on more unsuspecting areas – like sewerage. "Some work was done by the engineers' academy on the fact that our sewage treatment plant is very near sea level and we are putting more and more waste treatment at this level, opening the risk of salt-water infiltration and physical damage.
"Sewage treatment works in non-saline water. Salt water would disturb the microbiological ecosystem that sewage treatment plants rely on, thus rendering it useless."
According to Rowan Fealy, Ireland's CO2 emissions are causing these problems on our coast. "Without a doubt, coastal erosion is a big challenge for Ireland for the future, but we really need to look at the root cause of this problem: our emissions. Rather than consistently putting in stop-gap measures we should try to beat it at the root."
The predicted 1-2mm rise in sea levels, an "overall increase of 10-20%", would trigger further coastal erosion, he says.
Ireland's National Development Plan (NDP) makes a small provision for this contentious environmental issue, detailing measures "to address urgent coastal erosion problems and thereby preserve state-owned property, tourist amenities, natural habitats/ecology and private property.
"Approved projects will be undertaken by the coastal authorities concerned, or directly by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources."
Professor Andrew Cooper, head of the coastal research group in the University of Ulster, believes there are a number of measures that can be taken against coastal erosion.
"One is to build walls to protect the dry land. However, these often destroy the beach by cutting it off from the sand supply it needs to survive, or by cutting it off from the dunes that absorb storm energy.
"The second is to put extra sand or gravel on the beach and this is called beach nourishment. This tries to replace sand that is lost by erosion and protects the land behind it."
According to Cooper, this can be effective, but is a "neverending commitment that will cost money".
The third option Cooper suggests is to move the buildings at risk or let them fall in to the sea, a process he calls "managed retreat".
"This lets natural processes continue to operate and maintains the coast's natural resilience. It is the most sustainable approach to managing coastal erosion."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Proposed Rathcoole incinerator slammed as 'dangerous' to health and environment
An incinerator proposed for Rathcoole in Co Dublin would pose a serious risk to the health of locals and to the environment, according to an Irish scientist.
Joe McCarthy, a physicist and qualified engineer from Sandymount in Dublin, says the new plant mooted for Rathcoole would be larger than the controversial Ringsend incinerator.
The company behind the proposed plant, Energy Answers International (EAI), have based its design on a similar facility in the US which went on fire after an explosion last year.
EAI lodged an application for planning permission for the €200m thermal waste treatment plant at Behan's Quarry in Rathcoole near the N7 with An Bord Pleanála in May. EAI says the plant is the first of its kind in Ireland and will thermally treat 365,000 tonnes of non-hazardous municipal solid waste yearly.
Joe McCarthy, who has also campaigned against the Ringsend proposal, pointed out the Rathcoole incinerator would have the capacity to burn up to 730,000 tonnes of waste a year because EAI will build two incineration processing lines, each with a 365,000-tonne capability. EAI's environmental impact statement says they will only use one of the units at any one time. "I have no doubt in my mind that they will use both processing lines. They give no commercial reason why they have a fully redundant design," McCarthy said.
On 31 March 2007, an incinerator originally designed and built by EAI in Rochester, Massachusetts, caught fire after an explosion at the plant. The blaze took over 24 hours to extinguish. McCarthy said since the plant in Rochester opened in 1989 it has "consistently" exceeded acceptable EU levels for the emission of pollutants. "The incinerator will produce an enormous amount of particulate matter. This is tiny dust including dioxins and other harmful material but the particulate matter is more dangerous [to human health] than dioxins."
He also says the main chimney from the incinerator is not high enough to effectively disperse pollutants and could be a health hazard for some nearby residents.
EAI saya the plant would operate within the standards set down by the Environmental Protection Agency and the EU. "We have never exceeded the US levels acceptable for dioxins. Our history has been that we have met EU levels," he said. "We will absolutely meet EU standards and there won't be any violations of the standards here.
"I haven't seen any evidence... of any human health impact or deaths due to the combustion of waste." McCarthy added that the company had submitted a sophisticated model for the main chimneystack to the EPA, which takes into account "the topography of the land and the amount of material coming out of the stack".
The final decision by An Bord Pleanála on the facility is expected by the end of the year.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Joe McCarthy, a physicist and qualified engineer from Sandymount in Dublin, says the new plant mooted for Rathcoole would be larger than the controversial Ringsend incinerator.
The company behind the proposed plant, Energy Answers International (EAI), have based its design on a similar facility in the US which went on fire after an explosion last year.
EAI lodged an application for planning permission for the €200m thermal waste treatment plant at Behan's Quarry in Rathcoole near the N7 with An Bord Pleanála in May. EAI says the plant is the first of its kind in Ireland and will thermally treat 365,000 tonnes of non-hazardous municipal solid waste yearly.
Joe McCarthy, who has also campaigned against the Ringsend proposal, pointed out the Rathcoole incinerator would have the capacity to burn up to 730,000 tonnes of waste a year because EAI will build two incineration processing lines, each with a 365,000-tonne capability. EAI's environmental impact statement says they will only use one of the units at any one time. "I have no doubt in my mind that they will use both processing lines. They give no commercial reason why they have a fully redundant design," McCarthy said.
On 31 March 2007, an incinerator originally designed and built by EAI in Rochester, Massachusetts, caught fire after an explosion at the plant. The blaze took over 24 hours to extinguish. McCarthy said since the plant in Rochester opened in 1989 it has "consistently" exceeded acceptable EU levels for the emission of pollutants. "The incinerator will produce an enormous amount of particulate matter. This is tiny dust including dioxins and other harmful material but the particulate matter is more dangerous [to human health] than dioxins."
He also says the main chimney from the incinerator is not high enough to effectively disperse pollutants and could be a health hazard for some nearby residents.
EAI saya the plant would operate within the standards set down by the Environmental Protection Agency and the EU. "We have never exceeded the US levels acceptable for dioxins. Our history has been that we have met EU levels," he said. "We will absolutely meet EU standards and there won't be any violations of the standards here.
"I haven't seen any evidence... of any human health impact or deaths due to the combustion of waste." McCarthy added that the company had submitted a sophisticated model for the main chimneystack to the EPA, which takes into account "the topography of the land and the amount of material coming out of the stack".
The final decision by An Bord Pleanála on the facility is expected by the end of the year.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Structural faults found on Dublin's O'Connell Bridge
Repair work will be carried out on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin by the end of the summer after the discovery of a large number of suspected stress cracks and a missing section of parapet which is believed to have broken away and plunged into the river.
Dublin City Council has confirmed that it is to undertake remedial works at the busy bridge over the coming weeks to replace the parts that have been damaged.
It is now feared that the rising level of the Liffey is causing the water to crash against the tops of the bridges on the Quays rather than simply passing underneath, thereby causing structural damage. The council has been urged to establish a major investigation.
A report commissioned last year by the city authority warned that rising tides in the river due to global warming could lead to further incidents of flooding in the capital. But according to the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG), the rising water levels pose as much of a threat of bridge damage as they do of flooding.
The potential danger posed to the capital's bridges cannot be assessed without sending engineers to examine the foundations of the structures, the group claims.
In support of their claim, they say O'Connell Bridge has recently lost a large section of parapet on one side of the structure, a concrete pillar from one of the rails, and cite the emergence of a worrying amount of stress cracks.
While the damage may seem insignificant, the NCHG believes it is an indicator of a potentially more serious problem.
"It may be an exaggeration to say 'Dublin bridge is falling down' but it is certainly in need of attention," said the NCHG's Damien Cassidy. "The only way we will know if it's in danger of falling down is if you had a diver down there looking at the foundations."
A spokeswoman for the council said that a complete examination of O'Connell Bridge was carried out four years ago and it was found to be in perfect condition.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin City Council has confirmed that it is to undertake remedial works at the busy bridge over the coming weeks to replace the parts that have been damaged.
It is now feared that the rising level of the Liffey is causing the water to crash against the tops of the bridges on the Quays rather than simply passing underneath, thereby causing structural damage. The council has been urged to establish a major investigation.
A report commissioned last year by the city authority warned that rising tides in the river due to global warming could lead to further incidents of flooding in the capital. But according to the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG), the rising water levels pose as much of a threat of bridge damage as they do of flooding.
The potential danger posed to the capital's bridges cannot be assessed without sending engineers to examine the foundations of the structures, the group claims.
In support of their claim, they say O'Connell Bridge has recently lost a large section of parapet on one side of the structure, a concrete pillar from one of the rails, and cite the emergence of a worrying amount of stress cracks.
While the damage may seem insignificant, the NCHG believes it is an indicator of a potentially more serious problem.
"It may be an exaggeration to say 'Dublin bridge is falling down' but it is certainly in need of attention," said the NCHG's Damien Cassidy. "The only way we will know if it's in danger of falling down is if you had a diver down there looking at the foundations."
A spokeswoman for the council said that a complete examination of O'Connell Bridge was carried out four years ago and it was found to be in perfect condition.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Railway station planned for Croker
A new railway station is being planned for Croke Park in Dublin. Iarnród Eireann is expected to have high-level discussions with the GAA to open the new railway station at the GAA headquarters.
It is anticipated that the GAA would make a significant contribution towards its development costs, given that the new station has the potential to deliver a large amount of fans to the stadium on match days.
Croke Park is situated adjacent to the Sligo railway line, which serves stations in Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon, Mullingar, Enfield, Kilcock, Maynooth and Leixlip. A spur on the line serving Dunboyne and Navan is planned for completion in 2015. The line terminates in Connolly station in Dublin, which is in turn connected with the Wexford and Belfast lines.
However, the real benefit of the station will come with the construction of the planned rail interconnector between Heuston station and Pearse station in the city centre. This has the potential to allow Iarnród Eireann to deliver trains directly to Croke Park from locations such as Cork, Limerick, and Galway. The interconnector is scheduled for completion in 2015.
The main problem facing any plan for the new station is the logistical challenge of moving large numbers of fans on and off trains on match days. Croke Park has a maximum capacity of 82,500 people, and were a new station to prove viable it would have to be able to accommodate large numbers of matchgoers.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
It is anticipated that the GAA would make a significant contribution towards its development costs, given that the new station has the potential to deliver a large amount of fans to the stadium on match days.
Croke Park is situated adjacent to the Sligo railway line, which serves stations in Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon, Mullingar, Enfield, Kilcock, Maynooth and Leixlip. A spur on the line serving Dunboyne and Navan is planned for completion in 2015. The line terminates in Connolly station in Dublin, which is in turn connected with the Wexford and Belfast lines.
However, the real benefit of the station will come with the construction of the planned rail interconnector between Heuston station and Pearse station in the city centre. This has the potential to allow Iarnród Eireann to deliver trains directly to Croke Park from locations such as Cork, Limerick, and Galway. The interconnector is scheduled for completion in 2015.
The main problem facing any plan for the new station is the logistical challenge of moving large numbers of fans on and off trains on match days. Croke Park has a maximum capacity of 82,500 people, and were a new station to prove viable it would have to be able to accommodate large numbers of matchgoers.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Councillors put idea of new town to public
CORK COUNTY councillors have voted in favour of putting a proposal to the public to create a new town 12km (7.5 miles) northeast of Bandon which would in the long term provide for a community of 3,000 people.
Councillors put the Annaghmore proposal forward for public consultation in spite of Cork county manager Martin Riordan and county mayor Noel Harrington's misgivings.
Annaghmore is located on the N71 from Cork city to Bandon, Clonakilty and west Cork. The 200-hectare greenfield site is 17km (10.6 miles) southwest of Cork city.
The O'Flynn Construction proposal includes the building of 1,500 housing units, creating jobs for 460 local people in services, construction and enterprise. The developer says the settlement will include sport, leisure and recreational facilities, and provision will be made for schools, churches and other community services.
Mr Riordan said in his report to council members, however, that it was his belief that the new settlement proposed at Annaghmore was generally inconsistent with proper planning and the sustainable development of the county.
"Annaghmore will have an adverse impact on existing settlements and communities," Mr Riordan said.
The growth of the ring towns, particularly Kinsale and Bandon, would be significantly reduced below the levels proposed in the Cork Area Strategic Plan (Casp), and these towns would not realise their full economic and social potential.
"The proposal for Annaghmore will also have a strong negative impact on the future population and viability of the villages and rural areas that make up the Casp ring strategic planning area, particularly nearby villages like Halfway and Crossbarry," he added.
Mr Riordan said the proposal would not act as a "stepping stone" to assist the development of west Cork but would compete with the balanced development of existing towns in the county.
He also said one of the principal effects on west Cork would be increased congestion on the Cork to Bandon section of the N71.
However, supporters of the project say Annaghmore would assist in a new strategy to meet the projected housing needs of the Cork area.
Both the developers and the supporting councillors say Annaghmore could assist in the plan to develop nearby Clonakilty as a strategic employment centre to serve west Cork.
Joe Carroll (FF) told members of the chamber that he was in favour of the project on the basis of the possibility that it would initiate a new road network in the area.
Kevin O'Keeffe (FF) maintained it was important to at least give the public a chance to access the proposals before further decisions were made.
Residents of the surrounding areas who attended the council meeting yesterday had a range of concerns, one of which was the risk of flooding.
Annaghmore in the original Irish means "big bog" and the Ordnance Survey map for the area contains the inscription "liable to flood".
As there is no rail link to the area, opponents also feel the proposed development is likely to cause serious traffic congestion.
After two hours of debate on the matter, councillors voted 23-13 in favour of putting the proposal forward for public consultation.
The proposals will be made public in the coming weeks with a further vote likely to be held at Cork County Hall in October.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Councillors put the Annaghmore proposal forward for public consultation in spite of Cork county manager Martin Riordan and county mayor Noel Harrington's misgivings.
Annaghmore is located on the N71 from Cork city to Bandon, Clonakilty and west Cork. The 200-hectare greenfield site is 17km (10.6 miles) southwest of Cork city.
The O'Flynn Construction proposal includes the building of 1,500 housing units, creating jobs for 460 local people in services, construction and enterprise. The developer says the settlement will include sport, leisure and recreational facilities, and provision will be made for schools, churches and other community services.
Mr Riordan said in his report to council members, however, that it was his belief that the new settlement proposed at Annaghmore was generally inconsistent with proper planning and the sustainable development of the county.
"Annaghmore will have an adverse impact on existing settlements and communities," Mr Riordan said.
The growth of the ring towns, particularly Kinsale and Bandon, would be significantly reduced below the levels proposed in the Cork Area Strategic Plan (Casp), and these towns would not realise their full economic and social potential.
"The proposal for Annaghmore will also have a strong negative impact on the future population and viability of the villages and rural areas that make up the Casp ring strategic planning area, particularly nearby villages like Halfway and Crossbarry," he added.
Mr Riordan said the proposal would not act as a "stepping stone" to assist the development of west Cork but would compete with the balanced development of existing towns in the county.
He also said one of the principal effects on west Cork would be increased congestion on the Cork to Bandon section of the N71.
However, supporters of the project say Annaghmore would assist in a new strategy to meet the projected housing needs of the Cork area.
Both the developers and the supporting councillors say Annaghmore could assist in the plan to develop nearby Clonakilty as a strategic employment centre to serve west Cork.
Joe Carroll (FF) told members of the chamber that he was in favour of the project on the basis of the possibility that it would initiate a new road network in the area.
Kevin O'Keeffe (FF) maintained it was important to at least give the public a chance to access the proposals before further decisions were made.
Residents of the surrounding areas who attended the council meeting yesterday had a range of concerns, one of which was the risk of flooding.
Annaghmore in the original Irish means "big bog" and the Ordnance Survey map for the area contains the inscription "liable to flood".
As there is no rail link to the area, opponents also feel the proposed development is likely to cause serious traffic congestion.
After two hours of debate on the matter, councillors voted 23-13 in favour of putting the proposal forward for public consultation.
The proposals will be made public in the coming weeks with a further vote likely to be held at Cork County Hall in October.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dunne letter opposes site scheme for Ballsbridge
A MEMBER OF developer Seán Dunne's family has objected to plans for a housing scheme at the rear of his home on Shrewsbury Road in Ballsbridge - using some arguments similar to those made by appellants against plans for the Jurys-Berkeley Court hotel sites.
In a letter to Dublin City Council, planning consultant Feargall Kenny identifies his client as John Dunne of "Ouragh", Shrewsbury Road. Mr Dunne has a son called John, but it was unclear yesterday whether the objection was his own or his father's initiative.
The Dunne family was not available for comment.
Seán Dunne, who lives in "Ouragh" which he built on a site he bought in 1999 for €3.8 million, strongly opposed previous plans by O'Malley Homes and Developments Ltd to redevelop the former Chester Beatty Library site, which it purchased in 1998 for €9 million.
Along with fellow Shrewsbury Road resident Stephen MacKenzie, he appealed three times to An Bord Pleanála and also took High Court actions against the board over its decisions to grant permission.
Last December, the court dismissed their objections.
Due to the uncertainty caused by these lengthy judicial review proceedings, the developers halted demolition of buildings on the one-acre site in 2005, having already demolished the former library. At present, only the caretaker's lodge is still standing.
O'Malley's latest scheme for the partly wooded site, designed by architects McCrossan O'Rourke Manning, is for seven neo-Edwardian three-storey houses in two blocks, with railed front and rear gardens, a landscaped open space and basement car parking.
In his letter on Mr Dunne's behalf, Feargall Kenny says: "Our client and his family live adjacent to the proposed development and, accordingly, they have a particular interest in any proposals which may represent a threat to their established residential amenities."
Although the letter makes clear that Mr Dunne "does not object to the principle of the redevelopment of this site", he regards the latest scheme as "over-developed", saying it would "detract from the character and quality" of a designated residential conservation area.
"Our client considers that by reason of mass, scale and density the three-storey over basement terraced housing blocks would stand out in this conservation area characterised by detached and semi-detached single-family period residential homes."
He claims O'Malley is "pursuing a strategy to stealthily double the density of the site by submitting new planning applications (this is the seventh such application in eight years) in an effort to increase the permitted floor area from 1,564 sq metres . . . to 2,782 sq metres".
Manahan Planners, acting for the developers, say the latest scheme proposes seven houses in lieu of seven apartments in a three-storey flat-roofed block previously permitted, while the site coverage of 20 per cent is slightly less than under the earlier (2005) plan.
Mr Kenny's letter says Shrewsbury Road "is recognised as a unique Dublin example of Edwardian urban design and architecture. The area is an important element of Dublin's weave and is recognised as such by its designation as a residential conservation area".
Mr Dunne also takes exception to the applicants proposing to build closer to the rear of "Ouragh" than in a previously approved scheme.
The latest separation distance would be 28 metres (over 92 feet), which he sees as "further proof of creeping over-development".
Noting that there are a number of other "backland sites" in the area, Mr Kenny's letter warns: "If the current proposal is granted permission, it will set a precedent for further such developments with the eventual total destruction of the [Shrewsbury Road] conservation area."
Another complaint is that the number of parking spaces - two for each of the seven houses and 13 for visitors, all at basement level - is inadequate. Given the "high level of car ownership in the area", the letter says four spaces per house "may not be unreasonable".
Michael Maughan, chairman of Shrewsbury Road Residents Association, has also objected to the scheme on behalf of the association, saying it would be "seriously injurious" to the character of an area that "reflects an era of gracious living from a bygone age".
Mr Maughan, founder of PR group Wilson Hartnell, is - in a private capacity - among 86 appellants supporting Mr Dunne's scheme for the Jurys-Berkeley Court sites; he believes that the entire project, including its high-rise elements, would be a "positive step" for the Ballsbridge area.
Myles O'Malley, partner in O'Malley Homes, is one of the 40 appellants against Mr Dunne's scheme. His planning consultant, Tony Manahan, says the two proposed 10-storey office blocks would "seriously injure the amenities" of their adjoining building, Shelbourne House.
A separate appeal has been lodged by the O'Malley family - Frank, Myles and Jason O'Malley - arguing that the scheme amounts to "over-development" of the hotel sites and the proposed 18-storey block on Shelbourne Road would dominate their homes at Carlton Mews.
Most of the other appellants, including An Taisce and 14 residents' associations, complain that the height, scale and mass of Mr Dunne's development would have a detrimental impact on the character of Ballsbridge and adjoining residential conservation areas.
Planning history of the site:
Planning history
2000 - An Bord Pleanála refuses planning permission for a 13-unit apartment development on the former Chester Beatty Library site.
2001 - The appeals board grants permission for an apartment building on the site, but reduces the number of units from 10 to seven.
2003 - The board grants permission for a revised scheme, involving a specially designed seven-unit apartment block.
2005 - The board rejects fresh appeals by Seán Dunne and Stephen MacKenzie and approves a further revised scheme.
2005 - Demolition work on the site is halted by O'Malley Homes after Mr Dunne and Mr MacKenzie initiate judicial review proceedings.
2006 - O'Malley Homes gets a new permission, but this is also subject to a High Court action by Mr Dunne and Mr MacKenzie.
2006 - Both Dublin City Council and the appeals board refuse permission for a revised scheme increasing the height to four storeys.
2007 - The High Court rejects the judicial review case, confirming An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant approval for the 2005 scheme.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In a letter to Dublin City Council, planning consultant Feargall Kenny identifies his client as John Dunne of "Ouragh", Shrewsbury Road. Mr Dunne has a son called John, but it was unclear yesterday whether the objection was his own or his father's initiative.
The Dunne family was not available for comment.
Seán Dunne, who lives in "Ouragh" which he built on a site he bought in 1999 for €3.8 million, strongly opposed previous plans by O'Malley Homes and Developments Ltd to redevelop the former Chester Beatty Library site, which it purchased in 1998 for €9 million.
Along with fellow Shrewsbury Road resident Stephen MacKenzie, he appealed three times to An Bord Pleanála and also took High Court actions against the board over its decisions to grant permission.
Last December, the court dismissed their objections.
Due to the uncertainty caused by these lengthy judicial review proceedings, the developers halted demolition of buildings on the one-acre site in 2005, having already demolished the former library. At present, only the caretaker's lodge is still standing.
O'Malley's latest scheme for the partly wooded site, designed by architects McCrossan O'Rourke Manning, is for seven neo-Edwardian three-storey houses in two blocks, with railed front and rear gardens, a landscaped open space and basement car parking.
In his letter on Mr Dunne's behalf, Feargall Kenny says: "Our client and his family live adjacent to the proposed development and, accordingly, they have a particular interest in any proposals which may represent a threat to their established residential amenities."
Although the letter makes clear that Mr Dunne "does not object to the principle of the redevelopment of this site", he regards the latest scheme as "over-developed", saying it would "detract from the character and quality" of a designated residential conservation area.
"Our client considers that by reason of mass, scale and density the three-storey over basement terraced housing blocks would stand out in this conservation area characterised by detached and semi-detached single-family period residential homes."
He claims O'Malley is "pursuing a strategy to stealthily double the density of the site by submitting new planning applications (this is the seventh such application in eight years) in an effort to increase the permitted floor area from 1,564 sq metres . . . to 2,782 sq metres".
Manahan Planners, acting for the developers, say the latest scheme proposes seven houses in lieu of seven apartments in a three-storey flat-roofed block previously permitted, while the site coverage of 20 per cent is slightly less than under the earlier (2005) plan.
Mr Kenny's letter says Shrewsbury Road "is recognised as a unique Dublin example of Edwardian urban design and architecture. The area is an important element of Dublin's weave and is recognised as such by its designation as a residential conservation area".
Mr Dunne also takes exception to the applicants proposing to build closer to the rear of "Ouragh" than in a previously approved scheme.
The latest separation distance would be 28 metres (over 92 feet), which he sees as "further proof of creeping over-development".
Noting that there are a number of other "backland sites" in the area, Mr Kenny's letter warns: "If the current proposal is granted permission, it will set a precedent for further such developments with the eventual total destruction of the [Shrewsbury Road] conservation area."
Another complaint is that the number of parking spaces - two for each of the seven houses and 13 for visitors, all at basement level - is inadequate. Given the "high level of car ownership in the area", the letter says four spaces per house "may not be unreasonable".
Michael Maughan, chairman of Shrewsbury Road Residents Association, has also objected to the scheme on behalf of the association, saying it would be "seriously injurious" to the character of an area that "reflects an era of gracious living from a bygone age".
Mr Maughan, founder of PR group Wilson Hartnell, is - in a private capacity - among 86 appellants supporting Mr Dunne's scheme for the Jurys-Berkeley Court sites; he believes that the entire project, including its high-rise elements, would be a "positive step" for the Ballsbridge area.
Myles O'Malley, partner in O'Malley Homes, is one of the 40 appellants against Mr Dunne's scheme. His planning consultant, Tony Manahan, says the two proposed 10-storey office blocks would "seriously injure the amenities" of their adjoining building, Shelbourne House.
A separate appeal has been lodged by the O'Malley family - Frank, Myles and Jason O'Malley - arguing that the scheme amounts to "over-development" of the hotel sites and the proposed 18-storey block on Shelbourne Road would dominate their homes at Carlton Mews.
Most of the other appellants, including An Taisce and 14 residents' associations, complain that the height, scale and mass of Mr Dunne's development would have a detrimental impact on the character of Ballsbridge and adjoining residential conservation areas.
Planning history of the site:
Planning history
2000 - An Bord Pleanála refuses planning permission for a 13-unit apartment development on the former Chester Beatty Library site.
2001 - The appeals board grants permission for an apartment building on the site, but reduces the number of units from 10 to seven.
2003 - The board grants permission for a revised scheme, involving a specially designed seven-unit apartment block.
2005 - The board rejects fresh appeals by Seán Dunne and Stephen MacKenzie and approves a further revised scheme.
2005 - Demolition work on the site is halted by O'Malley Homes after Mr Dunne and Mr MacKenzie initiate judicial review proceedings.
2006 - O'Malley Homes gets a new permission, but this is also subject to a High Court action by Mr Dunne and Mr MacKenzie.
2006 - Both Dublin City Council and the appeals board refuse permission for a revised scheme increasing the height to four storeys.
2007 - The High Court rejects the judicial review case, confirming An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant approval for the 2005 scheme.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 8 August 2008
New powers on CPO for An Bord Pleanála
A NEW Harbours Bill will give State-owned port companies the power to invest outside their own harbours as part of a Government move to encourage the ports to boost their commercial activities.
The Bill, announced by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, facilitates the proposed building of a new deepwater port at Bremore in north Co Dublin by Drogheda Port Company.
Mr Dempsey said the Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 will allow the 10 State port companies to pursue a "robust commercial agenda" both in and outside the State and would boost the commercial mandate given to them in the Harbours Act, 1996.
Drogheda Port Company asked the Department of Transport for permission to alter its geographic limits to proceed with its proposal for a €300 million port at Bremore, which it is developing with a property firm ultimately owned by Treasury Holdings.
After taking advice from the Attorney General, the Government decided that an amendment to the 1996 Act was necessary.
The change to the rules will also facilitate plans by other State ports to expand in order to meet the State's future trade needs.
"Notwithstanding the current economic slowdown, the port authorities should continue to plan for growth in the medium and long term. This legislation is designed to help them do that," Mr Dempsey said.
The port companies will be given greater powers and flexibility to borrow money to add to their capacity under the Bill.
The ports will be permitted to borrow up to €200 million or 50 per cent of the value of their assets with the consent of the Minister for Transport, with the Minister having the power to vary this percentage depending on the needs and stability of the port.
Among the other changes in the bill is a proposal to cut the number of directors on a port company board from 12 to eight, with one local authority member appointed to the boards from among the Minister's statutory nominees.
Port companies will be obliged to follow Government guidelines in relation to the disposal as well as the acquisition of land. Under the Bill, An Bord Pleanála will in future deal with compulsory acquisition of land by port companies, not the Minister of Transport. The 10 State-owned port companies are in Dublin, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Dún Laoghaire, Shannon/Foynes, Galway, New Ross, Waterford and Wicklow.
Despite the recession, Irish exports are still growing, putting further pressure on the east coast ports in particular. Some 95 per cent of Irish manufacturing exports pass through sea ports, with €135 billion of merchandise handled in Irish ports last year.
Bremore Ireland Port last month invited tenders for legal services on development and financing a deepwater port, logistics centre and business park at Bremore. A full planning application for the port is expected to be put forward later this year.
A study on the future of Dublin Port is being prepared for the Government by Indecon consultants and is set to be finalised in 2009. A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the future of the Bremore project depended on the outcome of the Dublin Port study.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Bill, announced by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, facilitates the proposed building of a new deepwater port at Bremore in north Co Dublin by Drogheda Port Company.
Mr Dempsey said the Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 will allow the 10 State port companies to pursue a "robust commercial agenda" both in and outside the State and would boost the commercial mandate given to them in the Harbours Act, 1996.
Drogheda Port Company asked the Department of Transport for permission to alter its geographic limits to proceed with its proposal for a €300 million port at Bremore, which it is developing with a property firm ultimately owned by Treasury Holdings.
After taking advice from the Attorney General, the Government decided that an amendment to the 1996 Act was necessary.
The change to the rules will also facilitate plans by other State ports to expand in order to meet the State's future trade needs.
"Notwithstanding the current economic slowdown, the port authorities should continue to plan for growth in the medium and long term. This legislation is designed to help them do that," Mr Dempsey said.
The port companies will be given greater powers and flexibility to borrow money to add to their capacity under the Bill.
The ports will be permitted to borrow up to €200 million or 50 per cent of the value of their assets with the consent of the Minister for Transport, with the Minister having the power to vary this percentage depending on the needs and stability of the port.
Among the other changes in the bill is a proposal to cut the number of directors on a port company board from 12 to eight, with one local authority member appointed to the boards from among the Minister's statutory nominees.
Port companies will be obliged to follow Government guidelines in relation to the disposal as well as the acquisition of land. Under the Bill, An Bord Pleanála will in future deal with compulsory acquisition of land by port companies, not the Minister of Transport. The 10 State-owned port companies are in Dublin, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Dún Laoghaire, Shannon/Foynes, Galway, New Ross, Waterford and Wicklow.
Despite the recession, Irish exports are still growing, putting further pressure on the east coast ports in particular. Some 95 per cent of Irish manufacturing exports pass through sea ports, with €135 billion of merchandise handled in Irish ports last year.
Bremore Ireland Port last month invited tenders for legal services on development and financing a deepwater port, logistics centre and business park at Bremore. A full planning application for the port is expected to be put forward later this year.
A study on the future of Dublin Port is being prepared for the Government by Indecon consultants and is set to be finalised in 2009. A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the future of the Bremore project depended on the outcome of the Dublin Port study.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Claim rats pose threat to Blasket bird colony
THE possible arrival of rats on the Great Blasket Island could have “devastating consequences” for seabird colonies there, a BirdWatch Ireland expert warned.
The claim was reiterated yesterday at an oral planning hearing in Dingle into proposals for a cafe on the Blasket island.
It was suggested rats could get onto the island from larger boats coming from Dingle with construction materials and provisions.
BirdWatch Ireland senior conservation and policy officer Siobhan Egan said bringing more visitors onto the island, in the wake of development, posed a direct threat to birds’ nests.
There was a considerable risk of invasive species coming in with building materials, she warned. “The arrival of a single, pregnant brown rat on An Blascaod Mór [Great Blasket] would have devastating consequences for the Manx Shearwater colony,” she said.
Ms Egan said that seabirds on the Great Blasket were as valuable to many visitors as the island’s cultural significance.
The island, famous as a repository of the old Gaelic traditions and for its writers and storytellers, was evacuated in 1953. The island village is now in ruins and rapidly falling into decay.
Four people are appealing against a decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission to Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) for a cafe, toilets and supporting facilities on the island.
In its submission, BirdWatch said it had significant concerns about development on the Great Blasket without a proper assessment of the risks to the globally important bird populations being undertaken.
Ms Egan said failure to safeguard the birds risked breaches of EU legislation.
She described the Great Blasket as one of a cluster of eight islands, in south-west Kerry, that formed a world important “supercolony” for Manx shearwaters and storm petrels.
The Great Blasket itself was a stronghold for the nocturnal Manx Shearwater and, with about 3,500 of them, had one of the largest colonies in the country.
Other species included puffins, chough, kittiwake and fulmar.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The claim was reiterated yesterday at an oral planning hearing in Dingle into proposals for a cafe on the Blasket island.
It was suggested rats could get onto the island from larger boats coming from Dingle with construction materials and provisions.
BirdWatch Ireland senior conservation and policy officer Siobhan Egan said bringing more visitors onto the island, in the wake of development, posed a direct threat to birds’ nests.
There was a considerable risk of invasive species coming in with building materials, she warned. “The arrival of a single, pregnant brown rat on An Blascaod Mór [Great Blasket] would have devastating consequences for the Manx Shearwater colony,” she said.
Ms Egan said that seabirds on the Great Blasket were as valuable to many visitors as the island’s cultural significance.
The island, famous as a repository of the old Gaelic traditions and for its writers and storytellers, was evacuated in 1953. The island village is now in ruins and rapidly falling into decay.
Four people are appealing against a decision by Kerry County Council to grant planning permission to Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) for a cafe, toilets and supporting facilities on the island.
In its submission, BirdWatch said it had significant concerns about development on the Great Blasket without a proper assessment of the risks to the globally important bird populations being undertaken.
Ms Egan said failure to safeguard the birds risked breaches of EU legislation.
She described the Great Blasket as one of a cluster of eight islands, in south-west Kerry, that formed a world important “supercolony” for Manx shearwaters and storm petrels.
The Great Blasket itself was a stronghold for the nocturnal Manx Shearwater and, with about 3,500 of them, had one of the largest colonies in the country.
Other species included puffins, chough, kittiwake and fulmar.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Hearing on co-location of Cork hospital welcomed
THE DECISION by An Bord Pleanála to hold an oral hearing into a proposed €242 million co-located private hospital on the grounds of Cork University Hospital (CUH) has been welcomed by public representatives opposed to the plan.
Green Party Senator Dan Boyle, Green Party councillor Chris O'Leary and his Socialist Party colleague Mick Barry all welcomed the decision to hold a hearing into the plan by the Beacon Medical Group (BMG) to build a 185-bed private hospital on the CUH campus. All three public representatives had, along with residents groups in Wilton and Bishopstown, lodged appeals against the decision by Cork City Council in March 2008 to grant planning permission to the BMG.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin was also opposed to the plan and said it was "unsustainable" because of traffic and congestion.
Mr Boyle said the issue needs to be examined in sufficient detail before a final decision is made and he expressed reservations about the impact on traffic and parking in the Wilton area.
"There is no reason why a co-location hospital has to be on the same campus as an existing public hospital. This can be seen in Limerick where the co-location hospital is five minutes away from Limerick Regional Hospital," he said.
"Cork University Hospital is already over developed, with considerable existing difficulties in terms of parking and traffic in the Wilton area. There needs to be an alternative proposal for a co-location hospital if it is to go ahead."
Mr O'Leary also welcomed the move and said a decision on planning could not be made without hearing arguments by both residents and representatives.
Mr Barry said he will be preparing "a detailed and cogent case" against the development and he strongly condemned the entire Government policy on co-location and privatisation in the health service.
However, BMG spokeswoman Pauline Cullen said the company fully accepted planning procedures, but expressed disappointment at the decision by An Bord Pleanála while stressing that the company remains fully committed to the project.
Although no date has been fixed by An Bord Pleanála for the hearing, Ms Cullen said BMG remained confident that the board would remain on course to reach a decision on the project by its declared decision date of November 25th.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Green Party Senator Dan Boyle, Green Party councillor Chris O'Leary and his Socialist Party colleague Mick Barry all welcomed the decision to hold a hearing into the plan by the Beacon Medical Group (BMG) to build a 185-bed private hospital on the CUH campus. All three public representatives had, along with residents groups in Wilton and Bishopstown, lodged appeals against the decision by Cork City Council in March 2008 to grant planning permission to the BMG.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin was also opposed to the plan and said it was "unsustainable" because of traffic and congestion.
Mr Boyle said the issue needs to be examined in sufficient detail before a final decision is made and he expressed reservations about the impact on traffic and parking in the Wilton area.
"There is no reason why a co-location hospital has to be on the same campus as an existing public hospital. This can be seen in Limerick where the co-location hospital is five minutes away from Limerick Regional Hospital," he said.
"Cork University Hospital is already over developed, with considerable existing difficulties in terms of parking and traffic in the Wilton area. There needs to be an alternative proposal for a co-location hospital if it is to go ahead."
Mr O'Leary also welcomed the move and said a decision on planning could not be made without hearing arguments by both residents and representatives.
Mr Barry said he will be preparing "a detailed and cogent case" against the development and he strongly condemned the entire Government policy on co-location and privatisation in the health service.
However, BMG spokeswoman Pauline Cullen said the company fully accepted planning procedures, but expressed disappointment at the decision by An Bord Pleanála while stressing that the company remains fully committed to the project.
Although no date has been fixed by An Bord Pleanála for the hearing, Ms Cullen said BMG remained confident that the board would remain on course to reach a decision on the project by its declared decision date of November 25th.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Foxrock to get 114 new homes
Developer gets go-ahead to build luxury homes on Brighton Road - and offers to build social and affordable housing elsewhere
FOXROCK is to get another development of luxury homes following a decision by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to grant permission for 33 houses and 81 apartments on Brighton Road.
Joe O'Reilly's Castlethorn Construction has been granted permission to build the scheme on a 12.3-acre site backing onto Leopardstown Racecourse. The developer has offered to build an affordable housing scheme on another site in Foxrock in part fulfilment of its social housing obligations.
The developer had originally proposed to build 49 large detached houses, but revised this to a mix of houses and apartments.
The proposed scheme hit the headlines last year when it emerged that the developer was offering to build 63 social and affordable homes at another development in Belarmine, Stepaside, in fulfilment of its obligations under Under Part V of the Planning and Development Act.
Under this regulation, developers are obliged to provide 20 per cent of any development for social and affordable housing. Developers can, however, negotiation cash or land in lieu of this obligation.
The offer prompted criticism from residents in Belarmine who objected to Castlethorn's bid to move its social housing obligation off site.
In a detailed proposal submitted to the council in June, Castlethorn has now offered to make 30 affordable apartments available at Belarmine and build a further 10 to 12 units on a different site in Foxrock in fulfilment of its social and affordable obligation.
If the construction of these social units is not possible prior to the completion or occupation of the Brighton Road scheme, Castlethorn has promised to make units at Brighton Road available.
This, according to the developer, would involve a substantially greater number of Part V units in Stepaside and Foxrock than could be achieved for the same cost on site at Brighton Road.
The developer also argued that the provision of Part V units on the Brighton Road site would "reinforce social segregation rather than counteract it, particularly if the Part V units are not developed to the same standard in terms of built form, finishes and landscaping detail".
A spokesperson for the council confirmed that the proposals have been agreed to in principle by the council, subject to finalised negotiations which will take into account land values, unit cost and suitability of the second site in Foxrock.
• Meanwhile, another developer, Urban Two Ltd Partnership, has lodged planning permission for another residential scheme in Foxrock.
The developer is looking to demolish Springfield House and and 4 Springfield Park to make way for 19 apartments in four blocks. Last January the developer was refused permission for a slightly larger scheme on the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
FOXROCK is to get another development of luxury homes following a decision by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to grant permission for 33 houses and 81 apartments on Brighton Road.
Joe O'Reilly's Castlethorn Construction has been granted permission to build the scheme on a 12.3-acre site backing onto Leopardstown Racecourse. The developer has offered to build an affordable housing scheme on another site in Foxrock in part fulfilment of its social housing obligations.
The developer had originally proposed to build 49 large detached houses, but revised this to a mix of houses and apartments.
The proposed scheme hit the headlines last year when it emerged that the developer was offering to build 63 social and affordable homes at another development in Belarmine, Stepaside, in fulfilment of its obligations under Under Part V of the Planning and Development Act.
Under this regulation, developers are obliged to provide 20 per cent of any development for social and affordable housing. Developers can, however, negotiation cash or land in lieu of this obligation.
The offer prompted criticism from residents in Belarmine who objected to Castlethorn's bid to move its social housing obligation off site.
In a detailed proposal submitted to the council in June, Castlethorn has now offered to make 30 affordable apartments available at Belarmine and build a further 10 to 12 units on a different site in Foxrock in fulfilment of its social and affordable obligation.
If the construction of these social units is not possible prior to the completion or occupation of the Brighton Road scheme, Castlethorn has promised to make units at Brighton Road available.
This, according to the developer, would involve a substantially greater number of Part V units in Stepaside and Foxrock than could be achieved for the same cost on site at Brighton Road.
The developer also argued that the provision of Part V units on the Brighton Road site would "reinforce social segregation rather than counteract it, particularly if the Part V units are not developed to the same standard in terms of built form, finishes and landscaping detail".
A spokesperson for the council confirmed that the proposals have been agreed to in principle by the council, subject to finalised negotiations which will take into account land values, unit cost and suitability of the second site in Foxrock.
• Meanwhile, another developer, Urban Two Ltd Partnership, has lodged planning permission for another residential scheme in Foxrock.
The developer is looking to demolish Springfield House and and 4 Springfield Park to make way for 19 apartments in four blocks. Last January the developer was refused permission for a slightly larger scheme on the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Objections lodged to protected areas for hen harriers
ALMOST 85 per cent of objections lodged nationally against special designation areas for the protected bird the hen harrier have been lodged in the midwest, new figures released by the Department of the Environment show.
According to the department, the two areas where 83 per cent of the objections have been lodged relate to the Slieve Aughty mountains in east Clare and the Stacks to Mullaghareik mountains in west Co Limerick, north Co Kerry and north Co Cork.
The department has stated that across the country 804 submissions have been made in relation to Special Protection Area (SPA) designation have been received in relation to six areas, with 744 being declared valid. In total, the Minister for the Environment John Gormley announced last year that 169,000 hectares of land are to be designated SPAs for the protection of the hen harrier, which is one of Ireland's and Europe's rarest birds of prey.
The designation affects 5,500 farmers and landowners in six sites in counties Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Laois, Offaly, Monaghan, Tipperary, Galway and Clare. The department confirmed that in relation to plans to designate an SPA in the Slieve Aughty mountains in northeast Clare, it has received a total of 283 objections and 340 objections in relation to the west Co Limerick site.
The department states three-quarters of the submissions relate to requests to have land removed from the SPA and the remainder request land to be included. The largest SPA is the Slieve Aughty mountains and involves the designation of 61,000 hectares where the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) believe that 24 pairs of hen harrier are present or 17 per cent of the 130 to 150 overall population.
Earlier this year, the director of the NPWS, Oonagh Buckley tried to allay landowners' fears in SPA areas by stating that the designation would not affect plans for one-off housing. She said she had been directed by Mr Gormley to advise Clare County Council that where the hen harrier was the sole conservation interest in the SPA, the designation should not be cited as grounds for refusing permission for development of rural houses within the special area.
Clare councillor Pat Hayes said he hoped the department would stand over the commitment as his concern was the effect the designation would have on the construction of one-off homes.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
According to the department, the two areas where 83 per cent of the objections have been lodged relate to the Slieve Aughty mountains in east Clare and the Stacks to Mullaghareik mountains in west Co Limerick, north Co Kerry and north Co Cork.
The department has stated that across the country 804 submissions have been made in relation to Special Protection Area (SPA) designation have been received in relation to six areas, with 744 being declared valid. In total, the Minister for the Environment John Gormley announced last year that 169,000 hectares of land are to be designated SPAs for the protection of the hen harrier, which is one of Ireland's and Europe's rarest birds of prey.
The designation affects 5,500 farmers and landowners in six sites in counties Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Laois, Offaly, Monaghan, Tipperary, Galway and Clare. The department confirmed that in relation to plans to designate an SPA in the Slieve Aughty mountains in northeast Clare, it has received a total of 283 objections and 340 objections in relation to the west Co Limerick site.
The department states three-quarters of the submissions relate to requests to have land removed from the SPA and the remainder request land to be included. The largest SPA is the Slieve Aughty mountains and involves the designation of 61,000 hectares where the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) believe that 24 pairs of hen harrier are present or 17 per cent of the 130 to 150 overall population.
Earlier this year, the director of the NPWS, Oonagh Buckley tried to allay landowners' fears in SPA areas by stating that the designation would not affect plans for one-off housing. She said she had been directed by Mr Gormley to advise Clare County Council that where the hen harrier was the sole conservation interest in the SPA, the designation should not be cited as grounds for refusing permission for development of rural houses within the special area.
Clare councillor Pat Hayes said he hoped the department would stand over the commitment as his concern was the effect the designation would have on the construction of one-off homes.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Metro North light rail plan will go ahead, insists minister
THE massive €3.7bn Metro North project in Dublin will go ahead as planned, the Government has confirmed.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan met with the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) late last week and instructed the agency responsible for delivering the light-rail system to inform bidders that it would go ahead.
The move is designed so the four bidding parties seeking to build and operate the system submit the best possible price for delivering the light rail project, which will run from St Stephen's Green to north of Swords.
It comes after the Government has repeatedly refused to state if it will be shelved as a result of falling tax revenues and the economic downturn.
Last night the Department of Finance confirmed that the meeting between Mr Lenihan, the RPA's chairman Tom Mulcahy and chief executive Frank Allen took place last Thursday, but it refused to comment on what was discussed.
The RPA also refused to comment.
But informed sources have told the Irish Independent that the Government wanted to send out the message that the project, estimated to cost €3.7bn, would go ahead so the four bidders would submit the best price.
Message
"The meeting was to send a message to reassure the four consortia that the Government want a strong bid and for it (Metro North) to go ahead," one said.
"If we keep the four consortia interested, we get the best price. But as was always the case, it has to come back to the Cabinet for final sign-off. It was always envisaged that this would be the case."
Last week it emerged that a decision on whether Metro North would be approved will not be made until early next year.
Until the final cost of building the 17km line is known, the Cabinet will not approve funding.
In September the RPA, which has already spent €33m planning the project, will seek planning permission to build the line and the successful bidder which will design, build and operate the system, is not expected to be announced until November, after which it will negotiate with the RPA over a final price.
This process could run into early 2009.
Any delay to the project could have serious knock-on effects. The Ballymun Regeneration Scheme, expansion of Dublin Airport, development of a new town of 100,000 people in Swords and retail outlets, like Ikea, are all relying on the train route, and if it is put on the long finger it could send a signal that Ireland is not investing in infrastructure.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan met with the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) late last week and instructed the agency responsible for delivering the light-rail system to inform bidders that it would go ahead.
The move is designed so the four bidding parties seeking to build and operate the system submit the best possible price for delivering the light rail project, which will run from St Stephen's Green to north of Swords.
It comes after the Government has repeatedly refused to state if it will be shelved as a result of falling tax revenues and the economic downturn.
Last night the Department of Finance confirmed that the meeting between Mr Lenihan, the RPA's chairman Tom Mulcahy and chief executive Frank Allen took place last Thursday, but it refused to comment on what was discussed.
The RPA also refused to comment.
But informed sources have told the Irish Independent that the Government wanted to send out the message that the project, estimated to cost €3.7bn, would go ahead so the four bidders would submit the best price.
Message
"The meeting was to send a message to reassure the four consortia that the Government want a strong bid and for it (Metro North) to go ahead," one said.
"If we keep the four consortia interested, we get the best price. But as was always the case, it has to come back to the Cabinet for final sign-off. It was always envisaged that this would be the case."
Last week it emerged that a decision on whether Metro North would be approved will not be made until early next year.
Until the final cost of building the 17km line is known, the Cabinet will not approve funding.
In September the RPA, which has already spent €33m planning the project, will seek planning permission to build the line and the successful bidder which will design, build and operate the system, is not expected to be announced until November, after which it will negotiate with the RPA over a final price.
This process could run into early 2009.
Any delay to the project could have serious knock-on effects. The Ballymun Regeneration Scheme, expansion of Dublin Airport, development of a new town of 100,000 people in Swords and retail outlets, like Ikea, are all relying on the train route, and if it is put on the long finger it could send a signal that Ireland is not investing in infrastructure.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
State says Blasket deal best it can get
THE STATE had been trying to purchase the Great Blasket Island so it could manage it properly as a historic park for "years and years and years" and though not perfect, the current position was "the best deal" it could get, an oral hearing was told yesterday.
Under this agreement the OPW would purchase most of the holdings from the company that owns most of the island. The contract with the company An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) was not completed because it was subject to the outcome of the Bord Pleanála hearing, commissioner with the Office of Public Works David Byers said.
The island was "entirely privately owned" and there was no guarantee that the applicant, An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owned most of it, would sell the majority of its stake to the State even if planning permission for the services building was granted, Mr Byers said.
Ruairí Somers, the planning inspector in charge of the oral hearing, was forced to intervene a number of times yesterday. He asked contributors to steer clear of "personalised" remarks during heated exchanges on the second day of the hearing into the development of a cafe, wildlife ranger and services building on the historic island off the Kerry coast.
John O'Sullivan, barrister for BMT, accused appellants of making remarks bordering on slander, and in one of the exchanges Peter Callery, director of BMT, accused appellant and island weaver Sue Redican of telling a barefaced lie.
In turn Ms Redican accused BMT of employing "bullying tactics" throughout the process.
BMT in its submission said the cafe proposal was a considerable improvement on its first application, refused by An Bord Pleanála in 2005.The building was located in a way that would be least intrusive. Some 95 per cent of its other property on the island would be sold to the State subject to the granting of planning permission for the services building, Mr O'Sullivan said.
He added that BMT had no intention of seeking to carry out further development. "It [ the building proposal] contains nothing contrary to the published conclusions of the Blasket Forum and the area plan, debated worldwide. The only persons to object are four individuals who clearly from their own evidence have vested interests in delaying or preventing the development."
Kerry County Council senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy strongly rejected an allegation by appellant and ferry operator Michael Shearan of "collusion" between the council and BMT, after it emerged that the island had been reduced from an area of prime special amenity to a secondary amenity in the council's plans to facilitate the development of a cafe and other facilities in 2003.
Mr Sheehy said in the Blasket Island Forum report of 2002 that there was agreement on the need for a cafe and toilets. The widely based forum had involved 63 parties and bodies including island descendants in the USA.
Gabriel Gleeson of the OPW said the site chosen for development was suitable and the original scale of the development had been reduced considerably to take its concerns into account.
The hearing continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Under this agreement the OPW would purchase most of the holdings from the company that owns most of the island. The contract with the company An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT) was not completed because it was subject to the outcome of the Bord Pleanála hearing, commissioner with the Office of Public Works David Byers said.
The island was "entirely privately owned" and there was no guarantee that the applicant, An Blascaod Mór Teo, which owned most of it, would sell the majority of its stake to the State even if planning permission for the services building was granted, Mr Byers said.
Ruairí Somers, the planning inspector in charge of the oral hearing, was forced to intervene a number of times yesterday. He asked contributors to steer clear of "personalised" remarks during heated exchanges on the second day of the hearing into the development of a cafe, wildlife ranger and services building on the historic island off the Kerry coast.
John O'Sullivan, barrister for BMT, accused appellants of making remarks bordering on slander, and in one of the exchanges Peter Callery, director of BMT, accused appellant and island weaver Sue Redican of telling a barefaced lie.
In turn Ms Redican accused BMT of employing "bullying tactics" throughout the process.
BMT in its submission said the cafe proposal was a considerable improvement on its first application, refused by An Bord Pleanála in 2005.The building was located in a way that would be least intrusive. Some 95 per cent of its other property on the island would be sold to the State subject to the granting of planning permission for the services building, Mr O'Sullivan said.
He added that BMT had no intention of seeking to carry out further development. "It [ the building proposal] contains nothing contrary to the published conclusions of the Blasket Forum and the area plan, debated worldwide. The only persons to object are four individuals who clearly from their own evidence have vested interests in delaying or preventing the development."
Kerry County Council senior planning engineer Tom Sheehy strongly rejected an allegation by appellant and ferry operator Michael Shearan of "collusion" between the council and BMT, after it emerged that the island had been reduced from an area of prime special amenity to a secondary amenity in the council's plans to facilitate the development of a cafe and other facilities in 2003.
Mr Sheehy said in the Blasket Island Forum report of 2002 that there was agreement on the need for a cafe and toilets. The widely based forum had involved 63 parties and bodies including island descendants in the USA.
Gabriel Gleeson of the OPW said the site chosen for development was suitable and the original scale of the development had been reduced considerably to take its concerns into account.
The hearing continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Fishermen vote to accept Shell offer
NORTH MAYO fishermen have voted to drop their demand for Shell EP Ireland to relocate a discharge pipe for the Corrib gas refinery.
Some 30 members of the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association (EIFA) have been offered compensation for dropping their opposition during the laying of the offshore pipeline this season.
The fishermen have been given less than 48 hours by Shell EP Ireland to accept the offer. The deadline is noon today.
The deal will clear the way for the Solitaire, described as the world's largest deepwater pipelaying ship, to begin work on the offshore section.
This is expected to begin within a week, in advance of An Bord Pleanála's approval for the modified onshore pipeline route.
"This is the best deal we could get after seven years. We were between a rock and a hard place," EIFA chairman Eddie Diver said.
"We were never against the gas project, but against the methods being used, which would harm the marine environment."
A legal agreement drawn up by Shell would be studied by the association's legal advisers, he added.
However, the owner of a shellfish company, Pat O'Donnell, one of a minority group against the deal, has questioned the authority of a private company to put pressure on him to leave publicly owned, licensed fishing grounds.
"I believe the health of the marine environment for future generations is more important than short-term compensation," Mr O'Donnell said.
EIFA members, who have been in negotiation with Shell since late June, have been told that the Corrib gas partners won't discharge "treated produced water" from unrefined gas through the outfall pipe 12km (7 miles) offshore.
Shell says this is a "goodwill gesture".
The outfall pipe will still discharge contaminated water and local drainage from the area at the refinery, the association has been told.
EIFA unsuccessfully opposed an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions licence for the discharge pipe, due to fears about the long-term impact.
The association subsequently appealed to four Government departments for assistance but received no response.
It was then invited to negotiate by Shell in late June as the company was anxious to proceed with plans for the offshore project.
EIFA proposed an alternative location for the discharge pipe 19km (12 miles) west of Eagle Island in Co Mayo, but this has now been dropped.
The compensation offered by Shell amounts to €15,000 for registered and licensed vessel owners who do "not normally fish in the prescribed pipeline corridor", and up to €30,000 for owners who can demonstrate that they have fished regularly on the route.
Shell, in its letter to fishermen, said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and "international experts" had "confirmed that the treated produced water will cause no harm to the marine environment".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Some 30 members of the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association (EIFA) have been offered compensation for dropping their opposition during the laying of the offshore pipeline this season.
The fishermen have been given less than 48 hours by Shell EP Ireland to accept the offer. The deadline is noon today.
The deal will clear the way for the Solitaire, described as the world's largest deepwater pipelaying ship, to begin work on the offshore section.
This is expected to begin within a week, in advance of An Bord Pleanála's approval for the modified onshore pipeline route.
"This is the best deal we could get after seven years. We were between a rock and a hard place," EIFA chairman Eddie Diver said.
"We were never against the gas project, but against the methods being used, which would harm the marine environment."
A legal agreement drawn up by Shell would be studied by the association's legal advisers, he added.
However, the owner of a shellfish company, Pat O'Donnell, one of a minority group against the deal, has questioned the authority of a private company to put pressure on him to leave publicly owned, licensed fishing grounds.
"I believe the health of the marine environment for future generations is more important than short-term compensation," Mr O'Donnell said.
EIFA members, who have been in negotiation with Shell since late June, have been told that the Corrib gas partners won't discharge "treated produced water" from unrefined gas through the outfall pipe 12km (7 miles) offshore.
Shell says this is a "goodwill gesture".
The outfall pipe will still discharge contaminated water and local drainage from the area at the refinery, the association has been told.
EIFA unsuccessfully opposed an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions licence for the discharge pipe, due to fears about the long-term impact.
The association subsequently appealed to four Government departments for assistance but received no response.
It was then invited to negotiate by Shell in late June as the company was anxious to proceed with plans for the offshore project.
EIFA proposed an alternative location for the discharge pipe 19km (12 miles) west of Eagle Island in Co Mayo, but this has now been dropped.
The compensation offered by Shell amounts to €15,000 for registered and licensed vessel owners who do "not normally fish in the prescribed pipeline corridor", and up to €30,000 for owners who can demonstrate that they have fished regularly on the route.
Shell, in its letter to fishermen, said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and "international experts" had "confirmed that the treated produced water will cause no harm to the marine environment".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Longer runway the key issue for Sligo Airport
WITH its runway jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, the approach to Sligo Airport is one of the most picturesque (and for nervous types, most hair-raising) locations of any Irish airport.
Alas, scenery is not a significant attribute for ensuring the continuing viability of the state’s smallest airport, which is located 8km outside Sligo town in Strandhill.
Regularly identified as the most vulnerable of all Ireland’s regional airports, Sligo’s airport manager Joe Corcoran and his staff could be forgiven for adopting a fatalistic attitude in the face of such negativity.
“There is no immediate threat,” laughs Corcoran, who remains quietly upbeat about Sligo’s commercial future, although he readily acknowledges the harsh reality of the current economic situation and its potential impact on smaller regional airports.
Despite its lowly status, accounting for a little more than 0.1% of all air passengers here last year, Sligo Airport grew its passenger traffic by almost 30% in 2007, albeit from an admittedly low base.
A total of 44,500 passengers used Sligo last year. To place such a figure in perspective, this annual figure is about 20,000 fewer than the average number of people passing through Dublin Airport each day.
Just two regular services operate from the airport with Aer Arann flying to Dublin twice daily and Manchester four times a week.
However, it remains more dependent than any other regional airport on the subsidised PSO service with over 83% of its traffic coming from the Dublin route. On a more positive note, PSO passengers account for just 55% of the airport’s income.
Of more concern is the fact that Sligo’s relative proximity to the capital through improved road and rail services will almost certainly see Government funding for the route decline sharply in 2011 due to new rules governing routes that provide alternative bus and train connections within a three-hour journey time.
But the airport’s most pressing concern is the proposed extension of the runway to provide safety areas at both ends as Sligo has been warned by the Irish Aviation Authority that it does not meet current international safety standards.
The problem caused by the lack of safety areas was highlighted in 2003 when a Fokker aircraft carrying passengers including the band, Aslan, overshot the runway with its nose ending up tilted into the ocean.
Although it has not been given a deadline by the IAA to rectify this, Sligo knows that its future is in no small part contingent on extending the runway by almost 260 metres at its eastern end into Dorrins Strand in Sligo Bay in conjunction with improvements to navigational aids.
However, the plan has been met by some strong local opposition led by the Dorrins and Cummeen Strand Conservation Group, which claims the extension will cause environmental damage to a safe habitat for wintering Brent geese, wipe out the local shellfish industry and impede the access of local residents to nearby Coney Island.
A total of 72 objections have been made to Sligo County Council against the planning application for the runway extension.
While Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey, recently announced large-scale cutbacks to the funding of capital projects for regional airports, it appears unlikely the €8.5m earmarked for Sligo is under serious threat as its requirement is for vital safety work.
A connection with one of the London airports would be a huge attraction. However, Corcoran admits that the current problems with the runway and navigational aids makes it difficult for Sligo to attract new services.
“We are facing huge challenges. No airline is untouched by the current climate,” he adds, pointing out that traffic is down 4% so far this year.
However, he remains hugely proud of Sligo’s record to date and is a passionate champion of the airport’s significance for the north-west. He also takes care to mention Sligo is the location for an Irish coastguard helicopter that provides a rescue service covering a vast area from Malin Head to south of Clew Bay.
“The airport plays a crucial role in the prosperity of the region,” says Corcoran.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Alas, scenery is not a significant attribute for ensuring the continuing viability of the state’s smallest airport, which is located 8km outside Sligo town in Strandhill.
Regularly identified as the most vulnerable of all Ireland’s regional airports, Sligo’s airport manager Joe Corcoran and his staff could be forgiven for adopting a fatalistic attitude in the face of such negativity.
“There is no immediate threat,” laughs Corcoran, who remains quietly upbeat about Sligo’s commercial future, although he readily acknowledges the harsh reality of the current economic situation and its potential impact on smaller regional airports.
Despite its lowly status, accounting for a little more than 0.1% of all air passengers here last year, Sligo Airport grew its passenger traffic by almost 30% in 2007, albeit from an admittedly low base.
A total of 44,500 passengers used Sligo last year. To place such a figure in perspective, this annual figure is about 20,000 fewer than the average number of people passing through Dublin Airport each day.
Just two regular services operate from the airport with Aer Arann flying to Dublin twice daily and Manchester four times a week.
However, it remains more dependent than any other regional airport on the subsidised PSO service with over 83% of its traffic coming from the Dublin route. On a more positive note, PSO passengers account for just 55% of the airport’s income.
Of more concern is the fact that Sligo’s relative proximity to the capital through improved road and rail services will almost certainly see Government funding for the route decline sharply in 2011 due to new rules governing routes that provide alternative bus and train connections within a three-hour journey time.
But the airport’s most pressing concern is the proposed extension of the runway to provide safety areas at both ends as Sligo has been warned by the Irish Aviation Authority that it does not meet current international safety standards.
The problem caused by the lack of safety areas was highlighted in 2003 when a Fokker aircraft carrying passengers including the band, Aslan, overshot the runway with its nose ending up tilted into the ocean.
Although it has not been given a deadline by the IAA to rectify this, Sligo knows that its future is in no small part contingent on extending the runway by almost 260 metres at its eastern end into Dorrins Strand in Sligo Bay in conjunction with improvements to navigational aids.
However, the plan has been met by some strong local opposition led by the Dorrins and Cummeen Strand Conservation Group, which claims the extension will cause environmental damage to a safe habitat for wintering Brent geese, wipe out the local shellfish industry and impede the access of local residents to nearby Coney Island.
A total of 72 objections have been made to Sligo County Council against the planning application for the runway extension.
While Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey, recently announced large-scale cutbacks to the funding of capital projects for regional airports, it appears unlikely the €8.5m earmarked for Sligo is under serious threat as its requirement is for vital safety work.
A connection with one of the London airports would be a huge attraction. However, Corcoran admits that the current problems with the runway and navigational aids makes it difficult for Sligo to attract new services.
“We are facing huge challenges. No airline is untouched by the current climate,” he adds, pointing out that traffic is down 4% so far this year.
However, he remains hugely proud of Sligo’s record to date and is a passionate champion of the airport’s significance for the north-west. He also takes care to mention Sligo is the location for an Irish coastguard helicopter that provides a rescue service covering a vast area from Malin Head to south of Clew Bay.
“The airport plays a crucial role in the prosperity of the region,” says Corcoran.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Developers shelve original plans for Florentine Centre
The Florentine Centre will not proceed as originally planned, a senior representative for Ballymore Properties has confirmed.After a 13-year wait a new proposal that includes only one retail unit and that doesn't include apartments or development of at least a third of the site has been submitted to Bray Town Council.
The Florentine Centre will not proceed as originally planned, a senior representative for Ballymore Properties has confirmed.
After a 13-year wait a new proposal that includes only one retail unit and that doesn't include apartments or development of at least a third of the site has been submitted to Bray Town Council.
Speaking to the Bray People, Mr. Paul Keogh, Corporate Affairs Director at Ballymore said that a constructive but realistic meeting' was held on Monday between Ballymore representatives and members of the Town Council.
He confirmed that a proposal to develop one-third of the site from the main entrance inwards, to leave the middle section undeveloped until a later date, and the last one-third of the area to be developed as a carpark, was outlined at the meeting.
While local councillors believe from the proposal that only one retail unit will be put into the Florentine Centre, Ballymore have said that there will be room for more units.
The new proposal that was given on Monday is dead in the water,' said Cllr John Brady, I'm not surprised by this. After 13 years we have waited for one retail unit, that's hardly a good return for blood sweat and tears. This is nothing short of a disgrace.
The four Labour Party Councillors have also expressed their disappointment at the proposal.
Cllrs. Anne Ferris, John McManus, John Byrne and Anne Egan said, The developer's record is appalling and we believe there is a clear duty on them to reinstate the site immediately for car parking and to ensure that the Main Street frontage is developed and an eyesore removed from the heart of Bray.'
Ballymore Properties have been requested to submit further drawings to Bray Town Council for their new proposal. Once we submit the drawings, this could be finished in a matter of months,' added Mr. Keogh, hopefully.
Bray People
www.buckplanning.ie
The Florentine Centre will not proceed as originally planned, a senior representative for Ballymore Properties has confirmed.
After a 13-year wait a new proposal that includes only one retail unit and that doesn't include apartments or development of at least a third of the site has been submitted to Bray Town Council.
Speaking to the Bray People, Mr. Paul Keogh, Corporate Affairs Director at Ballymore said that a constructive but realistic meeting' was held on Monday between Ballymore representatives and members of the Town Council.
He confirmed that a proposal to develop one-third of the site from the main entrance inwards, to leave the middle section undeveloped until a later date, and the last one-third of the area to be developed as a carpark, was outlined at the meeting.
While local councillors believe from the proposal that only one retail unit will be put into the Florentine Centre, Ballymore have said that there will be room for more units.
The new proposal that was given on Monday is dead in the water,' said Cllr John Brady, I'm not surprised by this. After 13 years we have waited for one retail unit, that's hardly a good return for blood sweat and tears. This is nothing short of a disgrace.
The four Labour Party Councillors have also expressed their disappointment at the proposal.
Cllrs. Anne Ferris, John McManus, John Byrne and Anne Egan said, The developer's record is appalling and we believe there is a clear duty on them to reinstate the site immediately for car parking and to ensure that the Main Street frontage is developed and an eyesore removed from the heart of Bray.'
Ballymore Properties have been requested to submit further drawings to Bray Town Council for their new proposal. Once we submit the drawings, this could be finished in a matter of months,' added Mr. Keogh, hopefully.
Bray People
www.buckplanning.ie
€2bn funds for Pizarro plan
A massive €2 billion in funding is in place for a retail, residential and commercial development in Bray.Bray Town Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have granted permission for the Pizarro Development that will include a shopping centre with 100 retail units and four anchor stores, a cinema, a hotel and apartments. A spokesperson from Pizarro developments has co
A massive €2 billion in funding is in place for a retail, residential and commercial development in Bray.
Bray Town Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have granted permission for the Pizarro Development that will include a shopping centre with 100 retail units and four anchor stores, a cinema, a hotel and apartments. A spokesperson from Pizarro developments has confirmed that they hope to begin building work on the first phase in spring of next year.
Local Fine Gael Councillor John Ryan has welcomed the development.
I believe that this decision in crucial for the future of Bray in light of Ballymore Properties signalling a decision to put off the development of the Florentine Centre development in the town centre,' said Cllr Ryan.
Bray People
www.buckplanning.ie
A massive €2 billion in funding is in place for a retail, residential and commercial development in Bray.
Bray Town Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have granted permission for the Pizarro Development that will include a shopping centre with 100 retail units and four anchor stores, a cinema, a hotel and apartments. A spokesperson from Pizarro developments has confirmed that they hope to begin building work on the first phase in spring of next year.
Local Fine Gael Councillor John Ryan has welcomed the development.
I believe that this decision in crucial for the future of Bray in light of Ballymore Properties signalling a decision to put off the development of the Florentine Centre development in the town centre,' said Cllr Ryan.
Bray People
www.buckplanning.ie
Island traditions threatened as cafe culture row brews
THE true essence of the Great Blasket Island risks being lost forever if a cafe and services development goes ahead, a Bord Pleanala hearing was told yesterday.
The sale of most of the 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependant on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mor Teo (BMT), the company which owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could stand to gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four people appealing against the BMT plans for the new greenfield construction on the island, which was abandoned in the 1950s.
Ms Redican said: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said construction on the Blasket Island required "more than a normal health and safety plan".
Accidents
She had personally witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island.
The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction, Ms Redican said.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is incapable of handling the proposed traffic," she said.
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island", she said.
Old houses, including Peig Sayers' house, could be used, she suggested.
Ms Redican also said BMT were "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and were negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island" under the State's buyout plans.
She claimed "agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany but living in the Dingle Peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building which would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by Kerry County Council stipulated that any new development on the island should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The new development measured 296 sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seater cafe. It was two to three times larger than any other building on the island.
Ms Wilkens also raised the question of brown rats getting onto the island on boats from Dingle with building materials.
There were no rats on the Blasket and they could wipe out the entire Manx Shearwater bird population, a protected species, she added.
Anna Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The sale of most of the 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependant on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mor Teo (BMT), the company which owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could stand to gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four people appealing against the BMT plans for the new greenfield construction on the island, which was abandoned in the 1950s.
Ms Redican said: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said construction on the Blasket Island required "more than a normal health and safety plan".
Accidents
She had personally witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island.
The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction, Ms Redican said.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is incapable of handling the proposed traffic," she said.
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island", she said.
Old houses, including Peig Sayers' house, could be used, she suggested.
Ms Redican also said BMT were "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and were negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island" under the State's buyout plans.
She claimed "agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany but living in the Dingle Peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building which would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by Kerry County Council stipulated that any new development on the island should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The new development measured 296 sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seater cafe. It was two to three times larger than any other building on the island.
Ms Wilkens also raised the question of brown rats getting onto the island on boats from Dingle with building materials.
There were no rats on the Blasket and they could wipe out the entire Manx Shearwater bird population, a protected species, she added.
Anna Lucey
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Essence of Great Blasket island risks being lost, hearing told
THE TRUE essence of the Great Blasket island risked being lost forever if inappropriate development was allowed, a packed An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in Dingle was told yesterday.
The sale of most of the approximately 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependent on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT), the company that owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four appellants against BMT plans for the new greenfield construction.
She told the opening of the hearing: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said island construction required "more than a normal health and safety plan". She had witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island and in one case the operator was injured. The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village, and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is totally incapable of handling the proposed traffic."
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island". Old houses including Peig Sayers' house could be used, Ms Redican said.
BMT was "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and was negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island", under the State's buyout plans. These exclusive demands was leading to division in the community and to those who had come together to form a management plan. "Agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany, but living on the Dingle peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building that would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by the county council stipulated that any new development should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The development measured 296sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seat cafe. It would be out of scale and there was nothing basic about having so many toilets on an uninhabited off-shore island.
The hearing, chaired by An Bord Pleanála inspector Ruairi Somers, continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The sale of most of the approximately 1,100-acre writers' island and nature reserve two miles off the coast of Kerry to the State is dependent on the development of a cafe and services building, including a wildlife rangers facility, toilets and tractor storage room, by An Blascaod Mór Teo (BMT), the company that owns most of the island.
Under buyout plans hammered out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the State with landowners after protracted negotiations a year ago, BMT would retain ownership of the services building and could gain ferry operating rights out of Dingle.
Kerry County Council granted permission to the company for the building last year, but the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Sue Redican, who has worked as a weaver on the island for the past 20 years and lives there each summer, is one of four appellants against BMT plans for the new greenfield construction.
She told the opening of the hearing: "There is only one opportunity to protect, conserve and develop the Great Blasket Island and if we get it wrong, the true essence of the island will be lost forever."
Ms Redican said island construction required "more than a normal health and safety plan". She had witnessed accidents with tractors overturning and going out of control while working on the island and in one case the operator was injured. The new building would be on the opposite side of the existing village, and the old green pathways could not but be damaged, while there would be undue noise and other interference during construction.
"The terrain from the pier to the construction site is sloped and at times steep and narrow, and is totally incapable of handling the proposed traffic."
There was a need for a cafe, public toilets and limited accommodation but any proposed development should be undertaken in "a sensitive, authentic manner, utilising existing structures so as not to significantly alter the integral fabric of the island". Old houses including Peig Sayers' house could be used, Ms Redican said.
BMT was "being facilitated in creating a monopoly and was negotiating sole commercial rights for a cafe and hostel and a ferry service from Dingle to the island", under the State's buyout plans. These exclusive demands was leading to division in the community and to those who had come together to form a management plan. "Agendas of common interest" were involved and "that political pressure was being exerted to ensure a favourable outcome for BMT".
Britta Wilkens, originally from Germany, but living on the Dingle peninsula for more than 20 years and a regular visitor to the island, said she had objections to a modern "out of scale" building that would be three times greater than any existing construction.
The Blasket Island area plan drawn up by the county council stipulated that any new development should be kept to a minimum and "only minimal visitor facilities would be permitted", Ms Wilkens said.
The development measured 296sq meters, would have 15 toilets with septic tanks facilities and a 50-seat cafe. It would be out of scale and there was nothing basic about having so many toilets on an uninhabited off-shore island.
The hearing, chaired by An Bord Pleanála inspector Ruairi Somers, continues.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Commerical units approved for Arklow
Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and pri
Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.
An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and private access.
Conditional permission has now been granted.
Demolition work of the exisiting structures on the site must commence before any building work can progress.
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.
An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and private access.
Conditional permission has now been granted.
Demolition work of the exisiting structures on the site must commence before any building work can progress.
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
Shell in pipeline talks with fishing group
SHELL E&P Ireland has confirmed that "confidential" discussions are taking place with local Mayo fishermen on the company's plans to start laying the offshore pipeline for the Corrib gas project.
One of the world's largest deepwater pipelaying vessels, Solitaire , has been loading pipe sections on board in Killybegs, Co Donegal, where the material has been in storage for several years.
Work is due to start shortly, depending on weather, although An Bord Pleanála has not yet approved the modified onshore route. The company has also been preparing the landfall at Glengad, using a private security firm.
The dialogue between Shell and the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association focuses on two areas: the discharge pipe from the refinery and its outfall diffuser, and working arrangements for the fishermen during this summer's offshore pipelaying.
"No agreement can be finalised until the twin issues have been resolved," Shell said yesterday
Shell says that the discharge pipe's diffuser has been licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The fishermen's association, which opposed the company's application at an EPA hearing, maintains that the discharge, 12km from shore, will cause pollution in Broadhaven Bay and inshore waters.
At Shell's invitation, it has suggested an alternative location for the discharge pipe 20km west of Eagle Island.
Shell would not comment on criticism of the offshore pipelaying plans by the leader of the federation of Norwegian energy trade unions, Terje Nustad of Safe.
In an article on the union's website Mr Nustad said that Shell's deployment of "the world's largest pipeline vessel" was a "provocation".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
One of the world's largest deepwater pipelaying vessels, Solitaire , has been loading pipe sections on board in Killybegs, Co Donegal, where the material has been in storage for several years.
Work is due to start shortly, depending on weather, although An Bord Pleanála has not yet approved the modified onshore route. The company has also been preparing the landfall at Glengad, using a private security firm.
The dialogue between Shell and the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association focuses on two areas: the discharge pipe from the refinery and its outfall diffuser, and working arrangements for the fishermen during this summer's offshore pipelaying.
"No agreement can be finalised until the twin issues have been resolved," Shell said yesterday
Shell says that the discharge pipe's diffuser has been licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The fishermen's association, which opposed the company's application at an EPA hearing, maintains that the discharge, 12km from shore, will cause pollution in Broadhaven Bay and inshore waters.
At Shell's invitation, it has suggested an alternative location for the discharge pipe 20km west of Eagle Island.
Shell would not comment on criticism of the offshore pipelaying plans by the leader of the federation of Norwegian energy trade unions, Terje Nustad of Safe.
In an article on the union's website Mr Nustad said that Shell's deployment of "the world's largest pipeline vessel" was a "provocation".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dempsey blasts sewage objectors
An Arklow Town Councillor has said that objectors to the proposed sewage treatment plant which has been at the centre of a saga for over 10 years should be blamed if the water supply scheme also does not go ahead.With the EU grant schemes changed since the funding was initially secured for both of the projects, Cllr. Peter Dempsey commented that if it had been done years ago, w
An Arklow Town Councillor has said that objectors to the proposed sewage treatment plant which has been at the centre of a saga for over 10 years should be blamed if the water supply scheme also does not go ahead.
With the EU grant schemes changed since the funding was initially secured for both of the projects, Cllr. Peter Dempsey commented that if it had been done years ago, when it was first planned, then there would be no issue regarding the funding today.
Due to these same objectors we now find that at least 33 per cent of the cost of the plant will have to be funded by the Town Council with the rest of the money coming from the Government.
Had the scheme gone ahead in the early nineties Europe would have funded 85 per cent with 15 per cent coming from the Government,' he pointed out.
Deborah Coleman
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
An Arklow Town Councillor has said that objectors to the proposed sewage treatment plant which has been at the centre of a saga for over 10 years should be blamed if the water supply scheme also does not go ahead.
With the EU grant schemes changed since the funding was initially secured for both of the projects, Cllr. Peter Dempsey commented that if it had been done years ago, when it was first planned, then there would be no issue regarding the funding today.
Due to these same objectors we now find that at least 33 per cent of the cost of the plant will have to be funded by the Town Council with the rest of the money coming from the Government.
Had the scheme gone ahead in the early nineties Europe would have funded 85 per cent with 15 per cent coming from the Government,' he pointed out.
Deborah Coleman
Wicklow People
www.buckplanning.ie
Docklands body extends deadline for viewing plan
DUBLIN DOCKLANDS Development Authority is extending the period for submissions and observations on its draft master plan for further development of the area.
The plan and the associated environmental report have been available for examination since June but the authority has decided to extend the period of display - due to end tomorrow - until September 8th. The deadline for submissions has been extended by 11 days until September 23rd.
The €4.5 billion plan, which runs from 2008 to 2013, includes proposals for up to eight 20-storey towers along Dublin's seafront as part of a policy of allowing higher-density residential areas. It also proposes the extension of the Luas line not only from Connolly station to the Point but also to the Poolbeg peninsula.
Other major projects in the plan already under construction include a new bridge across the Liffey and the Grand Canal Theatre, due for completion in 2010.
The plan includes a greater emphasis on family-friendly living, with developers having to provide facilities that benefit the community as well as ensuring adequate play spaces for children.
Many of the infrastructural projects are part of the National Development Plan, which the Government is committed to maintaining.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The plan and the associated environmental report have been available for examination since June but the authority has decided to extend the period of display - due to end tomorrow - until September 8th. The deadline for submissions has been extended by 11 days until September 23rd.
The €4.5 billion plan, which runs from 2008 to 2013, includes proposals for up to eight 20-storey towers along Dublin's seafront as part of a policy of allowing higher-density residential areas. It also proposes the extension of the Luas line not only from Connolly station to the Point but also to the Poolbeg peninsula.
Other major projects in the plan already under construction include a new bridge across the Liffey and the Grand Canal Theatre, due for completion in 2010.
The plan includes a greater emphasis on family-friendly living, with developers having to provide facilities that benefit the community as well as ensuring adequate play spaces for children.
Many of the infrastructural projects are part of the National Development Plan, which the Government is committed to maintaining.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Options for €1bn motorway back on display
ROUTE options for a €1 billion motorway linking Cork to Limerick will go on display again next week due to public demand.
The closing date for submissions on the M20 road project will now be accepted up to Friday, August 15.
The move follows the enormous interest shown in the vast road project after the route corridor options went on public display in Blarney, Mallow, Charleville and Croom in recent weeks.
Six route options are under consideration for the 90km motorway which will run from a junction on the planned northern ring road around Cork city, near Killeens, travelling north through a vast swathe of land to a point east of Adare at Patrickswell.
Cork and Limerick County Councils, in consultation with the National Roads Authority, will hold an extra public consultation at the Charleville Park Hotel next Wednesday, from 12.30pm to 8pm.
A spokesperson said the consultation is designed to ensure that the public are kept fully informed about the sheer scale and extent of the route corridor options being considered. It also gives people the chance to raise questions, concerns and comments for future consideration, she said.
The route corridor options are also on display at the NRA’s design office in the Mallow Business Park which is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 9.15am and 5.15pm.
The preferred route should be selected and go on public display by October, before detailed designs get underway.
The final route will be designed to motorway standard with a design speed of 120km per hour.
Subject to funding and statutory approval, work could start on the first phase of the project in late 2010 or early 2011.
It has not been decided yet whether the road will be tolled and it is also unlikely that the entire road will be built in one phase.
The M20 motorway is part of the Atlantic Corridor road upgrade, which will link Letterkenny to Waterford via Sligo, Tuam, Ennis, Limerick, Mallow and Cork — planned under Transport 21.
Affected areas will include Banogue, Croagh, Athlacca, Garryfine and Rockhill.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The closing date for submissions on the M20 road project will now be accepted up to Friday, August 15.
The move follows the enormous interest shown in the vast road project after the route corridor options went on public display in Blarney, Mallow, Charleville and Croom in recent weeks.
Six route options are under consideration for the 90km motorway which will run from a junction on the planned northern ring road around Cork city, near Killeens, travelling north through a vast swathe of land to a point east of Adare at Patrickswell.
Cork and Limerick County Councils, in consultation with the National Roads Authority, will hold an extra public consultation at the Charleville Park Hotel next Wednesday, from 12.30pm to 8pm.
A spokesperson said the consultation is designed to ensure that the public are kept fully informed about the sheer scale and extent of the route corridor options being considered. It also gives people the chance to raise questions, concerns and comments for future consideration, she said.
The route corridor options are also on display at the NRA’s design office in the Mallow Business Park which is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 9.15am and 5.15pm.
The preferred route should be selected and go on public display by October, before detailed designs get underway.
The final route will be designed to motorway standard with a design speed of 120km per hour.
Subject to funding and statutory approval, work could start on the first phase of the project in late 2010 or early 2011.
It has not been decided yet whether the road will be tolled and it is also unlikely that the entire road will be built in one phase.
The M20 motorway is part of the Atlantic Corridor road upgrade, which will link Letterkenny to Waterford via Sligo, Tuam, Ennis, Limerick, Mallow and Cork — planned under Transport 21.
Affected areas will include Banogue, Croagh, Athlacca, Garryfine and Rockhill.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Wave of waste incinerators in pipeline throughout country
A HOST of waste incinerators is planned for regional centres throughout the country -- despite a warning from the Environment Minister that there will be substantial over-capacity in the sector.
Waste operators will be asked to submit plans to build the first household waste incinerator outside the Greater Dublin Area in September.
Despite opposition from Environment Minister John Gormley to incineration, five local authorities in the south-east will ask companies to submit expressions of interest.
The councils are looking at building a plant with a capacity to treat 170,000 tonnes of household waste in the region.
And local authorities have identified a need to build another four facilities across the country with a combined capacity to treat 750,000 tonnes of waste.
Mr Gormley wants to change government policy, but one local authority source said: "The waste that can't be recycled has to go somewhere. We have to work in the here and now."
Two plants are already approved for Leinster -- one in Dublin with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes and a second in Co Meath with a capacity of 200,000.
If the four other projects are approved, they will add 750,000 tonnes of capacity -- enough to process over 1.5 million tonnes of waste each year.
The move comes despite Mr Gormley ordering a comprehensive review of waste policy to find alternatives.
Composting
The minister has previously said that with recycling, waste minimisation, composting and other treatment methods, there would be a "very substantial over-capacity" for incineration.
He predicted that by 2016, 400,000 tonnes of waste would require thermal treatment.
But industry sources say that until the alternatives are identified and approved, local authorities have to make plans to dispose of household waste through other means apart from landfill, or Ireland will face hefty fines from the EU.
The EU Landfill Directive requires that just under one million tonnes of waste can be sent to landfill by 2010.
In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, 1.4 million tonnes was dumped.
If current trends continue, Ireland will be fined if it fails to meet the target.
"All the regions are in a difficulty since John Gormley came into office," one local authority source said yesterday. "Current government policy is waste to energy, and thermal treatment is okay as long as you generate heat and power from it.
"John Gormley is trying to change government policy and initiating a review. In the meantime, he has told regional authorities not to get into contracts until the review is complete.
"There's very few new landfills being opened, and the waste that can't be recycled has to go somewhere.
"We can't work on the basis that government policy might change. We have to work in the here and now, and that is that thermal treatment is government policy."
Proposals for an incinerator in the south-east will be made by local authorities in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford city and county, and Wexford.
Other plants are proposed in Connacht to deal with 175,000 tonnes a year; a second plant for the south-east to treat 170,000 tonnes; another to serve Limerick, Clare and Kerry for 200,000 tonnes; and the last in the Midlands for 150,000 tonnes.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Waste operators will be asked to submit plans to build the first household waste incinerator outside the Greater Dublin Area in September.
Despite opposition from Environment Minister John Gormley to incineration, five local authorities in the south-east will ask companies to submit expressions of interest.
The councils are looking at building a plant with a capacity to treat 170,000 tonnes of household waste in the region.
And local authorities have identified a need to build another four facilities across the country with a combined capacity to treat 750,000 tonnes of waste.
Mr Gormley wants to change government policy, but one local authority source said: "The waste that can't be recycled has to go somewhere. We have to work in the here and now."
Two plants are already approved for Leinster -- one in Dublin with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes and a second in Co Meath with a capacity of 200,000.
If the four other projects are approved, they will add 750,000 tonnes of capacity -- enough to process over 1.5 million tonnes of waste each year.
The move comes despite Mr Gormley ordering a comprehensive review of waste policy to find alternatives.
Composting
The minister has previously said that with recycling, waste minimisation, composting and other treatment methods, there would be a "very substantial over-capacity" for incineration.
He predicted that by 2016, 400,000 tonnes of waste would require thermal treatment.
But industry sources say that until the alternatives are identified and approved, local authorities have to make plans to dispose of household waste through other means apart from landfill, or Ireland will face hefty fines from the EU.
The EU Landfill Directive requires that just under one million tonnes of waste can be sent to landfill by 2010.
In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, 1.4 million tonnes was dumped.
If current trends continue, Ireland will be fined if it fails to meet the target.
"All the regions are in a difficulty since John Gormley came into office," one local authority source said yesterday. "Current government policy is waste to energy, and thermal treatment is okay as long as you generate heat and power from it.
"John Gormley is trying to change government policy and initiating a review. In the meantime, he has told regional authorities not to get into contracts until the review is complete.
"There's very few new landfills being opened, and the waste that can't be recycled has to go somewhere.
"We can't work on the basis that government policy might change. We have to work in the here and now, and that is that thermal treatment is government policy."
Proposals for an incinerator in the south-east will be made by local authorities in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford city and county, and Wexford.
Other plants are proposed in Connacht to deal with 175,000 tonnes a year; a second plant for the south-east to treat 170,000 tonnes; another to serve Limerick, Clare and Kerry for 200,000 tonnes; and the last in the Midlands for 150,000 tonnes.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Pipelaying leviathan heads for hostile waters
A massive pipelaying vessel twice the length of Croke Park will steam this week into the choppy waters of the Corrib gas dispute.
Protestors are promising the Solitaire -- the largest pipelaying vessel in the world -- a hostile reception when it arrives from Killybegs, Co Donegal.
Already there have been skirmishes at Glengad where Shell has employed a "small army" of private security men, backed up by gardai, to protect the landfall area.
At 360m, the Dutch-owned Solitaire can lay between four and seven kilometres of pipeline a day and normally carries a crew of around 400.
Master of the vessel Simon Van Der Plicht said pipelaying would begin in Broadhaven Bay by the second week in August.
Protestors claim Shell is attempting to construct the first 200m of the 9.2km onshore section of the pipeline before An Bord Pleanala makes its decision on the onshore section.
Shell's External Affairs Manager John Egan said 22 vessels will be involved in the Corrib project, adding: "You could describe it as the Corrib armada."
Meanwhile, a fence erected to protect Shell E&P Ireland's onshore work at Glengad Beach in Mayo is being rebuilt because it is in danger of collapsing.
The instability of the fencing has nothing to do with protesters at the site -- it is caused by tides sweeping in and shifting the sands underneath. The fencing is necessary to keep out intruders, Shell claims.
Tom Shiel and Colin Bartley
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Protestors are promising the Solitaire -- the largest pipelaying vessel in the world -- a hostile reception when it arrives from Killybegs, Co Donegal.
Already there have been skirmishes at Glengad where Shell has employed a "small army" of private security men, backed up by gardai, to protect the landfall area.
At 360m, the Dutch-owned Solitaire can lay between four and seven kilometres of pipeline a day and normally carries a crew of around 400.
Master of the vessel Simon Van Der Plicht said pipelaying would begin in Broadhaven Bay by the second week in August.
Protestors claim Shell is attempting to construct the first 200m of the 9.2km onshore section of the pipeline before An Bord Pleanala makes its decision on the onshore section.
Shell's External Affairs Manager John Egan said 22 vessels will be involved in the Corrib project, adding: "You could describe it as the Corrib armada."
Meanwhile, a fence erected to protect Shell E&P Ireland's onshore work at Glengad Beach in Mayo is being rebuilt because it is in danger of collapsing.
The instability of the fencing has nothing to do with protesters at the site -- it is caused by tides sweeping in and shifting the sands underneath. The fencing is necessary to keep out intruders, Shell claims.
Tom Shiel and Colin Bartley
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie