THEY were home to generations of teenage boys and girls when they first came up from the country -- but now the humble bedsit is about to be banned by the nanny state.
From young girls with their first civil service job, to teenage lads fresh into the world of college, they were the first taste of freedom for many. A venue for all-night parties, the bedsit was a unique rite of passage long before the gap year or the posh apartments of Dublin 4.
But now Environment Minister John Gormley is planning to introduce new laws to ban the traditional bedsit, as part of a series of measures which his department believes will improve standards of living for people in the rented accommodation sector.
The new bill will spell the end for the conventional bedsit -- meaning residents from neighbouring bedsits will no longer be allowed to share a communal bathroom.
The four-year run-in programme, to be introduced on February 1, 2009, will also require landlords to improve heat, lighting and fire safety.
But Stephen Faughnan, chairman of the Irish Property Owner's Association (IPOA), says the new legislation will only affect those most in need of affordable accommodation.
"Bedsits are normally positioned in city centres, where they are convenient to the shops for people who have no car and who are usually on the lower income level who want a comfortable, affordable place to live," he said.
"If there are 9,000 of these units housing some 15,000 people, then surely there is a market for them?"
Mr Faughnan described Mr Gormley as living in "Cloud Cuckoo Land" and pointed out the inconsistencies in his proposed legislation.
"Does this mean that when we go into hospital that we get a separate bathroom? Does it also mean some of the people who currently live in these bedsits will get a separate bathroom in their hostel accommodation or on the side of the street when they become homeless, as many of them will?"
Anthony Murtagh, from Rathmines in Dublin, has lived in both self-contained and non self-contained bedsits for the past 11 years.
He says he is "appalled" at the proposed legislation.
"I've never had any difficulties when it comes to sharing a bathroom. I've had to share a communal kitchen in the past, where there might have been a small issue over people taking their neighbour's bread or biscuits, but then the person would leave a small note and write their name on the pack and everything would be sorted," he said.
"I've shared bathrooms with neighbours too and I have never had a problem there. People understood which toothbrush was theirs and there was always a mutual respect there to leave the place clean and tidy. I would get to know the time of morning my neighbours would need to wash and then I'd use the bathroom in the evening when it was quiet."
"If this law is passed it will be absolutely ridiculous. Rathmines is 'bedsit land', as is Phibsborough. Where does the Minister expect everyone to live when these places are being renovated?"
NIAMH HORAN
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 30 November 2008
‘No need’ for second incinerator in Dublin
Dublin City Council has said there is ‘‘no need’’ for a further waste incinerator in the capital.
This is despite claims at an oral hearing into plans for an incinerator that the Dublin waste management strategy ‘‘does not preclude a second incinerator’’. The hearing, under An Bord Pleanala’s fast-track strategic infrastructure process, is examining plans by Energy Answers International to build a €200 million incinerator, energy recovery and concrete block making facility near Rathcoole, Co Dublin.
Helen O’Keeffe told the hearing last week that, while the Dublin waste management strategy referred to a plant at Poolbeg, ‘‘there is no statement that there is to be only one’’. She said that ‘‘a significant number of developments are not specified’’ in the county plan, but that these had still gone ahead.
However, a spokeswoman for Dublin City Council - one of the four authorities which drew up the county’s waste management strategy - told The Sunday Business Post that ‘‘there is no need for a further incinerator in Dublin’’.
Meanwhile, Indaver Ireland, which has started site development on a €130 million incinerator in Meath, has applied for planning permission to build two incinerators at Ringaskiddy in Cork. Original planning permission for a hazardous waste incinerator in the area expires in January, so the company submitted a new application to An Bord Pleanala last Friday for both hazardous and non-hazardous facilities, in the same location.
Indaver Ireland commercial director Jackie Keaney said she ‘‘hoped’’ the new application would not result in another legal battle with Ringaskiddy residents.
‘‘If we get permission to build, we may just go ahead and not wait for a judicial review of court challenges because Ireland has to divert 1.3 million tonnes, of a total two million that goes to landfill, by 2013,” she said.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
This is despite claims at an oral hearing into plans for an incinerator that the Dublin waste management strategy ‘‘does not preclude a second incinerator’’. The hearing, under An Bord Pleanala’s fast-track strategic infrastructure process, is examining plans by Energy Answers International to build a €200 million incinerator, energy recovery and concrete block making facility near Rathcoole, Co Dublin.
Helen O’Keeffe told the hearing last week that, while the Dublin waste management strategy referred to a plant at Poolbeg, ‘‘there is no statement that there is to be only one’’. She said that ‘‘a significant number of developments are not specified’’ in the county plan, but that these had still gone ahead.
However, a spokeswoman for Dublin City Council - one of the four authorities which drew up the county’s waste management strategy - told The Sunday Business Post that ‘‘there is no need for a further incinerator in Dublin’’.
Meanwhile, Indaver Ireland, which has started site development on a €130 million incinerator in Meath, has applied for planning permission to build two incinerators at Ringaskiddy in Cork. Original planning permission for a hazardous waste incinerator in the area expires in January, so the company submitted a new application to An Bord Pleanala last Friday for both hazardous and non-hazardous facilities, in the same location.
Indaver Ireland commercial director Jackie Keaney said she ‘‘hoped’’ the new application would not result in another legal battle with Ringaskiddy residents.
‘‘If we get permission to build, we may just go ahead and not wait for a judicial review of court challenges because Ireland has to divert 1.3 million tonnes, of a total two million that goes to landfill, by 2013,” she said.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Waste conference told of tension and uncertainty
Lack of regulation and structured legislation on waste management is continuing to fuel tensions between public and private waste collectors and is making it more difficult to secure finance for waste infrastructure, ac cording to speakers at an annual waste summit in Croke Park last week.
In a discussion between the public and private sector on the future of waste management in Ireland, Waterford county manager Ray O’Dwyer said that, if the private operators want control of the waste sector, they must deal ‘‘with the PSO(public service obligation) side, civic amenities, litter, clean-ups and the waiver scheme.”
Fighting with each other is not a constructive way to find a solution to the current problems; we also need clarity of policy and legislation and I hope that, in five years’ time, we have a suite of waste treatments that are bankable, affordable and sustainable,” O’Dwyer said.
There was also much debate about the merits of incineration versus mechanical biological treatment (MBT). MBT involves sorting and streaming waste and is advocated by environment minister John Gormley. Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) representatives said that ‘‘all elements of all the different technologies have a part to play’’.
Alison Fanagan of A&L Goodbody’s said the fact the international review of waste management in Ireland would not be complete until July 2009,was also proving problematic.
‘‘There have been around five different policy documents in the last ten years, and now another is due that could totally change the current direction of management - so it is very difficult for those in the area to commit to certain infrastructures, or raise the finance to invest in them,” she said.
‘‘It is hard to convince banks to lend money, when for example MBT is not in the existing policy but it is favoured by minister Gormley.”
The sixth National Waste Summit was organised by The Sunday Business Post and iQuest.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
In a discussion between the public and private sector on the future of waste management in Ireland, Waterford county manager Ray O’Dwyer said that, if the private operators want control of the waste sector, they must deal ‘‘with the PSO(public service obligation) side, civic amenities, litter, clean-ups and the waiver scheme.”
Fighting with each other is not a constructive way to find a solution to the current problems; we also need clarity of policy and legislation and I hope that, in five years’ time, we have a suite of waste treatments that are bankable, affordable and sustainable,” O’Dwyer said.
There was also much debate about the merits of incineration versus mechanical biological treatment (MBT). MBT involves sorting and streaming waste and is advocated by environment minister John Gormley. Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) representatives said that ‘‘all elements of all the different technologies have a part to play’’.
Alison Fanagan of A&L Goodbody’s said the fact the international review of waste management in Ireland would not be complete until July 2009,was also proving problematic.
‘‘There have been around five different policy documents in the last ten years, and now another is due that could totally change the current direction of management - so it is very difficult for those in the area to commit to certain infrastructures, or raise the finance to invest in them,” she said.
‘‘It is hard to convince banks to lend money, when for example MBT is not in the existing policy but it is favoured by minister Gormley.”
The sixth National Waste Summit was organised by The Sunday Business Post and iQuest.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
€350m plan for two power stations in County Offaly
AN engineering consortium is to build two power stations in Co Offaly in a €350m plan backed by the taoiseach's younger brother, Barry Cowen.
Lumcloon Energy plans to start construction work on the stations, which will be located on the site of the former ESB power station at Ferbane, Co Offaly, next year. It is understood that global engineering giants including Alstom, General Electric, Mitsubishi and Mitsui have already expressed an interest in building and financing the stations. The two gas-fired plants will produce a combined total of 350 megawatts of power. One of the plants will be a 'peaking' station designed to cover wind power shortfalls.
The companies behind Lumcloon, R&R Mechanical and Terotech International, are engineering concerns that have previously worked on projects such as Huntstown power station in Dublin and Tynagh power station in Galway.
According to Nigel Reams, managing director of Tullamore-based R&R Mechanical, his company decided to build its own power stations to showcase its R&D work. He said, however, that the operation of both facilities would be outsourced.
Unlike other current power plant developers, Lumcloon has no intention of supplying electricity to customers. It will sell its output to other suppliers through the all-island Single Electricity Market.
Reams said Lumcloon hoped to start construction work on the project next year and that it should be completed in 2011, subject to regulatory hurdles.
"We have permission for the 100 megawatt peaking plant already but we have yet to secure permission for the larger 250 megawatt plant," he said. "We also have to complete discussions with Eirgrid about securing a connection."
It is expected, however, that Lumcloon should encounter little difficulty in securing planning permission for the second plant as Offaly County Council has signalled its approval in principle to the proposal, which will provide at least 500 jobs during construction.
According to Lumcloon, Barry Cowen has played a key role in securing all-party support for the project.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Lumcloon Energy plans to start construction work on the stations, which will be located on the site of the former ESB power station at Ferbane, Co Offaly, next year. It is understood that global engineering giants including Alstom, General Electric, Mitsubishi and Mitsui have already expressed an interest in building and financing the stations. The two gas-fired plants will produce a combined total of 350 megawatts of power. One of the plants will be a 'peaking' station designed to cover wind power shortfalls.
The companies behind Lumcloon, R&R Mechanical and Terotech International, are engineering concerns that have previously worked on projects such as Huntstown power station in Dublin and Tynagh power station in Galway.
According to Nigel Reams, managing director of Tullamore-based R&R Mechanical, his company decided to build its own power stations to showcase its R&D work. He said, however, that the operation of both facilities would be outsourced.
Unlike other current power plant developers, Lumcloon has no intention of supplying electricity to customers. It will sell its output to other suppliers through the all-island Single Electricity Market.
Reams said Lumcloon hoped to start construction work on the project next year and that it should be completed in 2011, subject to regulatory hurdles.
"We have permission for the 100 megawatt peaking plant already but we have yet to secure permission for the larger 250 megawatt plant," he said. "We also have to complete discussions with Eirgrid about securing a connection."
It is expected, however, that Lumcloon should encounter little difficulty in securing planning permission for the second plant as Offaly County Council has signalled its approval in principle to the proposal, which will provide at least 500 jobs during construction.
According to Lumcloon, Barry Cowen has played a key role in securing all-party support for the project.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 28 November 2008
Planned Shannon development 'too large'
A GROUP representing residents in the Tipperary-Clare border towns of Ballina and Killaloe on the banks of the River Shannon say that a €60 million residential and commercial development planned for the area is too large in scale and "would be more at home in the Dublin Docklands".
The claim has been rejected by Eclipse Developments which has applied to North Tipperary County Council for planning permission to build a development that would include 85 apartments, five townhouses, 16 commercial units, 260 boat berths and a bar and restaurant on its riverside site at Derg Marina, Cullenagh, Ballina.
At a public meeting convened by the Ballina Marina Action Group in the Lakeside Hotel last night, group chairman Joe Cahalane said: "The sheer scale of this development is far too big for this picturesque heritage town. The buildings proposed would be more at home in the Dublin Docklands or a university campus."
He said the project was "masquerading as a marina development when it is, to all intents and purposes, a massive apartment complex rising to five storeys at its highest point".
His group was not against development on the site, but objected to the scale of the proposal.
David Lehane, head of Eclipse Development, said the company had addressed the concerns held by the majority of local residents in the pre-planning phase, "but there remains a very small number of people who continue to oppose the development."
He said the €60 million investment would be worth in the region of €6 million annually to the local economy. If planning was granted, it would create 120 jobs over the two-year construction phase and 70 jobs on completion. "It's disappointing that a core group of individuals are seeking to deprive the area of such a development."
Mr Cahalane of the action group accused the company of a "dismissive attitude" saying the site abounded a special protection area and special area of conservation. "We asked for an environmental impact assessment, but we never got one," he added.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The claim has been rejected by Eclipse Developments which has applied to North Tipperary County Council for planning permission to build a development that would include 85 apartments, five townhouses, 16 commercial units, 260 boat berths and a bar and restaurant on its riverside site at Derg Marina, Cullenagh, Ballina.
At a public meeting convened by the Ballina Marina Action Group in the Lakeside Hotel last night, group chairman Joe Cahalane said: "The sheer scale of this development is far too big for this picturesque heritage town. The buildings proposed would be more at home in the Dublin Docklands or a university campus."
He said the project was "masquerading as a marina development when it is, to all intents and purposes, a massive apartment complex rising to five storeys at its highest point".
His group was not against development on the site, but objected to the scale of the proposal.
David Lehane, head of Eclipse Development, said the company had addressed the concerns held by the majority of local residents in the pre-planning phase, "but there remains a very small number of people who continue to oppose the development."
He said the €60 million investment would be worth in the region of €6 million annually to the local economy. If planning was granted, it would create 120 jobs over the two-year construction phase and 70 jobs on completion. "It's disappointing that a core group of individuals are seeking to deprive the area of such a development."
Mr Cahalane of the action group accused the company of a "dismissive attitude" saying the site abounded a special protection area and special area of conservation. "We asked for an environmental impact assessment, but we never got one," he added.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plan 'does not preclude' second incinerator
THE RELIANCE in the Dublin waste management plan on a waste-to-energy plant at Poolbeg did not preclude the development of a similar plant elsewhere in the region, it was claimed at the Rathcoole incinerator hearing.
The hearing, under An Bord Pleanála's fast-track strategic infrastructure process, is inquiring into plans by Energy Answers International to build a €200 million incinerator, energy-recovery and concrete-block-making facility in a quarry south of Rathcoole in west Dublin.
Helen O'Keeffe a planning consultant told the hearing that, while the Dublin Waste Management Strategy referred to a plant at Poolbeg, "there is no statement that there is to be only one".
She said it would "not be prudent to ignore other objectives such as eliminating landfill". The need to reduce landfill was an objective which the Energy Answers plant fulfilled, she said.
In response to cross-examination by Pat Butler SC, for Rathcoole Against Incineration Dioxins (Raid), Ms O'Keeffe agreed the South Dublin County Development Plan had not specifically mentioned a waste-to-energy plant in the area. But she said there were other objectives in the plan which could be satisfied by the Energy Answers proposal.
In response to Mr Butler's repeated questions as to whether the development was stated as a proposed objective of the county development plan, Ms O'Keeffe asserted "a significant number of developments are not specified". She cited the example of bring centres and bottle banks, which were not specifically identified, yet had been provided across the region.
Mr Butler told Ms O'Keeffe the waste-to-energy plant was not specified in the development plan and she was interpreting other aspects of the plan and "shoehorning it in".
Michael O'Donnell SC, for Cavan Developments, said to be significant landowners in the Rathcoole area, asked Ms O'Keeffe if she had checked the planning history of the quarry on site when she made her submission that it was a lawful and compliant activity.
Ms O'Keeffe said she had relied on the manager's report from South County Dublin's planning department. This had said there was an established use on site and no enforcement proceedings were taking place.
Mr O'Donnell asked if Ms O'Keeffe was aware of the evidence at the hearing from South Dublin County Council that the development was unauthorised.
Ms O'Keeffe replied that she had responded to the submission to An Bord Pleanála which had been made by the council in writing. "There has been a change of position by South Dublin County Council" she said. "The written record as submitted to the board is different to the [oral] evidence to the board."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The hearing, under An Bord Pleanála's fast-track strategic infrastructure process, is inquiring into plans by Energy Answers International to build a €200 million incinerator, energy-recovery and concrete-block-making facility in a quarry south of Rathcoole in west Dublin.
Helen O'Keeffe a planning consultant told the hearing that, while the Dublin Waste Management Strategy referred to a plant at Poolbeg, "there is no statement that there is to be only one".
She said it would "not be prudent to ignore other objectives such as eliminating landfill". The need to reduce landfill was an objective which the Energy Answers plant fulfilled, she said.
In response to cross-examination by Pat Butler SC, for Rathcoole Against Incineration Dioxins (Raid), Ms O'Keeffe agreed the South Dublin County Development Plan had not specifically mentioned a waste-to-energy plant in the area. But she said there were other objectives in the plan which could be satisfied by the Energy Answers proposal.
In response to Mr Butler's repeated questions as to whether the development was stated as a proposed objective of the county development plan, Ms O'Keeffe asserted "a significant number of developments are not specified". She cited the example of bring centres and bottle banks, which were not specifically identified, yet had been provided across the region.
Mr Butler told Ms O'Keeffe the waste-to-energy plant was not specified in the development plan and she was interpreting other aspects of the plan and "shoehorning it in".
Michael O'Donnell SC, for Cavan Developments, said to be significant landowners in the Rathcoole area, asked Ms O'Keeffe if she had checked the planning history of the quarry on site when she made her submission that it was a lawful and compliant activity.
Ms O'Keeffe said she had relied on the manager's report from South County Dublin's planning department. This had said there was an established use on site and no enforcement proceedings were taking place.
Mr O'Donnell asked if Ms O'Keeffe was aware of the evidence at the hearing from South Dublin County Council that the development was unauthorised.
Ms O'Keeffe replied that she had responded to the submission to An Bord Pleanála which had been made by the council in writing. "There has been a change of position by South Dublin County Council" she said. "The written record as submitted to the board is different to the [oral] evidence to the board."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
DCU to create indoor version of Croke Park
DUBLIN CITY University have announced audacious plans to create an indoor version of the Croke Park pitch at their north Dublin sports facility, St Clare's. By replicating the parameters of the GAA's main field, and with a grass surface and transparent roof, the university will be in demand from all intercounty teams seeking to prepare for high summer championship visits to the Jones' Road.
That this venture is fronted by former GAA President Peter Quinn adds serious credence to the venture. Quinn, a brother of Ireland's wealthiest businessman, Seán, and a respected financial advisor in his own right, played an instrumental role in the crucial stages of the redevelopment of Croke Park during his term of office between 1991 and 1994.
Quinn revealed the plans in a speech at the announcement of Bank of Ireland's five-year sponsorship deal with the DCU GAA academy in Dublin yesterday.
The cost for DCU's new state of the art indoor facilities is conservatively estimated at €15 million. A completion date of 2013 and capacity of 10,000 were also tentatively mentioned by Quinn.
"Its primary use will be for testing and training and that sort of thing but matches will be played on it. We would hope to host inter-county challenge matches."
The initial stages of planning have been submitted to Fingal County Council with a hope to begin construction over the next 24 months.
"We would like to think it will be finished in five years but a lot will depend on the planners and our ability to raise the funds," Quinn continued. "We will obviously be looking for some support from the Government. I'm glad we're not going for it this year.
"Indications are fairly positive in relation to planning but until you actually have the green form in your hand and it is signed you can't be sure. In any sort of construction project like this and particularly one in north Dublin at the moment with the Luas (A DCU stop is planed for the new Metro North route, with an unconfirmed completion date also of 2013) and issues like that involved we have to be a little careful about being too specific about when the project is going to start, but the reality is that we are in a position to start raising the funding as soon as we are sure the project is ready to start.
"The funding will be significant. It will be double digit millions but, you know, we will get a project that will definitely be value for money."
DCU Professor for Health and Human performance Niall Moyna was keen to note the technological and self-sufficient advantages of such an indoor arena.
"Hopefully we'll have a backdrop where we can mimic different grounds in the country," said Moyna. "Let's say, if you're taking a free you can actually see Hill 16 and the crowd noise, we can mimic wind patterns, rain. These are some of the visions that we have for this centre. So if an inter-county team wanted to come up and train for the weekend at the end of it they'd get a full review of what each and every player had done.
"In the current economic climate maybe we're going to have to sit back and say well, hold on, we just can't do everything we wanted to do but you have to have that vision, a bold vision to do something that nobody else has done before and bring it to a whole new level."
The Dublin footballers will be working with Moyna on the DCU campus for the 2009 season but Quinn dismissed any potential conflict with the Dublin County Board plans to build their own centre of excellence on the 25-acre site in Rathcoole, which recently received a planning permission green light but must still go through An Bord Pleanála's objection process.
"It will effectively be an indoor stadium with the exception that it has a (transparent) roof and therefore it has a limit to the height the ball can go," Quinn explained. "Clearly, that might not be appropriate for championship football but we would have said 10 years ago that playing under floodlights wasn't appropriate for championship football and now half the county club championships in the country are played under floodlights on Saturday night. The provincial stages of the All-Ireland club championships are played under lights as we saw last Sunday for example.
"So, what was impossible 10 years ago and might be impossible today may not be impossible 10 years from now. We just have to see how the game develops and how the facility will develop.
"Certainly, we will have a facility that will be playable 365 days a year with an extra day in the leap year, and 24 hours a day.
"It will be made available to the local community as well. There are a number of clubs in the area around it but we are thinking more in terms of community, but clubs can use it too."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
That this venture is fronted by former GAA President Peter Quinn adds serious credence to the venture. Quinn, a brother of Ireland's wealthiest businessman, Seán, and a respected financial advisor in his own right, played an instrumental role in the crucial stages of the redevelopment of Croke Park during his term of office between 1991 and 1994.
Quinn revealed the plans in a speech at the announcement of Bank of Ireland's five-year sponsorship deal with the DCU GAA academy in Dublin yesterday.
The cost for DCU's new state of the art indoor facilities is conservatively estimated at €15 million. A completion date of 2013 and capacity of 10,000 were also tentatively mentioned by Quinn.
"Its primary use will be for testing and training and that sort of thing but matches will be played on it. We would hope to host inter-county challenge matches."
The initial stages of planning have been submitted to Fingal County Council with a hope to begin construction over the next 24 months.
"We would like to think it will be finished in five years but a lot will depend on the planners and our ability to raise the funds," Quinn continued. "We will obviously be looking for some support from the Government. I'm glad we're not going for it this year.
"Indications are fairly positive in relation to planning but until you actually have the green form in your hand and it is signed you can't be sure. In any sort of construction project like this and particularly one in north Dublin at the moment with the Luas (A DCU stop is planed for the new Metro North route, with an unconfirmed completion date also of 2013) and issues like that involved we have to be a little careful about being too specific about when the project is going to start, but the reality is that we are in a position to start raising the funding as soon as we are sure the project is ready to start.
"The funding will be significant. It will be double digit millions but, you know, we will get a project that will definitely be value for money."
DCU Professor for Health and Human performance Niall Moyna was keen to note the technological and self-sufficient advantages of such an indoor arena.
"Hopefully we'll have a backdrop where we can mimic different grounds in the country," said Moyna. "Let's say, if you're taking a free you can actually see Hill 16 and the crowd noise, we can mimic wind patterns, rain. These are some of the visions that we have for this centre. So if an inter-county team wanted to come up and train for the weekend at the end of it they'd get a full review of what each and every player had done.
"In the current economic climate maybe we're going to have to sit back and say well, hold on, we just can't do everything we wanted to do but you have to have that vision, a bold vision to do something that nobody else has done before and bring it to a whole new level."
The Dublin footballers will be working with Moyna on the DCU campus for the 2009 season but Quinn dismissed any potential conflict with the Dublin County Board plans to build their own centre of excellence on the 25-acre site in Rathcoole, which recently received a planning permission green light but must still go through An Bord Pleanála's objection process.
"It will effectively be an indoor stadium with the exception that it has a (transparent) roof and therefore it has a limit to the height the ball can go," Quinn explained. "Clearly, that might not be appropriate for championship football but we would have said 10 years ago that playing under floodlights wasn't appropriate for championship football and now half the county club championships in the country are played under floodlights on Saturday night. The provincial stages of the All-Ireland club championships are played under lights as we saw last Sunday for example.
"So, what was impossible 10 years ago and might be impossible today may not be impossible 10 years from now. We just have to see how the game develops and how the facility will develop.
"Certainly, we will have a facility that will be playable 365 days a year with an extra day in the leap year, and 24 hours a day.
"It will be made available to the local community as well. There are a number of clubs in the area around it but we are thinking more in terms of community, but clubs can use it too."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
New plan for Harcourt Terrace Garda station
A SUBSIDIARY of the Durkan Group has submitted a new proposal to redevelop Harcourt Terrace Garda station.
The planning application by Harcourt Terrace Ltd to Dublin City Council is looking to demolish the 1950s Garda station, old film censor's office and other buildings on site, and build a four-storey residential block facing onto Harcourt Terrace. A seven-storey office block with setbacks fronting Charlemont Place is also part of the proposal.
The proposal is smaller in scale than one refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála earlier this year. This time around the developer is asking to build 24 apartments in a four-storey block compared to a more ambitious 43 apartments in two blocks rising to nine storeys last time around.
The office element proposed is 10,413sq m (112,084sq ft) compared to 12,714sq m (136,854sq ft) last time.
In April the board ruled that the apartment buildings would fail to respect their context opposite Regency period buildings and adjoining Victorian houses. It said the blocks would not be of the standard required to justify the removal of the Garda station building on the site while the main office block would be visually obtrusive and impact on adjoining homes in what is a residential conservation area. In 2006, in return for the development rights to the site, Durkan agreed to provide over 400 affordable homes in new housing schemes in west Dublin, which have been handed over and occupied.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning application by Harcourt Terrace Ltd to Dublin City Council is looking to demolish the 1950s Garda station, old film censor's office and other buildings on site, and build a four-storey residential block facing onto Harcourt Terrace. A seven-storey office block with setbacks fronting Charlemont Place is also part of the proposal.
The proposal is smaller in scale than one refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála earlier this year. This time around the developer is asking to build 24 apartments in a four-storey block compared to a more ambitious 43 apartments in two blocks rising to nine storeys last time around.
The office element proposed is 10,413sq m (112,084sq ft) compared to 12,714sq m (136,854sq ft) last time.
In April the board ruled that the apartment buildings would fail to respect their context opposite Regency period buildings and adjoining Victorian houses. It said the blocks would not be of the standard required to justify the removal of the Garda station building on the site while the main office block would be visually obtrusive and impact on adjoining homes in what is a residential conservation area. In 2006, in return for the development rights to the site, Durkan agreed to provide over 400 affordable homes in new housing schemes in west Dublin, which have been handed over and occupied.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Dump reports to be released
TWO reports on a major toxic dump in Cork harbour are due to be released shortly by the Department of the Environment.
The mayor of Cobh, Cllr John Mulvihill, said he had been informed by sources within the department that the reports would be made public early next week.
However, when the Irish Examiner contacted the Department of the Environment, a spokesman said the reports were being finalised and he hoped they would be released very soon.
He was unable to confirm a publication date.
One of the reports has been compiled by consultants who were brought in last summer to analyse the contents of the dump at Haulbowline, which is believed to have contained some highly carcinogenic material.
The other is a ‘peer review’ of the report carried out by a group of experts in Britain.
Cllr Mulvihill said that consultants White Young Green have finished their report on the site and the peer review process has been completed.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley confirmed at a meeting with public representatives in Cobh last September that he was willing to publish the reports’ findings.
“As mayor of Cobh I am anxious that the public are made fully aware of the reports’ contents. It is also vital that the minister formulates a plan to deal with the clean up of the site,” Cllr Mulvihill said.
“I am conscious that we are currently in a tough economic climate, but the issue of the cost of the clean up can only be secondary to the health of the people of Cobh and the lower harbour.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The mayor of Cobh, Cllr John Mulvihill, said he had been informed by sources within the department that the reports would be made public early next week.
However, when the Irish Examiner contacted the Department of the Environment, a spokesman said the reports were being finalised and he hoped they would be released very soon.
He was unable to confirm a publication date.
One of the reports has been compiled by consultants who were brought in last summer to analyse the contents of the dump at Haulbowline, which is believed to have contained some highly carcinogenic material.
The other is a ‘peer review’ of the report carried out by a group of experts in Britain.
Cllr Mulvihill said that consultants White Young Green have finished their report on the site and the peer review process has been completed.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley confirmed at a meeting with public representatives in Cobh last September that he was willing to publish the reports’ findings.
“As mayor of Cobh I am anxious that the public are made fully aware of the reports’ contents. It is also vital that the minister formulates a plan to deal with the clean up of the site,” Cllr Mulvihill said.
“I am conscious that we are currently in a tough economic climate, but the issue of the cost of the clean up can only be secondary to the health of the people of Cobh and the lower harbour.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
New medical centre proposed for Killarney appeal
LOCAL doctors behind a new medical centre proposed for Killarney are appealing against a demand for almost €2 million in development levies.
Killarney Town Council wants GPs to cough up €1.5 million and €400,000 for two new roundabouts which lead to the medical centre in the grounds of St Finan’s Hospital.
But the GPs argue the levies are excessive and have lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála.
They are also appealing against the council’s decision not to allow a pharmacy and retail outlets for health food and medical aid and equipment in the facility, described as a primary care centre.
Several Killarney GP practices, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE), aim to develop the one-stop-shop, health facility on the site.
It would include services for hospital outpatients, an x-ray service, a base for GP surgeries and a primary care team.
Meanwhile, a group in Kenmare which has, for 30 years, been seeking an extension to the local community hospital have attacked an HSE plan to build a new hospital instead.
The HSE’s preferred option is to go ahead with a new hospital on the existing site as part of its 2009 to 2013 plans.
According to the HSE, its decision is based on architectural advice that a new hospital was the best option.
However, a spokesperson for the Friends of Kenmare Hospital claimed this was a delaying tactic.
She said all they were campaigning for was a 14-bed extension to the existing hospital and had never sought a new hospital.
The group plans to hold a public meeting, in Kenmare, on the issue, next month.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Killarney Town Council wants GPs to cough up €1.5 million and €400,000 for two new roundabouts which lead to the medical centre in the grounds of St Finan’s Hospital.
But the GPs argue the levies are excessive and have lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála.
They are also appealing against the council’s decision not to allow a pharmacy and retail outlets for health food and medical aid and equipment in the facility, described as a primary care centre.
Several Killarney GP practices, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE), aim to develop the one-stop-shop, health facility on the site.
It would include services for hospital outpatients, an x-ray service, a base for GP surgeries and a primary care team.
Meanwhile, a group in Kenmare which has, for 30 years, been seeking an extension to the local community hospital have attacked an HSE plan to build a new hospital instead.
The HSE’s preferred option is to go ahead with a new hospital on the existing site as part of its 2009 to 2013 plans.
According to the HSE, its decision is based on architectural advice that a new hospital was the best option.
However, a spokesperson for the Friends of Kenmare Hospital claimed this was a delaying tactic.
She said all they were campaigning for was a 14-bed extension to the existing hospital and had never sought a new hospital.
The group plans to hold a public meeting, in Kenmare, on the issue, next month.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Limerick retail development project granted
A HUGE city centre retail development has been given the go-ahead in Limerick. However, a sole objector may hold up the project indefinitely.
Limerick City Council has granted planning permission for the ambitious project. Up to 600 jobs will be created in the €40 million project.
The five-storey commercial building will have 55,000 sq ft of offices and 5,000 sq ft of ground floor retail units.
The site is framed by Catherine Street, Glentworth Street and Mallow Street and the development will provide 110 basement car parking spaces.
The project is being undertaken by the Catherine Street Partnership, a business consortium.
The development area, which includes the former printing works’ site of the Limerick Leader newspaper is adjacent to O’Connell Street.
Zoned commercial, the site forms part of the city area identified by Limerick City Council for conservation and re-generation.
A spokesman said: “Portion of the site has been derelict for many years and is periodically a focus for anti-social behaviour.
“In particular, there will be a broad public welcome for the proposal to completely renovate the intimidating and unwelcoming laneway connecting Catherine Street and Glentworth, with proper street lighting and safe and attractive surface treatment,” the spokesman added.
The project has been well received by local businesses and residents who will see it as creating critical mass of commercial and amenity infrastructure in an area which is earmarked for significant investment by Limerick City Council.
The building design is by award winning architects, Murray O Laoire.
Any appeal to An Bord Pleanála could lead to a major overhaul of the scheme.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Limerick City Council has granted planning permission for the ambitious project. Up to 600 jobs will be created in the €40 million project.
The five-storey commercial building will have 55,000 sq ft of offices and 5,000 sq ft of ground floor retail units.
The site is framed by Catherine Street, Glentworth Street and Mallow Street and the development will provide 110 basement car parking spaces.
The project is being undertaken by the Catherine Street Partnership, a business consortium.
The development area, which includes the former printing works’ site of the Limerick Leader newspaper is adjacent to O’Connell Street.
Zoned commercial, the site forms part of the city area identified by Limerick City Council for conservation and re-generation.
A spokesman said: “Portion of the site has been derelict for many years and is periodically a focus for anti-social behaviour.
“In particular, there will be a broad public welcome for the proposal to completely renovate the intimidating and unwelcoming laneway connecting Catherine Street and Glentworth, with proper street lighting and safe and attractive surface treatment,” the spokesman added.
The project has been well received by local businesses and residents who will see it as creating critical mass of commercial and amenity infrastructure in an area which is earmarked for significant investment by Limerick City Council.
The building design is by award winning architects, Murray O Laoire.
Any appeal to An Bord Pleanála could lead to a major overhaul of the scheme.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Concern over regeneration money
MEMBERS of Limerick City Council who yesterday backed the €1.7 million regeneration programme for run-down parts of the city have called on the Government to publicly declare the necessary funding will be forthcoming.
The master plans for the regeneration of Southill, Ballinacurra Weston, Southill and St Mary’s Park which were presented to the council on October 27 were yesterday supported by the council at a special meeting.
However, some members voiced concern— due to the economic downturn— the necessary funding may not be made available when thousands of new houses need to be build.
Cllr Diarmuid Scully said answers need to be forthcoming from the Taoiseach and the government.
Cllr Kevin Kiely who is chairman of the city’s joint policing authority voiced concern the city council did not seem to be pursuing exclusion orders of council tenants engaged in drugs and feud crime in these estates.
The regeneration agency has told the council that it will not need significant amounts of money from the government for another year as major planning matters will have to be processed in the meantime.
The agency has come under fire from Limerick State solicitor, Michael Murray for holding meetings with known members of feuding gangs. He said such meetings gave criminals a status they did not deserve.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The master plans for the regeneration of Southill, Ballinacurra Weston, Southill and St Mary’s Park which were presented to the council on October 27 were yesterday supported by the council at a special meeting.
However, some members voiced concern— due to the economic downturn— the necessary funding may not be made available when thousands of new houses need to be build.
Cllr Diarmuid Scully said answers need to be forthcoming from the Taoiseach and the government.
Cllr Kevin Kiely who is chairman of the city’s joint policing authority voiced concern the city council did not seem to be pursuing exclusion orders of council tenants engaged in drugs and feud crime in these estates.
The regeneration agency has told the council that it will not need significant amounts of money from the government for another year as major planning matters will have to be processed in the meantime.
The agency has come under fire from Limerick State solicitor, Michael Murray for holding meetings with known members of feuding gangs. He said such meetings gave criminals a status they did not deserve.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Glanmire to get €6m upgrade for key road
CORK County Council is planning a significant road upgrade that will allow more than 1,200 homes to be built and provide a link to a new park-and-ride railway station.
Inferior roads in Glanmire were the main reason An Bord Pleanála quoted for refusing plans by O’Flynn Construction for a major housing development in the area.
However, those developments could be back on track as the local authority is to spend €6 million upgrading the road between the AIB bank in Glanmire and the former Ibis Hotel.
O’Flynn Construction wants to build 1,210 houses, offices and retail units at Ballinglanna and Dunkettle, adjacent to that existing road.
Council engineers say they hope to put the project out to tender in the next 12 months and have construction completed within a year of commencement.
Engineers are preparing to draw up detailed designs, and a number of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) will be needed for the project to proceed.
“Several small parcels of land will be required for road widening. It will be necessary to acquire and demolish two dwellings as well,” a county council spokesman said.
The local authority proposes to widen the 2km stretch of road, providing footpaths and cycle lanes on both sides of the road.
This will be done to make it easier for commuters to travel to and from the proposed railway station at Dunkettle. A new pedestrian bridge will also be built adjacent to the existing stone road bridge over the River Glashaboy, near the AIB bank.
However, it wasn’t all smiles when engineers released their report at a council meeting yesterday.
Glanmire-based Cllr John Gilroy (Lab) said he didn’t mind further housing development, but he said it shouldn’t take place without an overall traffic plan being implemented.
Cllr Gilroy said the old bridge in Glanmire village couldn’t facilitate the increase in traffic the O’Flynn Construction projects would generate.
“I can’t accept these proposals are in line with sustainable development. I understand an overall traffic management study is to be done in Glanmire next year. This should be put back until then,” Cllr Gilroy said.
Cllr Tomás Ryan (FG) agreed and said Glanmire was being squeezed with traffic as it was, without overloading the bridge.
County manager Martin Riordan said he was anxious to proceed. “We want to encourage people to use rail for transport. We should look at the benefit rail will have for Glanmire,” he said.
“We need the traffic study first. If Bord Pleanála hadn’t made a ruling against O’Flynn Construction this wouldn’t have been on the council’s agenda at all,” Cllr Gilroy replied.
“What builder is going to start building houses now when he won’t be able to sell for another five or six years. Let’s take our time and do it right,” said Cllr Gilroy.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Inferior roads in Glanmire were the main reason An Bord Pleanála quoted for refusing plans by O’Flynn Construction for a major housing development in the area.
However, those developments could be back on track as the local authority is to spend €6 million upgrading the road between the AIB bank in Glanmire and the former Ibis Hotel.
O’Flynn Construction wants to build 1,210 houses, offices and retail units at Ballinglanna and Dunkettle, adjacent to that existing road.
Council engineers say they hope to put the project out to tender in the next 12 months and have construction completed within a year of commencement.
Engineers are preparing to draw up detailed designs, and a number of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) will be needed for the project to proceed.
“Several small parcels of land will be required for road widening. It will be necessary to acquire and demolish two dwellings as well,” a county council spokesman said.
The local authority proposes to widen the 2km stretch of road, providing footpaths and cycle lanes on both sides of the road.
This will be done to make it easier for commuters to travel to and from the proposed railway station at Dunkettle. A new pedestrian bridge will also be built adjacent to the existing stone road bridge over the River Glashaboy, near the AIB bank.
However, it wasn’t all smiles when engineers released their report at a council meeting yesterday.
Glanmire-based Cllr John Gilroy (Lab) said he didn’t mind further housing development, but he said it shouldn’t take place without an overall traffic plan being implemented.
Cllr Gilroy said the old bridge in Glanmire village couldn’t facilitate the increase in traffic the O’Flynn Construction projects would generate.
“I can’t accept these proposals are in line with sustainable development. I understand an overall traffic management study is to be done in Glanmire next year. This should be put back until then,” Cllr Gilroy said.
Cllr Tomás Ryan (FG) agreed and said Glanmire was being squeezed with traffic as it was, without overloading the bridge.
County manager Martin Riordan said he was anxious to proceed. “We want to encourage people to use rail for transport. We should look at the benefit rail will have for Glanmire,” he said.
“We need the traffic study first. If Bord Pleanála hadn’t made a ruling against O’Flynn Construction this wouldn’t have been on the council’s agenda at all,” Cllr Gilroy replied.
“What builder is going to start building houses now when he won’t be able to sell for another five or six years. Let’s take our time and do it right,” said Cllr Gilroy.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans and CPOs for Cork-Ringaskiddy link to be submitted by new year
DETAILED plans and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for a multi-million-euro road from Cork to Ringaskiddy are to be submitted to the board of the National Roads Authority (NRA) early next year.
Concern had been raised that the road project was sidelined after Bord Pleanála’s refusal to allow the Port of Cork authority relocate to a new terminal in Ringaskiddy.
The proposed move was one of the key factors in Cork County Council plans for building the new road.
Cllr Tim Lombard (FG) said there had been significant doubt in Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy that the project would ever go ahead after the planning appeals board’s decision.
He said the current N28 was at capacity and serving a major industrial area.
“Eight of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in Ringaskiddy. We need a good road to serve the area if it is to grow even more,” Cllr Lombard said.
Cllr John A Collins (FG) said he was concerned the project would never be built due to the necessity to compete projects elsewhere and the downturn in the economy.
“It was recognised even when the Port of Cork proposed to build a deep water terminal in Ringaskiddy that the road was at capacity. The area is an economic driver for the region,” Cllr Collins said.
Acting county engineer Noel O’Keeffe said he hoped to have draft CPOs and design plans ready for the beginning of January. He said the documents would be submitted to the board of the National Roads Authority early in the new year. Mr O’Keeffe said he hoped to be ready to start construction quickly if funding becomes available.
Cllr Lombard said he hoped the NRA would sanction the scheme. “Rest assured I’ll be pushing that scheme as much as I can,” Mr O’Keeffe told councillors at a meeting in County Hall yesterday.
Cllr Collins added that councillor should be lobbying Cork’s two ministers, Micheál Martin and Batt O’Keeffe, in order to get the necessary funding.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Concern had been raised that the road project was sidelined after Bord Pleanála’s refusal to allow the Port of Cork authority relocate to a new terminal in Ringaskiddy.
The proposed move was one of the key factors in Cork County Council plans for building the new road.
Cllr Tim Lombard (FG) said there had been significant doubt in Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy that the project would ever go ahead after the planning appeals board’s decision.
He said the current N28 was at capacity and serving a major industrial area.
“Eight of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in Ringaskiddy. We need a good road to serve the area if it is to grow even more,” Cllr Lombard said.
Cllr John A Collins (FG) said he was concerned the project would never be built due to the necessity to compete projects elsewhere and the downturn in the economy.
“It was recognised even when the Port of Cork proposed to build a deep water terminal in Ringaskiddy that the road was at capacity. The area is an economic driver for the region,” Cllr Collins said.
Acting county engineer Noel O’Keeffe said he hoped to have draft CPOs and design plans ready for the beginning of January. He said the documents would be submitted to the board of the National Roads Authority early in the new year. Mr O’Keeffe said he hoped to be ready to start construction quickly if funding becomes available.
Cllr Lombard said he hoped the NRA would sanction the scheme. “Rest assured I’ll be pushing that scheme as much as I can,” Mr O’Keeffe told councillors at a meeting in County Hall yesterday.
Cllr Collins added that councillor should be lobbying Cork’s two ministers, Micheál Martin and Batt O’Keeffe, in order to get the necessary funding.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans for Kerry waste facility running into opposition
PLANS to build a new waste facility on a 12-acre site along the main Tralee/Killarney road are running into opposition.
Kerry Central Recycling Facility Ltd has lodged a planning application with Kerry County Council in respect of the site at Scart/Caherdean, about 3km on the Killarney side of Farranfore village.
Local residents last night attended an information meeting on the proposal.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin, who represents the area, has already lodged an objection to the application. “I believe this site is totally unsuitable for any kind of waste facility,” he said.
Mr Cronin said the site was on the N22 national primary road and extra vehicle movement generated by its development would create a serious traffic hazard. “The site is just not right for many reasons. For instance, there are private houses within 80m and residential property in the wider area would be totally devalued.”
Pointing out that Kerry Airport was close to the site, he also claimed there would be aviation risk issues as birds were drawn to waste facilities.
Already, there have been extensive pre-planning discussions between the developers and council officials in relation to the site.
Planning is being sought for a materials recovery building, an office building and a public recycling centre. An application for a waste licence is being made to the Environment Protection Agency.
Consulting engineers Paudie O’Mahony and Associates, of Killarney, have already made a submission to the council seeking the rezoning of a site, midway between Tralee, Killarney and Castleisland, for modern waste recycling facilities.
In a submission to the draft county development plan 2009-2015, they said the site would be most suitable for the purpose, adding they had “positive responses” from meetings with council officials.
However, the council has recommended that there be no changing to the zoning in the area.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Kerry Central Recycling Facility Ltd has lodged a planning application with Kerry County Council in respect of the site at Scart/Caherdean, about 3km on the Killarney side of Farranfore village.
Local residents last night attended an information meeting on the proposal.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin, who represents the area, has already lodged an objection to the application. “I believe this site is totally unsuitable for any kind of waste facility,” he said.
Mr Cronin said the site was on the N22 national primary road and extra vehicle movement generated by its development would create a serious traffic hazard. “The site is just not right for many reasons. For instance, there are private houses within 80m and residential property in the wider area would be totally devalued.”
Pointing out that Kerry Airport was close to the site, he also claimed there would be aviation risk issues as birds were drawn to waste facilities.
Already, there have been extensive pre-planning discussions between the developers and council officials in relation to the site.
Planning is being sought for a materials recovery building, an office building and a public recycling centre. An application for a waste licence is being made to the Environment Protection Agency.
Consulting engineers Paudie O’Mahony and Associates, of Killarney, have already made a submission to the council seeking the rezoning of a site, midway between Tralee, Killarney and Castleisland, for modern waste recycling facilities.
In a submission to the draft county development plan 2009-2015, they said the site would be most suitable for the purpose, adding they had “positive responses” from meetings with council officials.
However, the council has recommended that there be no changing to the zoning in the area.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork harbour residents may escape costs
ANTI-INCINERATION campaigners have welcomed a decision by Minister for the Environment John Gormley to ask the Supreme Court to formally revoke a costs order awarded to the State two weeks ago against Cork harbour residents.
A spokeswoman for Cork Harbour Area for a Safe Environment (Chase) said she was "delighted and proud" that the State, along with Mr Gormley and his department, saw fit not to enforce the costs order.
Chase noted that incineration company Indaver had declined to follow suit.
It has also emerged that High Court cases against An Bord Pleanála, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State and the Attorney General have been withdrawn on the agreement of all parties.
The request was made by the residents on the basis that planning for the Ringaskiddy incinerator expired in January 2009 and at that stage there would be no justification in proceeding with the court cases.
All parties except An Bord Pleanála have agreed to bear their own High Court costs.
An Bord Pleanála has made a formal request for a costs order, which was opposed by the residents and which will be heard by the court next Monday.
A spokeswoman for Chase said it was an important day for community participation.
"We are delighted and proud. By the time Indaver's planning expires in January 2009, we expect to be fighting new fast-track proposals for 100,000-tonne hazardous and 140,000-tonne municipal waste incinerators."
On November 11th, the Supreme Court ordered the Ringaskiddy and District Residents Association and a number of individuals to pay the legal costs of their unsuccessful attempts to further adjourn two legal challenges to the proposed €75 million development of the State's first hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy.
The residents had sought the adjournments pending the outcome of a legal action against Ireland in the European Court of Justice by the European Commission.
The action is based on the commission's formal view that Ireland has failed to properly transpose into Irish law an EC directive relating to the environmental impact assessment of public and private projects, including incinerators.
Labour TD for Cork South Central and party spokesman on local government Ciarán Lynch also welcomed the decision by the State not to pursue costs, saying "it would seem that common sense" had prevailed.
"The motivations of the Chase campaign group have always been to act in the public interest and they took this case for the important purpose of clarifying the law and ensuring proper planning," Mr Lynch said.
"It is important that the concept and the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns be upheld, because otherwise the planning process is in danger of becoming little more than a charter for the rich and powerful."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
A spokeswoman for Cork Harbour Area for a Safe Environment (Chase) said she was "delighted and proud" that the State, along with Mr Gormley and his department, saw fit not to enforce the costs order.
Chase noted that incineration company Indaver had declined to follow suit.
It has also emerged that High Court cases against An Bord Pleanála, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State and the Attorney General have been withdrawn on the agreement of all parties.
The request was made by the residents on the basis that planning for the Ringaskiddy incinerator expired in January 2009 and at that stage there would be no justification in proceeding with the court cases.
All parties except An Bord Pleanála have agreed to bear their own High Court costs.
An Bord Pleanála has made a formal request for a costs order, which was opposed by the residents and which will be heard by the court next Monday.
A spokeswoman for Chase said it was an important day for community participation.
"We are delighted and proud. By the time Indaver's planning expires in January 2009, we expect to be fighting new fast-track proposals for 100,000-tonne hazardous and 140,000-tonne municipal waste incinerators."
On November 11th, the Supreme Court ordered the Ringaskiddy and District Residents Association and a number of individuals to pay the legal costs of their unsuccessful attempts to further adjourn two legal challenges to the proposed €75 million development of the State's first hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy.
The residents had sought the adjournments pending the outcome of a legal action against Ireland in the European Court of Justice by the European Commission.
The action is based on the commission's formal view that Ireland has failed to properly transpose into Irish law an EC directive relating to the environmental impact assessment of public and private projects, including incinerators.
Labour TD for Cork South Central and party spokesman on local government Ciarán Lynch also welcomed the decision by the State not to pursue costs, saying "it would seem that common sense" had prevailed.
"The motivations of the Chase campaign group have always been to act in the public interest and they took this case for the important purpose of clarifying the law and ensuring proper planning," Mr Lynch said.
"It is important that the concept and the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns be upheld, because otherwise the planning process is in danger of becoming little more than a charter for the rich and powerful."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 23 November 2008
The Grange to open its doors to Part V owners
WHEN they first came on the market in 2005, apartments at the Grange in the fashionable south Dublin suburb of Stillorgan offered location, luxury and lifestyle to rival anything found in Paris or New York.
Boasting a 24-hour concierge service to take care of matters such as dry cleaning, ironing, or ordering a taxi, the Grange promised an exotic lifestyle for residents of the development near Stillorgan in south Dublin. With prices for one-bed apartments starting at €435,000 and €575,000 for two-bedroom units, the mortgage payments alone were enough to put paid to the dreams of many.
Three years on, some of those who once had their noses pressed against the polished windows are daring to dream again.
But in the cruelest of ironies for those who secured an expensive foothold at the Grange at the height of the boom, it is the fallout from the bust that will let their new -- and poorer -- neighbours in.
Having failed in their legal challenge to prevent the imposition of Part V of the 2000 Planning Act which insists that 20 per cent of any development must be devoted to social and affordable housing, the Grange's developer, Glenkerrin Homes, have agreed to sell 75 apartments to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at a massive discount. The Sunday Independent understands 38 of these units will be placed on the market by the developer under the terms of the Affordable Housing scheme with prices ranging between €213,755 and €305,000 depending on the size of the apartment. All apartments will come with one parking space included in the price.
While the cut-price apartment offer may well upset those Grange residents who paid through the nose for their homes they will at least console themselves with the knowledge that their prospective neighbours are contributing to the economy, as mortgages will have to be taken out on these units. Under the terms of the scheme, anyone earning up to €58,000 as a single person is entitled to apply. For couples submitting a joint application, the income limit is €75,000.
The Council's plans for the 37 other units it intends to purchase at the exclusive development will be reserved for social housing . According to a spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, these units will be used "for the purpose of providing rental accommodation to persons on the council's social housing list". The Sunday Independent understands that a number of residents -- many of whom paid in excess of €620,000 for their homes in 2006 have contacted Glenkerrin Homes to express their anger at the news of the impending arrival of social and affordable housing.
Asked by the Sunday Independent for its response to the concerns of the Grange residents, a spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said: "This agreement is one of many entered into by the council to date, which will provide in excess of 1100 much needed social/affordable homes within residential developments throughout the County which have a Part V requirement."
RONALD QUINLAN
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Boasting a 24-hour concierge service to take care of matters such as dry cleaning, ironing, or ordering a taxi, the Grange promised an exotic lifestyle for residents of the development near Stillorgan in south Dublin. With prices for one-bed apartments starting at €435,000 and €575,000 for two-bedroom units, the mortgage payments alone were enough to put paid to the dreams of many.
Three years on, some of those who once had their noses pressed against the polished windows are daring to dream again.
But in the cruelest of ironies for those who secured an expensive foothold at the Grange at the height of the boom, it is the fallout from the bust that will let their new -- and poorer -- neighbours in.
Having failed in their legal challenge to prevent the imposition of Part V of the 2000 Planning Act which insists that 20 per cent of any development must be devoted to social and affordable housing, the Grange's developer, Glenkerrin Homes, have agreed to sell 75 apartments to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at a massive discount. The Sunday Independent understands 38 of these units will be placed on the market by the developer under the terms of the Affordable Housing scheme with prices ranging between €213,755 and €305,000 depending on the size of the apartment. All apartments will come with one parking space included in the price.
While the cut-price apartment offer may well upset those Grange residents who paid through the nose for their homes they will at least console themselves with the knowledge that their prospective neighbours are contributing to the economy, as mortgages will have to be taken out on these units. Under the terms of the scheme, anyone earning up to €58,000 as a single person is entitled to apply. For couples submitting a joint application, the income limit is €75,000.
The Council's plans for the 37 other units it intends to purchase at the exclusive development will be reserved for social housing . According to a spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, these units will be used "for the purpose of providing rental accommodation to persons on the council's social housing list". The Sunday Independent understands that a number of residents -- many of whom paid in excess of €620,000 for their homes in 2006 have contacted Glenkerrin Homes to express their anger at the news of the impending arrival of social and affordable housing.
Asked by the Sunday Independent for its response to the concerns of the Grange residents, a spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said: "This agreement is one of many entered into by the council to date, which will provide in excess of 1100 much needed social/affordable homes within residential developments throughout the County which have a Part V requirement."
RONALD QUINLAN
Sunday Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
NRA plans truck stops
Plans by the NRA to build major truck stops around the country have left locals deeply concerned about the effect it will have on homes and communities.
THE National Roads Authority (NRA) has come under fire over plans to introduce a series of major truck stop sites on Ireland's main transport arteries that will bypass general planning laws. The truck stops, or service areas (SAs), will incorporate substantial parking and restaurant facilities, showers, toilets, picnic areas and refuelling services, all on sites of around 30 to 40 acres.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of the sites feel they have been left with little right to reply, outside of submitting observations to the planning appeals authority An Bord Pleanála, which must give its final sanction.
Those residing near a proposed SA north of Gorey, Co Wexford say they fear a rise in criminal and anti-social behaviour and have been told the value of their homes could fall by as much as 75%.
So far, just one of a dozen planned SA projects – on the M4 west of Enfield, Co Meath – has been given the go-ahead.
Because the SAs qualify under Strategic Infrastructure legislation, the plans are being submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála – without having to be given the green light by local authority planning departments.
Proposals have been received by An Bord Pleanála for construction of sites on the M1 at Lusk and south of Dundalk, on the N6 at Rathmorrissey, Galway and on the N11 at Gorey. All these are expected in 2010 or early 2011. Plans are at a less developed stage for sites on the M7 at Mountrath, the N6 at Athlone, the N8 at Kilworth, Co Cork and Cashel, the N9 at Kilcullen and Kilkenny, and the N7 at Nenagh.
However, while there have been calls for such facilities in the past, the NRA is coming under fire from residents near Gorey who believe their quiet, rural community is under considerable threat from the proposals.
Three years ago, Naomi Seale (31) from Arklow began building her dream home with boyfriend Roy Dempsey (30) in the idyllic rural setting of Ballyellen. Then they were told that a truck stop was being built just 37 metres from their back garden.
"We are devastated. We battled to get a mortgage so now we are saddled with that and a house we won't be able to sell in a place we won't be able to live because of this animal of a development," said Seale.
"The valuers we hired told us that we would lose 75% of the value of our house so we are paying a mortgage on something that has the value of a caravan. The NRA told us there will be no impact on my house. How can they say that?"
Of the four SA plans currently before An Bord Pleanála, all have attracted local objections. Both M1 proposals have received approximately 10 objections each while the Rathmorrissey proposal in Galway has attracted around 35.
Objections to the Wexford plan were due to be filed by the deadline last Friday. For its part, the NRA has insisted that such public infrastructure projects always attract a degree of local opposition and that it has surpassed its statutory duties by agreeing to meet with communities to address concerns. But not everyone believes the NRA has done all it can do.
The Ballyellen Acton Group's Fran Seale – father of Naomi – explained that they had a number of concerns surrounding the SAs. "We oppose this on several fronts. We would question the information put forward in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on sound pollution, light spill, noise pollution and waste disposal," he said.
"We would also ask whether Wexford County Council is in a position to supply mains water to this development when we often lose water and water pressure a few times over the summer months. We are talking in excess of 30 acres; we have not seen anything on this scale in Ireland before. We have obviously upset someone among the powers-that-be."
The residents of Ballyellen are now hoping they will be granted an oral hearing to voice their concerns, a decision at the discretion of An Bord Pleanála alone.
The NRA still feels it is doing what it can to appease concerns. "We feel it is important to have these information sessions with the community at large, even though that is not within the Strategic Infrastructure guidelines," said a spokesman.
"We are concerned about the public outcry at having an SA in this location but that is for An Bord Pleanála to decide. At the same time you have to take into account that any time you are doing these developments it is going to affect someone."
The NRA spokesman said that a previous proposal to develop service areas and rest stops separately was dismissed due to concerns over anti-social behaviour and crime thriving in rest areas, which had been the case in other countries.
Not all of the proposed SAs are expected to attract massive objections; the recent decision to grant permission to one in Enfield, Co Meath didn't raise an eyebrow, according to Fine Gael councillor William Carey.
But in other areas – and with two more possible SA sites yet to be identified, which could bring the total to 14 – the storm has not even arrived.
"It's not really public knowledge down here yet and it hasn't really hit people yet," said Tipperary councillor Martin Browne of the proposed SA in Cashel. "But from what I am told, it will be open season on it very soon."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
THE National Roads Authority (NRA) has come under fire over plans to introduce a series of major truck stop sites on Ireland's main transport arteries that will bypass general planning laws. The truck stops, or service areas (SAs), will incorporate substantial parking and restaurant facilities, showers, toilets, picnic areas and refuelling services, all on sites of around 30 to 40 acres.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of the sites feel they have been left with little right to reply, outside of submitting observations to the planning appeals authority An Bord Pleanála, which must give its final sanction.
Those residing near a proposed SA north of Gorey, Co Wexford say they fear a rise in criminal and anti-social behaviour and have been told the value of their homes could fall by as much as 75%.
So far, just one of a dozen planned SA projects – on the M4 west of Enfield, Co Meath – has been given the go-ahead.
Because the SAs qualify under Strategic Infrastructure legislation, the plans are being submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála – without having to be given the green light by local authority planning departments.
Proposals have been received by An Bord Pleanála for construction of sites on the M1 at Lusk and south of Dundalk, on the N6 at Rathmorrissey, Galway and on the N11 at Gorey. All these are expected in 2010 or early 2011. Plans are at a less developed stage for sites on the M7 at Mountrath, the N6 at Athlone, the N8 at Kilworth, Co Cork and Cashel, the N9 at Kilcullen and Kilkenny, and the N7 at Nenagh.
However, while there have been calls for such facilities in the past, the NRA is coming under fire from residents near Gorey who believe their quiet, rural community is under considerable threat from the proposals.
Three years ago, Naomi Seale (31) from Arklow began building her dream home with boyfriend Roy Dempsey (30) in the idyllic rural setting of Ballyellen. Then they were told that a truck stop was being built just 37 metres from their back garden.
"We are devastated. We battled to get a mortgage so now we are saddled with that and a house we won't be able to sell in a place we won't be able to live because of this animal of a development," said Seale.
"The valuers we hired told us that we would lose 75% of the value of our house so we are paying a mortgage on something that has the value of a caravan. The NRA told us there will be no impact on my house. How can they say that?"
Of the four SA plans currently before An Bord Pleanála, all have attracted local objections. Both M1 proposals have received approximately 10 objections each while the Rathmorrissey proposal in Galway has attracted around 35.
Objections to the Wexford plan were due to be filed by the deadline last Friday. For its part, the NRA has insisted that such public infrastructure projects always attract a degree of local opposition and that it has surpassed its statutory duties by agreeing to meet with communities to address concerns. But not everyone believes the NRA has done all it can do.
The Ballyellen Acton Group's Fran Seale – father of Naomi – explained that they had a number of concerns surrounding the SAs. "We oppose this on several fronts. We would question the information put forward in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on sound pollution, light spill, noise pollution and waste disposal," he said.
"We would also ask whether Wexford County Council is in a position to supply mains water to this development when we often lose water and water pressure a few times over the summer months. We are talking in excess of 30 acres; we have not seen anything on this scale in Ireland before. We have obviously upset someone among the powers-that-be."
The residents of Ballyellen are now hoping they will be granted an oral hearing to voice their concerns, a decision at the discretion of An Bord Pleanála alone.
The NRA still feels it is doing what it can to appease concerns. "We feel it is important to have these information sessions with the community at large, even though that is not within the Strategic Infrastructure guidelines," said a spokesman.
"We are concerned about the public outcry at having an SA in this location but that is for An Bord Pleanála to decide. At the same time you have to take into account that any time you are doing these developments it is going to affect someone."
The NRA spokesman said that a previous proposal to develop service areas and rest stops separately was dismissed due to concerns over anti-social behaviour and crime thriving in rest areas, which had been the case in other countries.
Not all of the proposed SAs are expected to attract massive objections; the recent decision to grant permission to one in Enfield, Co Meath didn't raise an eyebrow, according to Fine Gael councillor William Carey.
But in other areas – and with two more possible SA sites yet to be identified, which could bring the total to 14 – the storm has not even arrived.
"It's not really public knowledge down here yet and it hasn't really hit people yet," said Tipperary councillor Martin Browne of the proposed SA in Cashel. "But from what I am told, it will be open season on it very soon."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
DDDA faces €2.5m bill in planning cases
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) faces a legal bill of about €2.5m after losing a court case about its planning powers.
Seán Dunne's North Wall Property Holding Company won a court case against the DDDA when Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan ruled that the authority acted outside its powers in approving a development by Liam Carroll's company, North Quay Investments.
Legal sources said Dunne's legal bill will be over €1m and the DDDA will likely have to pay those costs.
Spencer Dock Development Company took a similar case which was settled, with the DDDA agreeing to pay SDCC's legal costs. Those are expected to be close to €1m, experts said.
The authority will also have to pay its own costs in both cases, meaning a bill of about €2.5m is possible.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Seán Dunne's North Wall Property Holding Company won a court case against the DDDA when Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan ruled that the authority acted outside its powers in approving a development by Liam Carroll's company, North Quay Investments.
Legal sources said Dunne's legal bill will be over €1m and the DDDA will likely have to pay those costs.
Spencer Dock Development Company took a similar case which was settled, with the DDDA agreeing to pay SDCC's legal costs. Those are expected to be close to €1m, experts said.
The authority will also have to pay its own costs in both cases, meaning a bill of about €2.5m is possible.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Quinlan to ‘amalgamate’ houses worth €27m
Financier Derek Quinlan has applied for planning permission to ‘‘amalgamate’’ two houses on Shrewsbury Road in Dublin that he bought for €27 million.
Quinlan had originally planned to demolish number 1 and number 3 Shrewsbury Road and build a new home, but now plans to turn the existing houses into a single seven-bedroom house over four levels.
He is seeking to demolish part of the rear of number 1 and two sheds on the site and amalgamate the ‘‘remaining structural elements’’ of number 1 and number 3.
Quinlan’s plan for the houses that he bought in 2006 involves an extension to the front, rear and sides of the enlarged house, the construction of a basement and ‘‘reorganisation of internal accommodation’’.
The entrance at number 1 would be closed off, leaving all access at number 3 to ‘‘serve the amalgamated single family residential unit’’, according to his planning application. Quinlan currently lives at number 6 Shrewsbury Road.
He heads Quinlan Private, which manages assets worth about €11 billion and owns properties worldwide. The investment firm recently made a number of staff cuts because of the global downturn.
Shrewsbury Road has been the scene of several planning disputes. Telecoms entrepreneur Denis O’Brien and businessman Niall O’Farrell have had plans for the road denied, while residents have consistently objected to the redevelopment of the former Chester Beatty library.
Described by residents as ‘‘the premier showcase roadway in the city of Dublin’’, it is home to Walford, which was sold in 2005 for €58 million, making it the most expensive house in Ireland.
The offices of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland are on the market for €25 million, but the sale has been delayed for legal reasons.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Quinlan had originally planned to demolish number 1 and number 3 Shrewsbury Road and build a new home, but now plans to turn the existing houses into a single seven-bedroom house over four levels.
He is seeking to demolish part of the rear of number 1 and two sheds on the site and amalgamate the ‘‘remaining structural elements’’ of number 1 and number 3.
Quinlan’s plan for the houses that he bought in 2006 involves an extension to the front, rear and sides of the enlarged house, the construction of a basement and ‘‘reorganisation of internal accommodation’’.
The entrance at number 1 would be closed off, leaving all access at number 3 to ‘‘serve the amalgamated single family residential unit’’, according to his planning application. Quinlan currently lives at number 6 Shrewsbury Road.
He heads Quinlan Private, which manages assets worth about €11 billion and owns properties worldwide. The investment firm recently made a number of staff cuts because of the global downturn.
Shrewsbury Road has been the scene of several planning disputes. Telecoms entrepreneur Denis O’Brien and businessman Niall O’Farrell have had plans for the road denied, while residents have consistently objected to the redevelopment of the former Chester Beatty library.
Described by residents as ‘‘the premier showcase roadway in the city of Dublin’’, it is home to Walford, which was sold in 2005 for €58 million, making it the most expensive house in Ireland.
The offices of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland are on the market for €25 million, but the sale has been delayed for legal reasons.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Haulbowline toxic clean-up costs taxpayer €42m
TAXPAYERS forked out more than €42 million on the controversial Haulbowline clean-up operation when toxic waste was buried instead of removed.
The hazardous waste, which was covered up during the costly operation at the start of the year, is likely to cost the State up to €300m to dispose of.
The clean-up operation was suspended in June, when the Irish Examiner revealed that the sub-contractors carrying out the work were told by the Department of the Environment to “cap” the lagoons containing the toxic material at the former Irish Steel plant, rather than remove it.
Figures from the department show that the work cost €42m. “Further costs of approximately €1.1m will arise in 2008 in respect of ongoing management of the site, including in regard to site staff, security, utilities and small trade and service contracts,” said Environment Minister John Gormley in a written response to a Dáil question.
The Government spent a further €300,000 on independent consultants or experts to carry out investigations on the site to determine what risk it posed to human health.
“This comprises costs associated with sampling, analysis, topographical and foreshore ecological surveys, project management and professional fees for the three distinct modules of work, ie air, marine and site investigation and assessment,” said Mr Gormley.
“It is anticipated that an additional amount of approximately €50,000 will be expended, including the costs associated with a peer review, by the time all the current investigations and reports are finalised,” he added.
A report being carried out for the department on the toxic threat of the site is now three months overdue.
Fine Gael Cork East TD, David Stanton, who tabled the Dáil question, said the cost is particularly worrying because the minister has still not made any plans for the future use of the site.
“I am very concerned about what is going on in Haulbowline.
“The cost of site investigations and clean-up costs have been massive but still no decision has been taken on the preferred use of the site and necessary future works,” he said.
“In 2004, the minister estimated that surveys and remediation of the Irish ISPAT site would cost approximately €30m. Expenditure has now far surpassed that.
“To make matters worse the minister has advised that he cannot quantify future costs without determining the future use of the site.
“He should make public his intentions for the site immediately,” said Mr Stanton.
Following the publication of the Haulbowline report, Mr Gormley will bring proposals to the cabinet on what should be done with the site.
It is expected it will be cleaned up, at an estimated cost of €300m, and used as a public amenity.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The hazardous waste, which was covered up during the costly operation at the start of the year, is likely to cost the State up to €300m to dispose of.
The clean-up operation was suspended in June, when the Irish Examiner revealed that the sub-contractors carrying out the work were told by the Department of the Environment to “cap” the lagoons containing the toxic material at the former Irish Steel plant, rather than remove it.
Figures from the department show that the work cost €42m. “Further costs of approximately €1.1m will arise in 2008 in respect of ongoing management of the site, including in regard to site staff, security, utilities and small trade and service contracts,” said Environment Minister John Gormley in a written response to a Dáil question.
The Government spent a further €300,000 on independent consultants or experts to carry out investigations on the site to determine what risk it posed to human health.
“This comprises costs associated with sampling, analysis, topographical and foreshore ecological surveys, project management and professional fees for the three distinct modules of work, ie air, marine and site investigation and assessment,” said Mr Gormley.
“It is anticipated that an additional amount of approximately €50,000 will be expended, including the costs associated with a peer review, by the time all the current investigations and reports are finalised,” he added.
A report being carried out for the department on the toxic threat of the site is now three months overdue.
Fine Gael Cork East TD, David Stanton, who tabled the Dáil question, said the cost is particularly worrying because the minister has still not made any plans for the future use of the site.
“I am very concerned about what is going on in Haulbowline.
“The cost of site investigations and clean-up costs have been massive but still no decision has been taken on the preferred use of the site and necessary future works,” he said.
“In 2004, the minister estimated that surveys and remediation of the Irish ISPAT site would cost approximately €30m. Expenditure has now far surpassed that.
“To make matters worse the minister has advised that he cannot quantify future costs without determining the future use of the site.
“He should make public his intentions for the site immediately,” said Mr Stanton.
Following the publication of the Haulbowline report, Mr Gormley will bring proposals to the cabinet on what should be done with the site.
It is expected it will be cleaned up, at an estimated cost of €300m, and used as a public amenity.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Frank Dunlop: the charges he faces
1. That on June 11th, 1992, at his office, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Seán Gilbride of Fianna Fáil as an inducement to secure his vote in favour of a motion before Dublin City Council to rezone 108 acres of land for industrial use at Carrickmines, in the county development plan.
2. That between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, at Conway's pub on Parnell Street, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Jack Larkin of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
3. That on a date between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Cyril Gallagher of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
4. That on May 4th, 1992, in the reception area of Dublin City Council, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Tom Hand of Fine Gael (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
5. That on May 4th, 1992, at St John of God's in Dublin, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Don Lydon of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
6. That on a date unknown, between Dublin City Council's office and Conway's pub, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
7. That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, he corruptly gave £2,000 to Fianna Fáil councillor Colm McGrath at Mr McGrath's office in Clondalkin, in order to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
8. That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres of land at Carrickmines.
9. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to vote in favour of a motion that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council rezone about 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use in the county development plan.
10. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone about 88 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use.
11. That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines as industrial in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown development plan.
12. That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres of land at Carrickmines.
13. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.
14. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres at Carrickmines.
15. That on a date unknown between October 30th, 1997, and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.
16. That on a date unknown between October 30th and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox to secure his vote to rezone 88 acres at Carrickmines.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
2. That between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, at Conway's pub on Parnell Street, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Jack Larkin of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
3. That on a date between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Cyril Gallagher of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
4. That on May 4th, 1992, in the reception area of Dublin City Council, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Tom Hand of Fine Gael (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
5. That on May 4th, 1992, at St John of God's in Dublin, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Don Lydon of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
6. That on a date unknown, between Dublin City Council's office and Conway's pub, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
7. That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, he corruptly gave £2,000 to Fianna Fáil councillor Colm McGrath at Mr McGrath's office in Clondalkin, in order to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.
8. That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres of land at Carrickmines.
9. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to vote in favour of a motion that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council rezone about 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use in the county development plan.
10. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone about 88 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use.
11. That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines as industrial in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown development plan.
12. That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres of land at Carrickmines.
13. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.
14. That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres at Carrickmines.
15. That on a date unknown between October 30th, 1997, and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.
16. That on a date unknown between October 30th and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox to secure his vote to rezone 88 acres at Carrickmines.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
State loses EU battle over planning
IRELAND HAS lost a legal battle against the European Commission for failing to screen small-scale farm projects for possible environmental impact assessments.
In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that the Government had not brought fully into Irish law a 1985 directive requiring it to examine the ecological effects of agricultural schemes before granting planning permission for them.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley accepted the court's decision and said his department would "closely examine" the detailed judgment before giving a legislative response.
The case dates back to 2001, when the EC sent a letter of formal notice to the Government relating to a trial salmon farm on the Kenmare estuary in Co Kerry.
Court action followed in 2003, and the case came to the European Court of Justice three years later.
Under EU rules, member states are allowed to set thresholds under which certain projects can be exempted from mandatory impact assessments, but only if those projects do not have a negative effect on the environment.
In order to assess whether a development would have such an effect, planning authorities must look at certain conditions set out in the EU's directive, including the nature, location and cumulative environmental impact of the planned development.
The commission's case rested on the fact that, in allowing planning authorities to decide whether projects under a certain size required impact assessments, Ireland failed to fully take into account the individual merits of each development based on these conditions. A spokesperson for EU environment chief Stavros Dimas said that the commission welcomes the decision and "looks forward to working constructively with the Irish authorities to ensure that important ecological sites will be better protected in future".
Ireland has been ordered to pay the costs incurred by the commission during the proceedings. Poland, which intervened to support Ireland's case last year, has been told to pay its own costs.
In a separate preliminary ruling also handed down on Thursday, the European Court of Justice found that an Irish Beef Industry Development Society scheme, where some beef processors undertook to leave the processing industry, amounts to a restriction of competition in the industry.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that the Government had not brought fully into Irish law a 1985 directive requiring it to examine the ecological effects of agricultural schemes before granting planning permission for them.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley accepted the court's decision and said his department would "closely examine" the detailed judgment before giving a legislative response.
The case dates back to 2001, when the EC sent a letter of formal notice to the Government relating to a trial salmon farm on the Kenmare estuary in Co Kerry.
Court action followed in 2003, and the case came to the European Court of Justice three years later.
Under EU rules, member states are allowed to set thresholds under which certain projects can be exempted from mandatory impact assessments, but only if those projects do not have a negative effect on the environment.
In order to assess whether a development would have such an effect, planning authorities must look at certain conditions set out in the EU's directive, including the nature, location and cumulative environmental impact of the planned development.
The commission's case rested on the fact that, in allowing planning authorities to decide whether projects under a certain size required impact assessments, Ireland failed to fully take into account the individual merits of each development based on these conditions. A spokesperson for EU environment chief Stavros Dimas said that the commission welcomes the decision and "looks forward to working constructively with the Irish authorities to ensure that important ecological sites will be better protected in future".
Ireland has been ordered to pay the costs incurred by the commission during the proceedings. Poland, which intervened to support Ireland's case last year, has been told to pay its own costs.
In a separate preliminary ruling also handed down on Thursday, the European Court of Justice found that an Irish Beef Industry Development Society scheme, where some beef processors undertook to leave the processing industry, amounts to a restriction of competition in the industry.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin water proposals to be released today
PROPOSALS TO pump water from the Shannon river's lakes to Dublin to serve the city's water needs will be released for public consultation by Dublin City Council today.
The public will be invited to make submissions in relation to 10 options the council has put forward to prevent Dublin from running out of water. The current water supplies will not be sufficient to serve the city beyond 2016.
Of these 10 options, seven involve taking the equivalent of hundreds of millions of litres of water from the Shannon to serve Dublin every day.
The council said it would not select a preferred option until after the public consultation process - which ends on February 27th - was completed and the various submissions assessed.
However, the documentation being released for public consultation evaluates each option and either discounts or gives a negative weighting to the three non-Shannon-related options.
The most positive rating is given to the option which involves piping water from Lough Derg to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, for use as required by the Dublin region and parts of the midlands.
The three options which do not involve the Shannon and its lakes are desalination, the use of ground-water supplies in the Fingal-Kildare areas, and the use of water from the upper river Liffey in conjunction with water from the river Barrow.
The council has effectively dismissed the latter two options, stating that they "cannot provide required quantities of water". Desalination is technically feasible, the council said, but has been ranked as one of the least positive options.
From the point of view of the technical process, desalination is ranked as a negative option.
In environmental terms it is ranked as negative to neutral; in socio-economic terms it is ranked as negative, and in economic terms it is ranked as very negative.
The Lough Derg and bog storage option has no negative effects, according to the council's assessment.
Two bogs have been identified as suitable for storage - one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois. The artificial lakes could be used to create "midlands environmental parks", which would generate tourism for the surrounding areas.
The other Shannon options involve taking water from Lough Ree, Lough Derg and the Parteen Basin, with combinations of bog storage, "impoundment" - water storage at a location in the Wicklow mountains, or direct pumping to Dublin.
The greater Dublin region currently uses about 560 million litres per day; by 2016 this will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 it will have a demand for 800 million litres. However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Executive manager with the council Tom Leahy said the city cannot be allowed to run out of water. "We have a looming situation in 2016. Currently the supply- demand balance is on a knife edge."
The council is likely to receive large numbers of negative submissions, particularly from Shannon area politicians, environmental bodies and community groups.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The public will be invited to make submissions in relation to 10 options the council has put forward to prevent Dublin from running out of water. The current water supplies will not be sufficient to serve the city beyond 2016.
Of these 10 options, seven involve taking the equivalent of hundreds of millions of litres of water from the Shannon to serve Dublin every day.
The council said it would not select a preferred option until after the public consultation process - which ends on February 27th - was completed and the various submissions assessed.
However, the documentation being released for public consultation evaluates each option and either discounts or gives a negative weighting to the three non-Shannon-related options.
The most positive rating is given to the option which involves piping water from Lough Derg to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, for use as required by the Dublin region and parts of the midlands.
The three options which do not involve the Shannon and its lakes are desalination, the use of ground-water supplies in the Fingal-Kildare areas, and the use of water from the upper river Liffey in conjunction with water from the river Barrow.
The council has effectively dismissed the latter two options, stating that they "cannot provide required quantities of water". Desalination is technically feasible, the council said, but has been ranked as one of the least positive options.
From the point of view of the technical process, desalination is ranked as a negative option.
In environmental terms it is ranked as negative to neutral; in socio-economic terms it is ranked as negative, and in economic terms it is ranked as very negative.
The Lough Derg and bog storage option has no negative effects, according to the council's assessment.
Two bogs have been identified as suitable for storage - one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois. The artificial lakes could be used to create "midlands environmental parks", which would generate tourism for the surrounding areas.
The other Shannon options involve taking water from Lough Ree, Lough Derg and the Parteen Basin, with combinations of bog storage, "impoundment" - water storage at a location in the Wicklow mountains, or direct pumping to Dublin.
The greater Dublin region currently uses about 560 million litres per day; by 2016 this will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 it will have a demand for 800 million litres. However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Executive manager with the council Tom Leahy said the city cannot be allowed to run out of water. "We have a looming situation in 2016. Currently the supply- demand balance is on a knife edge."
The council is likely to receive large numbers of negative submissions, particularly from Shannon area politicians, environmental bodies and community groups.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 21 November 2008
Tesco's Portarlington plans rejected
PLANS BY Tesco to develop a new foodstore and off-licence along the floodplain of the River Barrow in Portarlington, Co Laoise, have been blocked by An Bord Pleanála.
Laois County Council had approved the plans despite the planning application acknowledging that the site was part of the floodplain. Tesco sought permission for 3,281sq m (35,316sq ft) plus an off-licence. It proposed flood relief works and access to a riverside walkway.
The board said it was not satisfied that the flood relief works would not have significant adverse effects on both the natural heritage of the area and the future use of the river and adjoining lands, including the loss of part of the floodplain and the associated risk of increased flooding of other lands in the vicinity. Tesco proposed to collect surface water on site and dispose of it into the river by a controlled pumping system.
During the hearing, Laois County Council admitted having granted outline permission for 36 homes on the same site. That permission has since expired.
Several parties appealing against the development argued that the location of the store would be in the most obtrusive and imposing position possible, that the building would detract from the visual amenity of the area and would have an adverse visual impact on the River Barrow.
The board inspector said he agreed that the supermarket at this location would have a significant detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the area.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Laois County Council had approved the plans despite the planning application acknowledging that the site was part of the floodplain. Tesco sought permission for 3,281sq m (35,316sq ft) plus an off-licence. It proposed flood relief works and access to a riverside walkway.
The board said it was not satisfied that the flood relief works would not have significant adverse effects on both the natural heritage of the area and the future use of the river and adjoining lands, including the loss of part of the floodplain and the associated risk of increased flooding of other lands in the vicinity. Tesco proposed to collect surface water on site and dispose of it into the river by a controlled pumping system.
During the hearing, Laois County Council admitted having granted outline permission for 36 homes on the same site. That permission has since expired.
Several parties appealing against the development argued that the location of the store would be in the most obtrusive and imposing position possible, that the building would detract from the visual amenity of the area and would have an adverse visual impact on the River Barrow.
The board inspector said he agreed that the supermarket at this location would have a significant detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the area.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Rathcoole anti-incinerator group to seek costs from firm
A GROUP opposed to the building of an incinerator at Rathcoole in west Dublin is to seek to have its costs paid by the company proposing the development, Energy Answers International.
Rathcoole Against Incineration Dioxins (Raid) is giving evidence at a Bord Pleanála hearing on the proposed €200 million incinerator, energy recovery facility and concrete plant.
Raid said it would lodge a claim for about €55,000 with inquiry inspector Michael Dillon before the close of the inquiry, expected in early December.
Under legislation governing strategic infrastructure applications Bord Pleanála may direct the applicant to pay all or some of the costs of other parties.
Outlining its case yesterday, Raid called a range of expert witnesses including lawyers, planning and transport specialists, biologists, a biochemist and representatives of the bloodstock industry.
Spokesman Liam McDermott said Raid believed it was correct that its costs should be borne by Energy Answers. "If they put us to such trouble and expense it should be [they] who pay for it," he said.
Horse breeder and broadcaster Ted Walsh said "incinerators are bad neighbours" and that putting one in Rathcoole would be putting substantial bloodstock interests in Co Kildare at risk.
Consultant ecologist Mieke Muyllaert said the site was "of greater biodiversity significance than suggested by the environmental impact statement".
Transportation expert Christy O'Sullivan said there were significant dangers posed for traffic on the N7; during the construction of the plant, there would be 500 vehicle movements on the road per day, and 428 during its operation. Dangers were also likely to arise at the junction of the slip-road from the plant.
Biochemist Deborah McDermott was incredulous that the applicant had claimed the boiler ash did not qualify as hazardous waste. "As there is no toxic landfill in the Republic of Ireland one must ask . . . where will this toxic waste go?" she said. Rónán Mac Diarmada, an agricultural scientist, said the drawings in the application were flawed. "The landscape drawing is unsatisfactory in terms of detail and accuracy. The site boundary does not correlate with other consultants' drawings. The site layout does not show levels and does not correspond to engineers' drawings."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Rathcoole Against Incineration Dioxins (Raid) is giving evidence at a Bord Pleanála hearing on the proposed €200 million incinerator, energy recovery facility and concrete plant.
Raid said it would lodge a claim for about €55,000 with inquiry inspector Michael Dillon before the close of the inquiry, expected in early December.
Under legislation governing strategic infrastructure applications Bord Pleanála may direct the applicant to pay all or some of the costs of other parties.
Outlining its case yesterday, Raid called a range of expert witnesses including lawyers, planning and transport specialists, biologists, a biochemist and representatives of the bloodstock industry.
Spokesman Liam McDermott said Raid believed it was correct that its costs should be borne by Energy Answers. "If they put us to such trouble and expense it should be [they] who pay for it," he said.
Horse breeder and broadcaster Ted Walsh said "incinerators are bad neighbours" and that putting one in Rathcoole would be putting substantial bloodstock interests in Co Kildare at risk.
Consultant ecologist Mieke Muyllaert said the site was "of greater biodiversity significance than suggested by the environmental impact statement".
Transportation expert Christy O'Sullivan said there were significant dangers posed for traffic on the N7; during the construction of the plant, there would be 500 vehicle movements on the road per day, and 428 during its operation. Dangers were also likely to arise at the junction of the slip-road from the plant.
Biochemist Deborah McDermott was incredulous that the applicant had claimed the boiler ash did not qualify as hazardous waste. "As there is no toxic landfill in the Republic of Ireland one must ask . . . where will this toxic waste go?" she said. Rónán Mac Diarmada, an agricultural scientist, said the drawings in the application were flawed. "The landscape drawing is unsatisfactory in terms of detail and accuracy. The site boundary does not correlate with other consultants' drawings. The site layout does not show levels and does not correspond to engineers' drawings."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Balbriggan plan appealed
MOYLARAGH ROAD Residents has appealed a scheme of over 1,000 homes beside their estate in Balbriggan, Co Dublin. They say it is causing them serious concern due to the high density planned for the site and that the large number of apartments will result in "wholesale rental accommodation" which will lead to a transient population and anti-social behaviour. The residents are "at a loss to understand" how Fingal County Council can justify its decision to grant permission for the scheme.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sandymount scheme approved
DEVELOPER BRYAN Cullen's plan for an office and medical complex in Sandymount has been approved by Dublin City Council despite 11 objections. After previous attempts to build an upmarket apartment scheme on the site, once occupied by Cerebral Palsy Ireland and a garden centre, Cullen opted for an office scheme of 33 own door units, two consultants rooms and 31 offices in five blocks.
In February 2007 An Bord Pleanála refused permission for 40 apartments and four townhouses on the 0.37-hectare site with frontage onto Sandymount Avenue and close to the Dart station.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In February 2007 An Bord Pleanála refused permission for 40 apartments and four townhouses on the 0.37-hectare site with frontage onto Sandymount Avenue and close to the Dart station.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Hilton Hotel extension and office scheme in Dublin 2 appealed
PERMISSION GRANTED to a trio of high profile developers to redevelop the 1960s office block, McConnell House, and to add a seven-storey extension to the Hilton Hotel, both on Charlemont Place, Dublin 2, have been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Bernard McNamara, Jeremiah O'Reilly and Eamon Sheilds were granted planning permission by Dublin City Council to demolish McConnell House, a five-storey office building previously occupied by McConnell Advertising, and build an eight-storey office building in its place.
They also got the go-ahead for an extension to the rear of the Hilton Hotel comprising a conference centre, 34 hotel bedrooms, five meeting rooms, bars, lounges and a health club, increasing the total gross floor area of the hotel to 17,914sq m (192,825sq ft) and the number of bedrooms to 245.
But, in its appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the residents of Harcourt Green apartments beside the proposed hotel extension say its lack of accessibility in terms of public transport "calls into question the desirability of the 5,500sq m conference centre element of the proposal". The residents also say that, although it is on a Luas line, the hotel doesn't have direct links with mainline rail stations or to the airport and won't until completion of the Transport 21 plan for greater Dublin which is scheduled to provide a Luas/metro link to north Dublin in 2013 and a rail interconnector to the mainline rail system by 2015.
The residents say the development will have a negative impact on surrounding established residential areas including Harcourt Terrace, Peter Place, and their own Harcourt Green apartment complex of 169 apartments.
In his appeal, Tadgh Campion with an address at Charlemont Place, says irrespective of the merits of the hotel and conference element, the proposed offices represent "a functionally separate component and a speculative site maximising approach that does not have due regard to its context and location".
Among his grounds for appealing the development is that it will overshadow his property and represent a substantial increase in the bulk of development beside his property.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bernard McNamara, Jeremiah O'Reilly and Eamon Sheilds were granted planning permission by Dublin City Council to demolish McConnell House, a five-storey office building previously occupied by McConnell Advertising, and build an eight-storey office building in its place.
They also got the go-ahead for an extension to the rear of the Hilton Hotel comprising a conference centre, 34 hotel bedrooms, five meeting rooms, bars, lounges and a health club, increasing the total gross floor area of the hotel to 17,914sq m (192,825sq ft) and the number of bedrooms to 245.
But, in its appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the residents of Harcourt Green apartments beside the proposed hotel extension say its lack of accessibility in terms of public transport "calls into question the desirability of the 5,500sq m conference centre element of the proposal". The residents also say that, although it is on a Luas line, the hotel doesn't have direct links with mainline rail stations or to the airport and won't until completion of the Transport 21 plan for greater Dublin which is scheduled to provide a Luas/metro link to north Dublin in 2013 and a rail interconnector to the mainline rail system by 2015.
The residents say the development will have a negative impact on surrounding established residential areas including Harcourt Terrace, Peter Place, and their own Harcourt Green apartment complex of 169 apartments.
In his appeal, Tadgh Campion with an address at Charlemont Place, says irrespective of the merits of the hotel and conference element, the proposed offices represent "a functionally separate component and a speculative site maximising approach that does not have due regard to its context and location".
Among his grounds for appealing the development is that it will overshadow his property and represent a substantial increase in the bulk of development beside his property.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
59 apartments for Redcourt House site in Clontarf
DEVELOPER MARK Piggott is looking to demolish the fire damaged Redcourt House in Clontarf, Dublin 3 to make way for apartments, despite a previous planning permission to convert it into apartments.
The Victorian property hit the headlines last year when the burned remains of a man were found after a fire.
In January this year An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to convert the 19th century house on Seafield Road East into four apartments as part of a new homes development.
A five-storey apartment block with 33 apartments and nine townhouses were also part of his proposal.
However, he is now looking to knock what is referred to in the planning application as a "fire gutted and derelict" house and build a new house containing five apartments. He is also proposing another five-storey building which would contain 54 apartments and basement parking for 89 cars. The property was the home of the Hardy family for several generations and was sold to developer Mark Piggott in 2004 for €7.5 million, €3.3 million over the guide price.
Redcourt House hit the headlines in August when a 38-year-old man (believed to have been in the house before the fire broke out) presented himself at Raheny Garda station as the fire was still raging.
The fire was brought under control by five units of the fire brigade and the remains of a man were found.
The house on 1.65 acres has been at the centre of a protracted planning dispute in recent years.
An original proposal to demolish the house and build 54 apartments was rejected by both Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála.
Although the developer succeeded in stopping the house being listed as a protected structure, An Bord Pleanála said it was an "intrinsic element" of the site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Victorian property hit the headlines last year when the burned remains of a man were found after a fire.
In January this year An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to convert the 19th century house on Seafield Road East into four apartments as part of a new homes development.
A five-storey apartment block with 33 apartments and nine townhouses were also part of his proposal.
However, he is now looking to knock what is referred to in the planning application as a "fire gutted and derelict" house and build a new house containing five apartments. He is also proposing another five-storey building which would contain 54 apartments and basement parking for 89 cars. The property was the home of the Hardy family for several generations and was sold to developer Mark Piggott in 2004 for €7.5 million, €3.3 million over the guide price.
Redcourt House hit the headlines in August when a 38-year-old man (believed to have been in the house before the fire broke out) presented himself at Raheny Garda station as the fire was still raging.
The fire was brought under control by five units of the fire brigade and the remains of a man were found.
The house on 1.65 acres has been at the centre of a protracted planning dispute in recent years.
An original proposal to demolish the house and build 54 apartments was rejected by both Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála.
Although the developer succeeded in stopping the house being listed as a protected structure, An Bord Pleanála said it was an "intrinsic element" of the site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin aims to be most accessible city for disabled
DUBLIN IS aiming to become the most accessible city in the world for people with disabilities, the elderly and parents of young children.
Dublin City Council and the National Disability Authority (NDA) are to discuss plans at a conference today which they say will make the city the most accessible internationally by the end of the decade.
The council, the NDA and the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design will discuss the issue not only in terms of improving infrastructure such as roads, footpaths and buildings but through the use of technology.
Speaking before the conference, Peter Finnegan, director of the council's office of international relations and research, said Dublin was leading the way internationally in terms of using technology to improve accessibility.
"Earlier this year, we launched our Access Dublin website and we have already audited 1,000 businesses which provide accessible services, and we will audit another 1,000 next year."
The website, www.accessdublin.ie, carries details of premises and services in Dublin which are accessible, and invites feedback from users, enabling local people and tourists to choose businesses they know they will be able to use easily.
The council was also investigating the use of talking information and map units that use touchscreen technology and carry no written information.
The issue of accessibility does not just concern wheelchair users or the visually impaired, Mr Finnegan said. "It's about people who are getting older, people with children in pushchairs, people who might fall and be on a crutch for a period of time. People should realise that this issue is likely to affect them at some stage in their life cycle."
Mr Finnegan conceded that the council still had a lot to do in terms of improving path and road surfaces, but he said the council also had to ensure that accessibility was built into the design of any new works programme.
"We're not just putting right the wrongs of the past - anything that's done in the future must be done to the highest standards. There needs to be universal design in how we plan our cities."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin City Council and the National Disability Authority (NDA) are to discuss plans at a conference today which they say will make the city the most accessible internationally by the end of the decade.
The council, the NDA and the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design will discuss the issue not only in terms of improving infrastructure such as roads, footpaths and buildings but through the use of technology.
Speaking before the conference, Peter Finnegan, director of the council's office of international relations and research, said Dublin was leading the way internationally in terms of using technology to improve accessibility.
"Earlier this year, we launched our Access Dublin website and we have already audited 1,000 businesses which provide accessible services, and we will audit another 1,000 next year."
The website, www.accessdublin.ie, carries details of premises and services in Dublin which are accessible, and invites feedback from users, enabling local people and tourists to choose businesses they know they will be able to use easily.
The council was also investigating the use of talking information and map units that use touchscreen technology and carry no written information.
The issue of accessibility does not just concern wheelchair users or the visually impaired, Mr Finnegan said. "It's about people who are getting older, people with children in pushchairs, people who might fall and be on a crutch for a period of time. People should realise that this issue is likely to affect them at some stage in their life cycle."
Mr Finnegan conceded that the council still had a lot to do in terms of improving path and road surfaces, but he said the council also had to ensure that accessibility was built into the design of any new works programme.
"We're not just putting right the wrongs of the past - anything that's done in the future must be done to the highest standards. There needs to be universal design in how we plan our cities."
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Docks authority rules out claims against it
THE DUBLIN Docklands Development Authority has said it will face no compensation claims following a High Court ruling which overturned its granting of fast-track planning permission for a €200 million development at North Wall Quay.
The authority will today announce new procedures for dealing with fast-track section 25 planning approvals.
Last month, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan ruled that the authority acted outside its powers in approving the development by Liam Carroll's company, North Quay Investments Ltd (NQI).
The court found that an earlier agreement between the authority and NQI, under which the company would give land, free of charge, to the authority, gave rise to a "reasonable apprehension of bias" on behalf of the authority in reaching its planning decision.
The case was taken by rival developer Seán Dunne, who is now seeking an injunction to have part of the development which is already built - an €83 million office block intended as the new headquarter of Anglo Irish Bank - to be pulled down.
Separate proceedings taken by the Spencer Dock Development Company against the authority in relation to the same planning issue, were settled earlier this week.
The authority's chief executive, Paul Maloney, told The Irish Times yesterday that suggestions that there would be massive compensation claims from Mr Carroll, or any other party, were wrong. "Following legal advice I am satisfied that the docklands authority faces no compensation claims," he said.
Although the matter of the demolition of the €83 million building had yet to be resolved by the courts, Mr Maloney said the authority believed no compensation would be payable.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The authority will today announce new procedures for dealing with fast-track section 25 planning approvals.
Last month, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan ruled that the authority acted outside its powers in approving the development by Liam Carroll's company, North Quay Investments Ltd (NQI).
The court found that an earlier agreement between the authority and NQI, under which the company would give land, free of charge, to the authority, gave rise to a "reasonable apprehension of bias" on behalf of the authority in reaching its planning decision.
The case was taken by rival developer Seán Dunne, who is now seeking an injunction to have part of the development which is already built - an €83 million office block intended as the new headquarter of Anglo Irish Bank - to be pulled down.
Separate proceedings taken by the Spencer Dock Development Company against the authority in relation to the same planning issue, were settled earlier this week.
The authority's chief executive, Paul Maloney, told The Irish Times yesterday that suggestions that there would be massive compensation claims from Mr Carroll, or any other party, were wrong. "Following legal advice I am satisfied that the docklands authority faces no compensation claims," he said.
Although the matter of the demolition of the €83 million building had yet to be resolved by the courts, Mr Maloney said the authority believed no compensation would be payable.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
State and Shell ask court to halt action
THE STATE and Shell E and P Ireland Ltd have asked the High Court to halt an action by local residents alleging that ministerial consents given six years ago for the Corrib gas pipeline breached European law and the principles of natural and constitutional justice.
In the latest stage of a long-running action relating to the pipeline, the State and Shell want the court to strike out proceedings in which four residents are seeking High Court declarations that Shell has no interest in lands acquired under compulsory acquisition orders (CAOs) issued in 2002 by the then minister.
The residents also want declarations that the minister had acted in breach of the principles of natural and constitutional justice, and in breach of European law, by giving consent for those CAOs.
The Minister and Shell, in a preliminary application which opened yesterday before Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, want the court to dismiss the residents’ case as it was brought outside the time limits for such cases.
The proceedings first arose in 2005 when Shell successfully obtained contempt of court orders against five men, known as the Rossport Five. The men spent 94 days in prison after refusing to abide by an order not to interfere with the pipeline work.
Shell later discontinued its proceedings saying it would seek an alternative route, but residents, including members of the Rossport Five, want to proceed with a counter-claim alleging the minister’s CAOs approving the pipeline route were not valid.
In their claim, the residents – Philip McGrath, James Philbin, Willie Corduff and Bríd McGarry argue that the CAOs were acquired under the wrong statutory provisions. They also claim that both Shell and the State are attempting to prevent issues from being determined by the High Court in an effort to “protect illegal acts” from judicial scrutiny.
They say any consent by the minister under the Gas Act 1976 to allow access to the land was based on a number of “fundamental” conditions, including that the route of the pipe was to be fixed so as to ensure a minimum distance of 70 metres between it and inhabited dwellings. They claim the route goes within 70 metres of such houses.
The residents also claim Shell failed to comply with a condition of ministerial approval that a full assessment of the effect of leaks or a rupture should first be carried out. An environmental management plan should also have been drawn up and approved by the minister before consent was given, but this was not complied with, it is claimed.
Issues relating to the impact of noise on properties within 100 metres of the pipe were also not complied with, they claim.
The residents also claim they were not put on notice of the application by Shell to seek ministerial consent so they could make representations about the danger of the pipeline.
The State has denied the claims. The hearing continues today.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In the latest stage of a long-running action relating to the pipeline, the State and Shell want the court to strike out proceedings in which four residents are seeking High Court declarations that Shell has no interest in lands acquired under compulsory acquisition orders (CAOs) issued in 2002 by the then minister.
The residents also want declarations that the minister had acted in breach of the principles of natural and constitutional justice, and in breach of European law, by giving consent for those CAOs.
The Minister and Shell, in a preliminary application which opened yesterday before Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, want the court to dismiss the residents’ case as it was brought outside the time limits for such cases.
The proceedings first arose in 2005 when Shell successfully obtained contempt of court orders against five men, known as the Rossport Five. The men spent 94 days in prison after refusing to abide by an order not to interfere with the pipeline work.
Shell later discontinued its proceedings saying it would seek an alternative route, but residents, including members of the Rossport Five, want to proceed with a counter-claim alleging the minister’s CAOs approving the pipeline route were not valid.
In their claim, the residents – Philip McGrath, James Philbin, Willie Corduff and Bríd McGarry argue that the CAOs were acquired under the wrong statutory provisions. They also claim that both Shell and the State are attempting to prevent issues from being determined by the High Court in an effort to “protect illegal acts” from judicial scrutiny.
They say any consent by the minister under the Gas Act 1976 to allow access to the land was based on a number of “fundamental” conditions, including that the route of the pipe was to be fixed so as to ensure a minimum distance of 70 metres between it and inhabited dwellings. They claim the route goes within 70 metres of such houses.
The residents also claim Shell failed to comply with a condition of ministerial approval that a full assessment of the effect of leaks or a rupture should first be carried out. An environmental management plan should also have been drawn up and approved by the minister before consent was given, but this was not complied with, it is claimed.
Issues relating to the impact of noise on properties within 100 metres of the pipe were also not complied with, they claim.
The residents also claim they were not put on notice of the application by Shell to seek ministerial consent so they could make representations about the danger of the pipeline.
The State has denied the claims. The hearing continues today.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Docklands dispute over DDDA awarding of 'covert' contract settled
THE SPENCER Dock Development Company has settled its court proceedings in which it alleged there was a “covert contract” between the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) and developer Liam Carroll’s North Quay Investments (NQI) Ltd relating to a NQI development on the north quays.
The case was settled on consent yesterday on terms which provide for the setting aside of the permission granted by the docklands authority for the NQI development.
The terms also include a declaration that the docklands authority acted in excess of its powers in entering into an agreement with NQI on May 31st, 2007, and an order quashing the agreement.
The DDDA has also agreed to pay the Spencer Dock Development Company’s legal costs in the settlement ruled yesterday, on consent of the parties, by Mr Justice Peter Kelly.
Spencer Dock Development,which controls development lands over 29 acres at Spencer Dock, Dublin, had claimed the DDDA “seriously compromised itself” in relation to alleged commitments to NQI under the agreement and had given NQI “a considerable commercial advantage”.
It also claimed the DDDA may be liable for millions of euro in losses to Spencer Dock Development as a result of the agreement, as NQI had effectively secured a “rewriting of the planning scheme” to ensure “the maximum benefit” for the lands owned by it.
The company claimed NQI had secured a major advantage over other developers in the docklands areas.
Yesterday’s settlement comes after the DDDA told the Commercial Court last month it was not appealing an earlier court decision that it acted outside its powers in granting “fast-track” permission for the €200 million NQI development on Dublin’s north quays.
The DDDA decision not to appeal Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan’s judgment in October means it may yet be exposed to multimillion-euro compensation claims from developers.
The judgment could also affect the docklands authority’s plans to create a high-rise quarter jutting out into the river Liffey along North Wall Quay, east of Spencer Dock.
This scheme would have been facilitated by NQI’s ceding of land, free of charge.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The case was settled on consent yesterday on terms which provide for the setting aside of the permission granted by the docklands authority for the NQI development.
The terms also include a declaration that the docklands authority acted in excess of its powers in entering into an agreement with NQI on May 31st, 2007, and an order quashing the agreement.
The DDDA has also agreed to pay the Spencer Dock Development Company’s legal costs in the settlement ruled yesterday, on consent of the parties, by Mr Justice Peter Kelly.
Spencer Dock Development,which controls development lands over 29 acres at Spencer Dock, Dublin, had claimed the DDDA “seriously compromised itself” in relation to alleged commitments to NQI under the agreement and had given NQI “a considerable commercial advantage”.
It also claimed the DDDA may be liable for millions of euro in losses to Spencer Dock Development as a result of the agreement, as NQI had effectively secured a “rewriting of the planning scheme” to ensure “the maximum benefit” for the lands owned by it.
The company claimed NQI had secured a major advantage over other developers in the docklands areas.
Yesterday’s settlement comes after the DDDA told the Commercial Court last month it was not appealing an earlier court decision that it acted outside its powers in granting “fast-track” permission for the €200 million NQI development on Dublin’s north quays.
The DDDA decision not to appeal Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan’s judgment in October means it may yet be exposed to multimillion-euro compensation claims from developers.
The judgment could also affect the docklands authority’s plans to create a high-rise quarter jutting out into the river Liffey along North Wall Quay, east of Spencer Dock.
This scheme would have been facilitated by NQI’s ceding of land, free of charge.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
The battle of North Lotts
Liam Carroll's North Quay Investments Ltd lodges an application to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority for a "fast-track" exemption certificate to build a major office development on Dublin's North Wall Quay.
DDDA decides in July 2007 to grant this section 25 certificate.
The decision is based, in part, on a confidential agreement between the DDDA and NQI for the developer to grant a certain strip of land free-of-charge to the docklands authority.
l August 29, 2007
The DDDA issues the certificate for three eight-storey buildings.
l October 9, 2008
The High Court rules that the DDDA acted outside of its powers and breached fair procedures in how it certified the €200m-development. It quashes the "fast-track" certificate.
Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan rules that the nature of the confidential agreement between the DDDA and NQI gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias" by the DDDA in reaching its decision.
l October 23, 2008
Rival developer Sean Dunne seeks injunction requiring Carroll, who has spent €83m developing the office block, to tear it down.
Mr Carroll, who cannot apply to the DDDA for retention permission, asks the High Court to rule whether his quashed certificate is "void", or merely "voidable" and, therefore, capable of being validated.
Paul Gallagher, the Attorney General, is asked to review the 1997 DDDA Act and the powers of the authority to ascertain if any amendments are required in light of the High Court ruling.
l November 11, 2008
Liam Carroll applies to Dublin City Council for retention permission to save his office block.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
DDDA decides in July 2007 to grant this section 25 certificate.
The decision is based, in part, on a confidential agreement between the DDDA and NQI for the developer to grant a certain strip of land free-of-charge to the docklands authority.
l August 29, 2007
The DDDA issues the certificate for three eight-storey buildings.
l October 9, 2008
The High Court rules that the DDDA acted outside of its powers and breached fair procedures in how it certified the €200m-development. It quashes the "fast-track" certificate.
Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan rules that the nature of the confidential agreement between the DDDA and NQI gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias" by the DDDA in reaching its decision.
l October 23, 2008
Rival developer Sean Dunne seeks injunction requiring Carroll, who has spent €83m developing the office block, to tear it down.
Mr Carroll, who cannot apply to the DDDA for retention permission, asks the High Court to rule whether his quashed certificate is "void", or merely "voidable" and, therefore, capable of being validated.
Paul Gallagher, the Attorney General, is asked to review the 1997 DDDA Act and the powers of the authority to ascertain if any amendments are required in light of the High Court ruling.
l November 11, 2008
Liam Carroll applies to Dublin City Council for retention permission to save his office block.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Developer tells court 'council was negligent'
DEVELOPER Bernard McNamara is standing over a court claim that Dublin City Council acted negligently and improperly in preventing the demolition of several 19th century properties as part of a €40m development at Merrion Road in Dublin.
The proceedings by Mr McNamara, and his company Radora Developments Ltd, against the council, were admitted to the Commercial Court yesterday.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly clarified matters related to representation in the case of other parties, including individual councillors against whom serious allegations were made in an affidavit.
The judge was told yesterday by Eamon Galligan, counsel for Radora, that the claims of negligence and misfeasance in public office were being made against the council as a whole and not individual councillors. His side were standing over those claims, counsel said.
Radora claims the council's decision of July 8 last, listing the properties as protected structures, was made for "an improper motive" and had exposed Radora to costs of €750,000 a year to maintain the properties.
The registered properties, known as the LLandaff properties, are located at 207-223 Merrion Road.
A date for the hearing has been fixed for February 24, 2009.
Tim Healy
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The proceedings by Mr McNamara, and his company Radora Developments Ltd, against the council, were admitted to the Commercial Court yesterday.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly clarified matters related to representation in the case of other parties, including individual councillors against whom serious allegations were made in an affidavit.
The judge was told yesterday by Eamon Galligan, counsel for Radora, that the claims of negligence and misfeasance in public office were being made against the council as a whole and not individual councillors. His side were standing over those claims, counsel said.
Radora claims the council's decision of July 8 last, listing the properties as protected structures, was made for "an improper motive" and had exposed Radora to costs of €750,000 a year to maintain the properties.
The registered properties, known as the LLandaff properties, are located at 207-223 Merrion Road.
A date for the hearing has been fixed for February 24, 2009.
Tim Healy
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Docklands plans hit by builders' €1bn turf war
THE Attorney General has been called in to review the law which allows the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to "fast-track" planning permissions, in the wake of a €1bn turf war between developers Sean Dunne and Liam Carroll.
Last month, the High Court quashed a special exemption certificate granted by the authority to developer Liam Carroll -- for a €200m office block development on the former Brooks Thomas site at North Wall Quay.
The quashing of the 'Section 25' certificate prompted rival builder Sean Dunne to seek a High Court injunction to force Mr Carroll, who has already spent €83m on the development, to tear down the structure.
Dunne himself is facing major objections, including one by Dermot Desmond, to his proposed development of a 37-storey tower in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
The Irish Independent has learned that Environment Minister John Gormley asked Attorney General Paul Gallagher SC to review aspects of the 11-year-old law which established the DDDA, amid concerns that the judgment could affect other sites.
The Docklands Authority, which is not appealing the High Court ruling, issues some 50 special exemption certificates each year and told the Irish Independent that the judgment won't affect other developments.
But Treasury Holdings is also challenging a Section 25 certificate, raising concerns about the legal validity of scores of developments.
These include developments already given the go-ahead by the DDDA, and any future developments under its fast-track procedure.
Battle
The Carroll-Dunne row, dubbed the 'Battle of North Lotts', has exposed major deficiencies in the law underpinning the DDDA. The fast-track procedure allows the DDDA to grant planning permission without recourse to standard planning procedures, and members of the public cannot object to their use.
The 1997 Act does not outline what procedures should be adopted for granting special exemption certificates, nor does it make any provision for what occurs to a development if it is declared invalid. The DDDA also lacks powers to grant retention permission, and has no powers to enforce compliance with exempted development certificates.
Liam Carroll has now applied for retention permission to Dublin City Council, who previously rejected his plans for the development.
It is understood that if his retention application is rejected by the council, Mr Carroll may seek to rely on a two-year old Supreme Court ruling handed down in the wake of the statutory rape crisis to hold onto his office block.
Last month, lawyers acting for Mr Carroll asked the High Court to clarify whether DDDA's consent to the now unauthorised development is void, or else "voidable" and therefore capable of being deemed lawful despite the fact that the 'Section 25' certificate was invalidated by the High Court.
The legal argument is similar to that deployed by the Supreme Court which ruled that a 41-year old child rapist, who was released from prison because the law under which he had been convicted was struck down, could still be jailed because the State acted in good faith when it relied on the impugned statute.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Last month, the High Court quashed a special exemption certificate granted by the authority to developer Liam Carroll -- for a €200m office block development on the former Brooks Thomas site at North Wall Quay.
The quashing of the 'Section 25' certificate prompted rival builder Sean Dunne to seek a High Court injunction to force Mr Carroll, who has already spent €83m on the development, to tear down the structure.
Dunne himself is facing major objections, including one by Dermot Desmond, to his proposed development of a 37-storey tower in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
The Irish Independent has learned that Environment Minister John Gormley asked Attorney General Paul Gallagher SC to review aspects of the 11-year-old law which established the DDDA, amid concerns that the judgment could affect other sites.
The Docklands Authority, which is not appealing the High Court ruling, issues some 50 special exemption certificates each year and told the Irish Independent that the judgment won't affect other developments.
But Treasury Holdings is also challenging a Section 25 certificate, raising concerns about the legal validity of scores of developments.
These include developments already given the go-ahead by the DDDA, and any future developments under its fast-track procedure.
Battle
The Carroll-Dunne row, dubbed the 'Battle of North Lotts', has exposed major deficiencies in the law underpinning the DDDA. The fast-track procedure allows the DDDA to grant planning permission without recourse to standard planning procedures, and members of the public cannot object to their use.
The 1997 Act does not outline what procedures should be adopted for granting special exemption certificates, nor does it make any provision for what occurs to a development if it is declared invalid. The DDDA also lacks powers to grant retention permission, and has no powers to enforce compliance with exempted development certificates.
Liam Carroll has now applied for retention permission to Dublin City Council, who previously rejected his plans for the development.
It is understood that if his retention application is rejected by the council, Mr Carroll may seek to rely on a two-year old Supreme Court ruling handed down in the wake of the statutory rape crisis to hold onto his office block.
Last month, lawyers acting for Mr Carroll asked the High Court to clarify whether DDDA's consent to the now unauthorised development is void, or else "voidable" and therefore capable of being deemed lawful despite the fact that the 'Section 25' certificate was invalidated by the High Court.
The legal argument is similar to that deployed by the Supreme Court which ruled that a 41-year old child rapist, who was released from prison because the law under which he had been convicted was struck down, could still be jailed because the State acted in good faith when it relied on the impugned statute.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Study on odour from waste plant finds serious errors
SERIOUS errors in the estimated level of waste from commercial premises by Dublin City Council have been highlighted in a report on the operation of a sewage treatment plant in Dublin.
The report also found that odour levels allowed under the contract to operate the Ringsend plant were more than 20 times the standard specified in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted during the planning process.
Environment Minister John Gormley, who commissioned the report by independent consultant Brendan Fehily, said yesterday the failure to adhere to the EIA recommendations was a key element in the plant’s subsequent problems.
Mr Gormley estimated that it had cost Dublin City Council an extra €10 million to remedy such errors.
The facility, which has been in operation since 2003, has been blamed by residents in Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount, for regularly causing foul odours in the area, although it has been credited with a dramatic improvement in water quality in Dublin Bay.
Mr Gormley, a local TD, commissioned the report last June in order to establish the background to the odour problem and why the plant was frequently operating above its design capacity.
It concluded that the flow of sewage into the plant was underestimated by almost 190,000 people due to poor calculations about the amount of waste contributed by commercial premises such as shops, offices, pubs and restaurants.
The number of daily commuters to Dublin, as well as tourist numbers, were also underestimated.
The report established that the standard of permissible odour based on measurements of hydrogen sulphide (the smell of rotten eggs) in the contract documents was 20 times higher than the figure in its Environment Impact Statement.
“This was either a serious error of judgment or a mistake,” concluded Mr Fehily.
He noted that previous attempts to address the problems of odour since 2003 were inadequate and of a “fire brigade” nature.
“A significant number of odour problems were created by inadequate design and equipment failure,” he said.
However, the report also pointed out that the recommendations of a study commissioned by the council on the odour problems should be fully implemented by the end of this month.
Mr Fehily claimed such remedial work should ensure that future problems with odours will be “minor and few and far between”.
He also recommends significant improvements in the monitoring and licensing of discharges from businesses.
The report claims there is still work to be done to make the Ringsend plant compliant with an EU Urban Wastewater Directive as it is still discharging effluent with excessive level of nutrients into Dublin Bay.
Welcoming the report, Mr Gormley said its recommendations, if followed, “should ensure a high-quality and well-run wastewater system for the Dublin region”.
He has asked the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment to examine the background of the case.
Dublin City Council yesterday refused to comment on the report’s findings.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The report also found that odour levels allowed under the contract to operate the Ringsend plant were more than 20 times the standard specified in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted during the planning process.
Environment Minister John Gormley, who commissioned the report by independent consultant Brendan Fehily, said yesterday the failure to adhere to the EIA recommendations was a key element in the plant’s subsequent problems.
Mr Gormley estimated that it had cost Dublin City Council an extra €10 million to remedy such errors.
The facility, which has been in operation since 2003, has been blamed by residents in Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount, for regularly causing foul odours in the area, although it has been credited with a dramatic improvement in water quality in Dublin Bay.
Mr Gormley, a local TD, commissioned the report last June in order to establish the background to the odour problem and why the plant was frequently operating above its design capacity.
It concluded that the flow of sewage into the plant was underestimated by almost 190,000 people due to poor calculations about the amount of waste contributed by commercial premises such as shops, offices, pubs and restaurants.
The number of daily commuters to Dublin, as well as tourist numbers, were also underestimated.
The report established that the standard of permissible odour based on measurements of hydrogen sulphide (the smell of rotten eggs) in the contract documents was 20 times higher than the figure in its Environment Impact Statement.
“This was either a serious error of judgment or a mistake,” concluded Mr Fehily.
He noted that previous attempts to address the problems of odour since 2003 were inadequate and of a “fire brigade” nature.
“A significant number of odour problems were created by inadequate design and equipment failure,” he said.
However, the report also pointed out that the recommendations of a study commissioned by the council on the odour problems should be fully implemented by the end of this month.
Mr Fehily claimed such remedial work should ensure that future problems with odours will be “minor and few and far between”.
He also recommends significant improvements in the monitoring and licensing of discharges from businesses.
The report claims there is still work to be done to make the Ringsend plant compliant with an EU Urban Wastewater Directive as it is still discharging effluent with excessive level of nutrients into Dublin Bay.
Welcoming the report, Mr Gormley said its recommendations, if followed, “should ensure a high-quality and well-run wastewater system for the Dublin region”.
He has asked the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment to examine the background of the case.
Dublin City Council yesterday refused to comment on the report’s findings.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
City council 'negligent' in preventing demolition
DEVELOPER BERNARD McNamara and his company, Radora Developments Ltd, are standing over their court claim that Dublin City Council acted negligently and improperly in preventing the demolition of several 19th-century properties as part of a €40 million development at Merrion Road, Dublin.
The proceedings by Radora and Mr McNamara against the council were admitted to the Commercial Court yesterday after Mr Justice Peter Kelly clarified matters related to representation in the case of other parties, including individual councillors against whom serious allegations were made in an affidavit.
Because of the nature of the allegations, the judge had directed that the affected councillors and two residents' associations should be put on notice of the case.
The judge was told yesterday by Eamon Galligan SC, for Radora, that the claims of negligence and misfeasance in public office were being made against the council as a whole and not against individual councillors.
His side were standing over those claims, counsel said.
Mr Galligan also undertook to circulate a corrected affidavit on behalf of his clients withdrawing an incorrect claim in an earlier affidavit, which said that Cllr Michael Donnelly had voted for the listing of the properties when, in fact, he had abstained.
The judge directed Radora to pay Mr Donnelly's costs on a solicitor/own client basis, the highest level.
After being told that neither of the two local residents' associations nor any individual councillors named in the grounding affidavit in the case wished to be joined to the action as notice parties, the judge made directions for the exchange of legal documents in the case and fixed it for hearing on February 24th.
In the proceedings, Radora claims the council's decision of July 8th last to list the properties as protected structures was made for "an improper motive" and had exposed Radora to costs of some €750,000 a year to maintain the properties.
The registered properties, known as the Llandaff properties, are located at 207-223 Merrion Road beside the Tara Towers Hotel. They are part of a larger site bought for €10 million between 2002 and 2004.
The Tara Towers development, known as the Elm Park development, is being carried out by another McNamara company, Woodmead Ltd, and is substantially complete.
The Llandaff properties were acquired with a view to extending the Elm Park development.
Radora claims a number of councillors appeared to have been motivated by an improper motive to prevent the demolition of the structures without addressing the issue as to whether they were of special interest.
The decision registering the properties was made despite no evidence to support it and in the face of overwhelming evidence against it, including evidence from conservation experts for the council, it is claimed.
Radora further claims that the decision was taken against the opinion of the assistant city manager.
While Dublin City Council received submissions from local residents arguing for the properties to be listed as protected structures, Radora claims those submissions contained no expert evidence to support the claim that the properties were of special interest.
Radora's first planning application for the development was refused by the council and An Bord Pleanála in 2006.
Radora has since proposed a new development which requires the demolition of the Llandaff properties.
It claims the council's planning officials initially welcomed the proposed new development, but the subsequent decision to list the Llandaff properties means the planning application will be "futile".
The Irish Times
wwww.buckplanning.ie
The proceedings by Radora and Mr McNamara against the council were admitted to the Commercial Court yesterday after Mr Justice Peter Kelly clarified matters related to representation in the case of other parties, including individual councillors against whom serious allegations were made in an affidavit.
Because of the nature of the allegations, the judge had directed that the affected councillors and two residents' associations should be put on notice of the case.
The judge was told yesterday by Eamon Galligan SC, for Radora, that the claims of negligence and misfeasance in public office were being made against the council as a whole and not against individual councillors.
His side were standing over those claims, counsel said.
Mr Galligan also undertook to circulate a corrected affidavit on behalf of his clients withdrawing an incorrect claim in an earlier affidavit, which said that Cllr Michael Donnelly had voted for the listing of the properties when, in fact, he had abstained.
The judge directed Radora to pay Mr Donnelly's costs on a solicitor/own client basis, the highest level.
After being told that neither of the two local residents' associations nor any individual councillors named in the grounding affidavit in the case wished to be joined to the action as notice parties, the judge made directions for the exchange of legal documents in the case and fixed it for hearing on February 24th.
In the proceedings, Radora claims the council's decision of July 8th last to list the properties as protected structures was made for "an improper motive" and had exposed Radora to costs of some €750,000 a year to maintain the properties.
The registered properties, known as the Llandaff properties, are located at 207-223 Merrion Road beside the Tara Towers Hotel. They are part of a larger site bought for €10 million between 2002 and 2004.
The Tara Towers development, known as the Elm Park development, is being carried out by another McNamara company, Woodmead Ltd, and is substantially complete.
The Llandaff properties were acquired with a view to extending the Elm Park development.
Radora claims a number of councillors appeared to have been motivated by an improper motive to prevent the demolition of the structures without addressing the issue as to whether they were of special interest.
The decision registering the properties was made despite no evidence to support it and in the face of overwhelming evidence against it, including evidence from conservation experts for the council, it is claimed.
Radora further claims that the decision was taken against the opinion of the assistant city manager.
While Dublin City Council received submissions from local residents arguing for the properties to be listed as protected structures, Radora claims those submissions contained no expert evidence to support the claim that the properties were of special interest.
Radora's first planning application for the development was refused by the council and An Bord Pleanála in 2006.
Radora has since proposed a new development which requires the demolition of the Llandaff properties.
It claims the council's planning officials initially welcomed the proposed new development, but the subsequent decision to list the Llandaff properties means the planning application will be "futile".
The Irish Times
wwww.buckplanning.ie
Docklands body warned of legal threat to master plan
DUBLIN DOCKLANDS Development Authority (DDDA) has been warned that its latest draft master plan, which carries a €4.5 billion price tag, is so flawed that it would be open to challenge in the High Court.
Property developer Treasury Holdings, controlled by Richard Barrett and Johnny Ronan, said it reserved "the right to instigate legal proceedings should the significant issues highlighted not be addressed in a satisfactory manner".
In a submission to the DDDA, Treasury said it had been excluded from any meaningful consultation on the master plan, despite being "the largest stakeholder in the Docklands area", claiming that this was "a gross breach of statutory duty".
The company complained that no details were provided or references made in the draft to the DDDA's radical proposal to create a "Liffey Island" projecting into the river between Spencer Dock and the East Link bridge, with a new canal on three sides.
"The canal would result in a major intervention into the North Lotts and the lack of any reference to it or assessment of its impact in the strategic environmental assessment is a significant omission," according to the company's submission.
"Any proposed intrusion into the River Liffey would be contrary to the policies of the draft master plan, most notably conservation policies relating to the quays [and] contrary to the DDDA's stated position until now of preserving the campshires."
This is a reference to the strips of land between the roads and waterfronts in Docklands that used to be occupied by sheds but have since been laid out as amenity areas, with pedestrian and cycle paths, trees and benches to sit on.
The proposed "Liffey Island" would involve building a high-rise cluster on stilts in the river, obliterating a long stretch of the North Wall Quay and campshire and compensating for these losses by creating a U-shaped canal to surround the new buildings.
The submission also criticised the draft plan's "preferable treatment" for redeveloping the Poolbeg peninsula, "despite its relatively low accessibility compared to areas such as Spencer Dock", where Treasury is involved in building the National Conference Centre.
"This is not acceptable from an economic and planning policy perspective, given the significant national investment in the North Lotts area," it said, referring to the conference centre, the Luas Docklands extension and the planned rail interconnector with Heuston.
Treasury said it was also "concerned that the preferential treatment afforded to the Poolbeg area is not based on sound planning grounds but rather is in order to ensure that the DDDA extract maximum value from their landholdings" in that part of the Docklands area.
This is a reference to the former Irish Glass Bottle Company site, which was acquired in October 2006 for €412 million by a consortium headed by property developer Bernard McNamara, with the DDDA holding a minority stake. The price equated to €17 million per acre.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Property developer Treasury Holdings, controlled by Richard Barrett and Johnny Ronan, said it reserved "the right to instigate legal proceedings should the significant issues highlighted not be addressed in a satisfactory manner".
In a submission to the DDDA, Treasury said it had been excluded from any meaningful consultation on the master plan, despite being "the largest stakeholder in the Docklands area", claiming that this was "a gross breach of statutory duty".
The company complained that no details were provided or references made in the draft to the DDDA's radical proposal to create a "Liffey Island" projecting into the river between Spencer Dock and the East Link bridge, with a new canal on three sides.
"The canal would result in a major intervention into the North Lotts and the lack of any reference to it or assessment of its impact in the strategic environmental assessment is a significant omission," according to the company's submission.
"Any proposed intrusion into the River Liffey would be contrary to the policies of the draft master plan, most notably conservation policies relating to the quays [and] contrary to the DDDA's stated position until now of preserving the campshires."
This is a reference to the strips of land between the roads and waterfronts in Docklands that used to be occupied by sheds but have since been laid out as amenity areas, with pedestrian and cycle paths, trees and benches to sit on.
The proposed "Liffey Island" would involve building a high-rise cluster on stilts in the river, obliterating a long stretch of the North Wall Quay and campshire and compensating for these losses by creating a U-shaped canal to surround the new buildings.
The submission also criticised the draft plan's "preferable treatment" for redeveloping the Poolbeg peninsula, "despite its relatively low accessibility compared to areas such as Spencer Dock", where Treasury is involved in building the National Conference Centre.
"This is not acceptable from an economic and planning policy perspective, given the significant national investment in the North Lotts area," it said, referring to the conference centre, the Luas Docklands extension and the planned rail interconnector with Heuston.
Treasury said it was also "concerned that the preferential treatment afforded to the Poolbeg area is not based on sound planning grounds but rather is in order to ensure that the DDDA extract maximum value from their landholdings" in that part of the Docklands area.
This is a reference to the former Irish Glass Bottle Company site, which was acquired in October 2006 for €412 million by a consortium headed by property developer Bernard McNamara, with the DDDA holding a minority stake. The price equated to €17 million per acre.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Opposition to Rathcoole incinerator expressed at oral hearing
A RANGE of issues from traffic to possible adverse effects on human and animal health, to the height of a proposed chimney stack, were raised by politicians objecting to an incinerator planned for west Dublin yesterday.
The politicians - including Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs John Curran, Fine Gael's Senate leader Frances Fitzgerald and Kildare North TDs Bernard Durkan (FG), and Emmet Stagg (Lab) - individually told a Bord Pleanála oral hearing the application should be refused.
Energy Answers International is seeking permission through Bord Pleanála's strategic infrastructure division for a €200 million incinerator with ability to recover sufficient energy to power 43,000 homes. The plant would use 365,000 tonnes of residual municipal waste; recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and use boiler ash in the manufacture of concrete blocks. It would be located in a quarry known as Behan's Quarry, some 3km (2 miles) from Rathcoole, west Dublin.
On the conclusion of the applicant's submission for permission yesterday, Ms Fitzgerald described the project as "premature". She said Minister for the Environment John Gormley and the Government had indicated a review of waste management policy was under way. In advance of this the application could "make incineration the cornerstone of such a policy".
"Under the Planning Act 2000 the Minister could have taken this step and informed the hearing that this incinerator is not required to meet capacity. It is disappointing that he did not do this," she said.
Ms Fitzgerald was supported by party colleague Bernard Durkan who also maintained the capacity of the proposed plant, at 365,000 tonnes per year, was unnecessary and contrary to the waste management plans of local authorities.
Labour's Emmet Stagg said that he had established by parliamentary questions to Mr Gormley and former taoiseach Bertie Ahern that the "the proposal was not in accordance with Government policy".
John Curran questioned the height of the chimney of the proposed facility and whether its location - low in the quarry - would result in the stack being only about 9m above the landscape.
The hearing was addressed by environmentalist Peter Sweetman who insisted that a number of assertions in the application were either misleading or inaccurate.
The application is also being opposed by local groups, including Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins. Spokesman Liam McDermott said the community expected to be asked to outline its objections this week.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The politicians - including Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs John Curran, Fine Gael's Senate leader Frances Fitzgerald and Kildare North TDs Bernard Durkan (FG), and Emmet Stagg (Lab) - individually told a Bord Pleanála oral hearing the application should be refused.
Energy Answers International is seeking permission through Bord Pleanála's strategic infrastructure division for a €200 million incinerator with ability to recover sufficient energy to power 43,000 homes. The plant would use 365,000 tonnes of residual municipal waste; recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and use boiler ash in the manufacture of concrete blocks. It would be located in a quarry known as Behan's Quarry, some 3km (2 miles) from Rathcoole, west Dublin.
On the conclusion of the applicant's submission for permission yesterday, Ms Fitzgerald described the project as "premature". She said Minister for the Environment John Gormley and the Government had indicated a review of waste management policy was under way. In advance of this the application could "make incineration the cornerstone of such a policy".
"Under the Planning Act 2000 the Minister could have taken this step and informed the hearing that this incinerator is not required to meet capacity. It is disappointing that he did not do this," she said.
Ms Fitzgerald was supported by party colleague Bernard Durkan who also maintained the capacity of the proposed plant, at 365,000 tonnes per year, was unnecessary and contrary to the waste management plans of local authorities.
Labour's Emmet Stagg said that he had established by parliamentary questions to Mr Gormley and former taoiseach Bertie Ahern that the "the proposal was not in accordance with Government policy".
John Curran questioned the height of the chimney of the proposed facility and whether its location - low in the quarry - would result in the stack being only about 9m above the landscape.
The hearing was addressed by environmentalist Peter Sweetman who insisted that a number of assertions in the application were either misleading or inaccurate.
The application is also being opposed by local groups, including Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins. Spokesman Liam McDermott said the community expected to be asked to outline its objections this week.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Contract for waste water plant allowed odour levels 20 times those first agreed
THE CONTRACT to develop a waste water treatment plant at Ringsend, Dublin, allowed odour levels 20 times higher than those stipulated in the project's environmental impact statement (EIS), a report has found.
The independent report, by consultant Brendan Fehily, said the inclusion of the higher figure in the operations contract between Dublin City Council and construction and operations consortium ABA, "was either a serious error of judgment or a mistake".
Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who commissioned the report, said he noted a failure to adhere to EIS recommendations was a key element in the subsequent issues at the plant. "I would hope individuals or bodies can be held to account," he said.
Local Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton called on the Minister to ensure those responsible for the "fiasco" are held to account.
The Ringsend Waste Water Treatment Plant has been in operation since June 2003. It treats waste water from the entire Dublin region and has frequently operated above its capacity. Residents in Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown have complained of serious odour problems from the plant since its inception.
The report found that there were flaws in how the capacity for the Ringsend plant was calculated, with an underestimation of over 225,000 people, made up of tourists, commuters and commercial sector users.
The World Health Organisation gives 3.5 parts per billion (ppb) of hydrogen sulphide as the level at which no odour is detectable, the report said. And, though the EIS established an odour standard of 5 ppb at the site boundary, "inexplicably", the contract documents quoted a standard of 100 ppb at the site boundary.
Work to deal with the odour problem is being carried out at the plant and should be completed by the end of the month.
The report said the plant had a very positive effect on the water quality in Dublin Bay, but was unlikely to comply with the urban wastewater directive. The directive imposes stringent limits on discharge of nitrogen and phosphorous. It said measures needed to be put in place to de-nitrify the final effluent; phosphorus removal may also be required.
The report makes a series of recommendations, including an upgrading of the works and improvements in the monitoring and licensing of discharges from businesses in the Dublin area.
Mr Gormley said he particularly welcomed the nutrient removal recommendation. "This is something I called for as far back as 1993 during the early proposals for the facility," he said.
Ms Creighton said locals have endured the stench from the plant for years and that so far nobody has stood up and accepted responsibility for the plant's failure.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The independent report, by consultant Brendan Fehily, said the inclusion of the higher figure in the operations contract between Dublin City Council and construction and operations consortium ABA, "was either a serious error of judgment or a mistake".
Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who commissioned the report, said he noted a failure to adhere to EIS recommendations was a key element in the subsequent issues at the plant. "I would hope individuals or bodies can be held to account," he said.
Local Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton called on the Minister to ensure those responsible for the "fiasco" are held to account.
The Ringsend Waste Water Treatment Plant has been in operation since June 2003. It treats waste water from the entire Dublin region and has frequently operated above its capacity. Residents in Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown have complained of serious odour problems from the plant since its inception.
The report found that there were flaws in how the capacity for the Ringsend plant was calculated, with an underestimation of over 225,000 people, made up of tourists, commuters and commercial sector users.
The World Health Organisation gives 3.5 parts per billion (ppb) of hydrogen sulphide as the level at which no odour is detectable, the report said. And, though the EIS established an odour standard of 5 ppb at the site boundary, "inexplicably", the contract documents quoted a standard of 100 ppb at the site boundary.
Work to deal with the odour problem is being carried out at the plant and should be completed by the end of the month.
The report said the plant had a very positive effect on the water quality in Dublin Bay, but was unlikely to comply with the urban wastewater directive. The directive imposes stringent limits on discharge of nitrogen and phosphorous. It said measures needed to be put in place to de-nitrify the final effluent; phosphorus removal may also be required.
The report makes a series of recommendations, including an upgrading of the works and improvements in the monitoring and licensing of discharges from businesses in the Dublin area.
Mr Gormley said he particularly welcomed the nutrient removal recommendation. "This is something I called for as far back as 1993 during the early proposals for the facility," he said.
Ms Creighton said locals have endured the stench from the plant for years and that so far nobody has stood up and accepted responsibility for the plant's failure.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 17 November 2008
A third of landfills ‘full within two years’
NEARLY a third of the country’s 35 licensed landfills will be full within two years, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures.
11 of the 35 dumps could be forced to close by 2011, with a further four facing closure by 2014, according to documents seen by the Irish Examiner.
Waterford County Council’s landfill was one of the first to close and since 2006, they have been exporting waste to Carlow.
One of the next dumps to close will be in Mayo, as the Derrinumera Landfill will be out of capacity by the end of 2009.
And other dumps which are expected to reach capacity by 2010 include Fingal’s Ballealy landfill, south Co Dublin’s Arthurstown Landfill, Kilkenny County Council’s Dunmore Landfill and south Tipperary’s Donohill Landfill.
The figures show that with three million tonnes of waste being disposed at landfill each year, the country is facing a serious crisis as only about 25 million tonnes of total landfill capacity remain nationwide.
This means that even with super-dumps coming on stream at Bottlehill in Cork and at Drehed in Kildare, there is still only enough capacity for another 8-10 years of rubbish.
The looming crisis is put into even sharper focus when the EPA’s projections for Irish waste generation are examined. The EPA estimates the amount of waste generated by each person will rise from 0.84 tonnes in 2006 to 1.15 tonnes per person by 2020 — an increase they describe as “phenomenal”.
Also in 2010, the Government will also have to start complying with the EU landfill directive, which obliges members to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that is landfilled by nearly 50%. Waste management company Greenstar estimated taxpayers are likely to face fines of up to €240 million for non-compliance.
It is also expected that biodegradable municipal waste along with waste from households and commercial activities, will rise by 4% per year for the next decade, doubling by 2025 with the EPA estimating that there will be 60% increase in the landfilling of municipal waste by 2025.
Two-thirds of this municipal waste is biodegradable and this has led Green Party Environment Minister John Gormley to warn that the mechanical biological treatment of municipal waste has to form part of waste management policy.
The Programme for Government calls for landfill use to be reduced to 10% of waste management solutions.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
11 of the 35 dumps could be forced to close by 2011, with a further four facing closure by 2014, according to documents seen by the Irish Examiner.
Waterford County Council’s landfill was one of the first to close and since 2006, they have been exporting waste to Carlow.
One of the next dumps to close will be in Mayo, as the Derrinumera Landfill will be out of capacity by the end of 2009.
And other dumps which are expected to reach capacity by 2010 include Fingal’s Ballealy landfill, south Co Dublin’s Arthurstown Landfill, Kilkenny County Council’s Dunmore Landfill and south Tipperary’s Donohill Landfill.
The figures show that with three million tonnes of waste being disposed at landfill each year, the country is facing a serious crisis as only about 25 million tonnes of total landfill capacity remain nationwide.
This means that even with super-dumps coming on stream at Bottlehill in Cork and at Drehed in Kildare, there is still only enough capacity for another 8-10 years of rubbish.
The looming crisis is put into even sharper focus when the EPA’s projections for Irish waste generation are examined. The EPA estimates the amount of waste generated by each person will rise from 0.84 tonnes in 2006 to 1.15 tonnes per person by 2020 — an increase they describe as “phenomenal”.
Also in 2010, the Government will also have to start complying with the EU landfill directive, which obliges members to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that is landfilled by nearly 50%. Waste management company Greenstar estimated taxpayers are likely to face fines of up to €240 million for non-compliance.
It is also expected that biodegradable municipal waste along with waste from households and commercial activities, will rise by 4% per year for the next decade, doubling by 2025 with the EPA estimating that there will be 60% increase in the landfilling of municipal waste by 2025.
Two-thirds of this municipal waste is biodegradable and this has led Green Party Environment Minister John Gormley to warn that the mechanical biological treatment of municipal waste has to form part of waste management policy.
The Programme for Government calls for landfill use to be reduced to 10% of waste management solutions.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Rare Gandon drawings of Four Courts to go on view
THE KING'S Inns collection of valuable Gandon architectural drawings, including some of the Four Courts and the King's Inns itself, is to be transferred to the Irish Architectural Archive.
Access by the public to this collection will be launched by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice John L Murray, at a ceremony in the architectural archive on Wednesday.
This follows a decision by the benchers of King's Inns to make available its important collection of drawings to the archive, so that architects, historians and members of the public could have access to it.
Commenting on this initiative by the benchers, the chairman of the council of King's Inns, Conor Maguire SC, said that the King's Inns had for many years debated the best way to display its collection of drawings.
"The Inns was aware that it was almost impossible to satisfy every request made by members of the public to see the drawings," he said.
Mr Maguire is also chairman of the property sub-committee of the King's Inns, which looks after the organisation's buildings.
These include the main King's Inns building on Constitution Hill, the library on Henrietta Street, and number 11 Henrietta Street, where most of the tutorials take place for students taking the BL degree course.
The King's Inns is strongly supportive of the preservation of Henrietta Street, according to Mr Maguire.
"By making this loan to the architectural archive, researchers, students and members of the public will have access to a number of rare and important items which result from the intimate involvement of King's Inns with four of the greatest buildings of Georgian Dublin by the great architect James Gandon - King's Inns itself, the Four Courts, the Custom House and the Parliament House at College Green."
All these Gandon designs are represented in the exhibition, he pointed out.
Mr Maguire added that "there are also a number of curiosities, including an early proposal for the development of Dún Laoghaire harbour".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Access by the public to this collection will be launched by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice John L Murray, at a ceremony in the architectural archive on Wednesday.
This follows a decision by the benchers of King's Inns to make available its important collection of drawings to the archive, so that architects, historians and members of the public could have access to it.
Commenting on this initiative by the benchers, the chairman of the council of King's Inns, Conor Maguire SC, said that the King's Inns had for many years debated the best way to display its collection of drawings.
"The Inns was aware that it was almost impossible to satisfy every request made by members of the public to see the drawings," he said.
Mr Maguire is also chairman of the property sub-committee of the King's Inns, which looks after the organisation's buildings.
These include the main King's Inns building on Constitution Hill, the library on Henrietta Street, and number 11 Henrietta Street, where most of the tutorials take place for students taking the BL degree course.
The King's Inns is strongly supportive of the preservation of Henrietta Street, according to Mr Maguire.
"By making this loan to the architectural archive, researchers, students and members of the public will have access to a number of rare and important items which result from the intimate involvement of King's Inns with four of the greatest buildings of Georgian Dublin by the great architect James Gandon - King's Inns itself, the Four Courts, the Custom House and the Parliament House at College Green."
All these Gandon designs are represented in the exhibition, he pointed out.
Mr Maguire added that "there are also a number of curiosities, including an early proposal for the development of Dún Laoghaire harbour".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Preparation of a Local Area Plan for Athboy
Meath County Council is preparing a Local Area Plan for Athboy.
Meath County Council has invited any interested parties to make submissions before 3.30 pm on Tuesday 16th December 2008.
For assistance in producing your submission, please contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 / 087-2615871 or admin@buckplanning.ie.
www.buckplanning.ie
Meath County Council has invited any interested parties to make submissions before 3.30 pm on Tuesday 16th December 2008.
For assistance in producing your submission, please contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 / 087-2615871 or admin@buckplanning.ie.
www.buckplanning.ie
Draft South Dublin County Council Development Plan
South Dublin County Council is reviewing the County Development Plan 2004-2010 and preparing a new County Development Plan.
The Council has called for submissions. The closing date for submissions is the 8th January 2009.
For assistance in producing a submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or admin@buckplanning.ie.
www.buckplanning.ie
The Council has called for submissions. The closing date for submissions is the 8th January 2009.
For assistance in producing a submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or admin@buckplanning.ie.
www.buckplanning.ie
GOATSTOWN LOCAL AREA PLAN
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is preparing a Local Area Plan for Goatstown.
Submissions must be made in writing by the 23rd December 2008.
If you require assistance in making a submission, please contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or admin@buckplanning.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Submissions must be made in writing by the 23rd December 2008.
If you require assistance in making a submission, please contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or admin@buckplanning.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Ireland's use of renewable energy doubled between 2003 and 2007
Ireland's use of renewable primary energy doubled in the period 2003 - 2007, with average annual growth of 19% due largely to an increased contribution from wind energy, according to a new report published by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).
In 2007, Ireland's overall use of renewable energy grew by 12%. 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided as a result and half of this renewable energy contribution came from wind energy.
These were amongst the key findings of a report published by SEI's Energy Policy Statistical Support Unit (EPSSU) entitled - 'Renewable Energy in Ireland' - which analyses the contribution made by renewable energy to Ireland's energy requirements for the period 1990 to 2007.
The further significant findings of the report include -
* The total electricity generated from renewable energy in 2007 accounted for over 9% of Ireland's gross electricity consumption.
* Total installed wind capacity as of September 2008 was 915 MW. This report indicates that an additional 400MW of wind and biomass capacity will need to be added to the electricity network by 2010 to meet Ireland's target of 15% of electricity to be produced from renewable sources.
Plans for grid connection of wind in the coming period suggest this target is within our reach.
* There was a significant increase in the share of transport energy from renewables in 2007, albeit from a low base. In absolute terms, renewable energy in transport increased from 3toe (kilo tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2006 to 21ktoe in 2007.
* Biodiesel represented 76% of biofuel usage in 2007, with 63% of this produced indigenously.
In addition to the Renewables Report, SEI's Energy Policy Statistical Support Unit also published a report today entitled - 'Understanding Gas and Electricity Prices in Ireland' - which analyses data collected under the new revised methodology for the EU Gas and Electricity Price Transparency Directive which came into effect on 1st January.
The report, which covers the period July - December 2007, gives standardised information on gas and electricity prices, allowing comparison of these prices in Ireland with those of other EU member states. It confirms that electricity prices for industrial and commercial customers in Ireland were higher than the EU average in 2007. This is mainly attributable to Ireland's dependency on fossil fuels in electricity generation - which, at 88%, is the highest in Europe.
In addition, while the report also shows that gas prices for lower-consuming industrial customers were 9-13% above the EU average, for larger consumers, Irish prices were actually 6% below the EU average.
The report compares domestic prices in terms of purchasing power parities, correcting for exchange rates and relative living standards. On this basis, electricity prices for the average domestic user were 9% lower in Ireland than the EU average.
Brian Motherway, Head of Industry, SEI said - "The doubling in renewable energy use between 2003 and 2007 is to be welcomed. The Renewable Energy in Ireland report suggests it is very possible to meet our 2010 renewable electricity target.
"But we cannot become complacent. We must ensure that all the systems are in place to make new grid connections happen. We clearly need to work hard to meet our future targets and growth in all areas of renewables will need to reach levels beyond anything we have seen to-date."
He added - "The new data on energy prices, resulting largely from our fossil fuel dependence, reminds us why it is so important to continue to push for greater use of all types of renewable energy. Increasing the contribution of renewable sources to energy supply is critical - it will help address costs, support our security of supply and ensure we deliver on all our national and EU targets in energy and climate change."
In 2007, Ireland's overall use of renewable energy grew by 12%. 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided as a result and half of this renewable energy contribution came from wind energy.
These were amongst the key findings of a report published by SEI's Energy Policy Statistical Support Unit (EPSSU) entitled - 'Renewable Energy in Ireland' - which analyses the contribution made by renewable energy to Ireland's energy requirements for the period 1990 to 2007.
The further significant findings of the report include -
* The total electricity generated from renewable energy in 2007 accounted for over 9% of Ireland's gross electricity consumption.
* Total installed wind capacity as of September 2008 was 915 MW. This report indicates that an additional 400MW of wind and biomass capacity will need to be added to the electricity network by 2010 to meet Ireland's target of 15% of electricity to be produced from renewable sources.
Plans for grid connection of wind in the coming period suggest this target is within our reach.
* There was a significant increase in the share of transport energy from renewables in 2007, albeit from a low base. In absolute terms, renewable energy in transport increased from 3toe (kilo tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2006 to 21ktoe in 2007.
* Biodiesel represented 76% of biofuel usage in 2007, with 63% of this produced indigenously.
In addition to the Renewables Report, SEI's Energy Policy Statistical Support Unit also published a report today entitled - 'Understanding Gas and Electricity Prices in Ireland' - which analyses data collected under the new revised methodology for the EU Gas and Electricity Price Transparency Directive which came into effect on 1st January.
The report, which covers the period July - December 2007, gives standardised information on gas and electricity prices, allowing comparison of these prices in Ireland with those of other EU member states. It confirms that electricity prices for industrial and commercial customers in Ireland were higher than the EU average in 2007. This is mainly attributable to Ireland's dependency on fossil fuels in electricity generation - which, at 88%, is the highest in Europe.
In addition, while the report also shows that gas prices for lower-consuming industrial customers were 9-13% above the EU average, for larger consumers, Irish prices were actually 6% below the EU average.
The report compares domestic prices in terms of purchasing power parities, correcting for exchange rates and relative living standards. On this basis, electricity prices for the average domestic user were 9% lower in Ireland than the EU average.
Brian Motherway, Head of Industry, SEI said - "The doubling in renewable energy use between 2003 and 2007 is to be welcomed. The Renewable Energy in Ireland report suggests it is very possible to meet our 2010 renewable electricity target.
"But we cannot become complacent. We must ensure that all the systems are in place to make new grid connections happen. We clearly need to work hard to meet our future targets and growth in all areas of renewables will need to reach levels beyond anything we have seen to-date."
He added - "The new data on energy prices, resulting largely from our fossil fuel dependence, reminds us why it is so important to continue to push for greater use of all types of renewable energy. Increasing the contribution of renewable sources to energy supply is critical - it will help address costs, support our security of supply and ensure we deliver on all our national and EU targets in energy and climate change."
Council to discuss use of Shannon water for the capital
The controversial plan by Dublin City Council to take water from the Shannon will be placed before a special meeting next week.
The local authority has convened its environment committee to consider the proposal, which has come up against strenuous opposition.
A spokesman for the council confirmed the plan will be one of several options placed before the committee. "If we pass it, then it will go before the full council for approval" - said the chairman of the environment committee, Tom Stafford (FF).
Even if it is passed, a public consultation process will have to be undertaken, the spokesman said. The council proposes to abstract 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Ree and Lough Derg to serve the capital. City water engineers believe Dublin will require a new source of water by 2015 to cater for its growing population.
The details of how the council would implement such a policy is the subject of a major study of Dublin's water supply. One of the options being examined by RPS Veolia is the possibility of taking water from the lakes in winter and storing it in a reservoir.
Mr Stafford said he has invited the ESB and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland to attend the meeting, to be held on November 21.
The Shannon Protection Alliance, who object to the scheme, marched to Leinster House in September protesting against the council's proposals.
The local authority has convened its environment committee to consider the proposal, which has come up against strenuous opposition.
A spokesman for the council confirmed the plan will be one of several options placed before the committee. "If we pass it, then it will go before the full council for approval" - said the chairman of the environment committee, Tom Stafford (FF).
Even if it is passed, a public consultation process will have to be undertaken, the spokesman said. The council proposes to abstract 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Ree and Lough Derg to serve the capital. City water engineers believe Dublin will require a new source of water by 2015 to cater for its growing population.
The details of how the council would implement such a policy is the subject of a major study of Dublin's water supply. One of the options being examined by RPS Veolia is the possibility of taking water from the lakes in winter and storing it in a reservoir.
Mr Stafford said he has invited the ESB and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland to attend the meeting, to be held on November 21.
The Shannon Protection Alliance, who object to the scheme, marched to Leinster House in September protesting against the council's proposals.
Dunlop to face bribery charge
FORMER government press secretary Frank Dunlop is facing criminal charges for his admitted bribery of local government officials.
Charges prepared by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) will include at least one count of alleged corruption against Mr Dunlop, it is understood, an offence which carries a maximum jail term of seven years.
Speaking in the grounds of Trinity College after receiving his Masters law degree, Mr Dunlop said: "When you study law and you get a masters degree in law, there is one thing you learn conclusively. That is to take the advice of your lawyers, and I have absolutely no comment to make on those matters."
It is understood Mr Dunlop has been told that charges will be preferred against him in a short time.
Reports say the specific charges against Mr Dunlop will relate to the rezoning of lands at Carrickmines owned by the mysterious Jackson Way company.
Mr Dunlop told the Mahon Tribunal that he paid over £25,000 to secure the votes of local councillors. He said he paid the money on behalf of developer John Kennedy, now living abroad, who has refused to cooperate with the tribunal.
There is speculation that corruption charges against Mr Dunlop may be the precursor to similar charges against other individuals who may have been on the receiving end of allegedly corrupt payments.
Senan Molony Deputy Political Editor
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Charges prepared by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) will include at least one count of alleged corruption against Mr Dunlop, it is understood, an offence which carries a maximum jail term of seven years.
Speaking in the grounds of Trinity College after receiving his Masters law degree, Mr Dunlop said: "When you study law and you get a masters degree in law, there is one thing you learn conclusively. That is to take the advice of your lawyers, and I have absolutely no comment to make on those matters."
It is understood Mr Dunlop has been told that charges will be preferred against him in a short time.
Reports say the specific charges against Mr Dunlop will relate to the rezoning of lands at Carrickmines owned by the mysterious Jackson Way company.
Mr Dunlop told the Mahon Tribunal that he paid over £25,000 to secure the votes of local councillors. He said he paid the money on behalf of developer John Kennedy, now living abroad, who has refused to cooperate with the tribunal.
There is speculation that corruption charges against Mr Dunlop may be the precursor to similar charges against other individuals who may have been on the receiving end of allegedly corrupt payments.
Senan Molony Deputy Political Editor
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
€171.5m site may be used as car park
One of the most expensive sites in the country, bought for €171.5m, is to be used as a car park for up to two years.
Motor company MSL has applied to Dublin City Council for permission to use the former veterinary college at Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, as a "temporary overflow car park for the storage of vehicles for Ballsbridge Motors".
It plans to store up to 100 cars on 1.5 acres at the site, bought in 2005 by property developer Ray Grehan for €171.5m, then a record land price per acre.
Grehan is awaiting word from An Bord Pleanála on whether or not he can go ahead with a mixed-use development on the site that includes 190 apartments. The development is to be known as One Ballsbridge.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority has played down the impact on its €4bn Dublin Airport City plan of the decision by Michael Cotter's Park Developments to seek a 10-year planning permission for more than 2,700 car park spaces on land at Cloghran Stud earmarked for the Airport City project.
"The DAA continues to advance its plans for Dublin Airport City, while being mindful of the current very challenging economic environment," he said. "It is envisaged that Dublin Airport City, will deliver over time, a major new economic hub for Ireland, significant employment generation in North Dublin and new revenue streams to support continued investment in Dublin Airport."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Motor company MSL has applied to Dublin City Council for permission to use the former veterinary college at Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, as a "temporary overflow car park for the storage of vehicles for Ballsbridge Motors".
It plans to store up to 100 cars on 1.5 acres at the site, bought in 2005 by property developer Ray Grehan for €171.5m, then a record land price per acre.
Grehan is awaiting word from An Bord Pleanála on whether or not he can go ahead with a mixed-use development on the site that includes 190 apartments. The development is to be known as One Ballsbridge.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority has played down the impact on its €4bn Dublin Airport City plan of the decision by Michael Cotter's Park Developments to seek a 10-year planning permission for more than 2,700 car park spaces on land at Cloghran Stud earmarked for the Airport City project.
"The DAA continues to advance its plans for Dublin Airport City, while being mindful of the current very challenging economic environment," he said. "It is envisaged that Dublin Airport City, will deliver over time, a major new economic hub for Ireland, significant employment generation in North Dublin and new revenue streams to support continued investment in Dublin Airport."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
'Painting over the cracks'
Residents at a local authority estate designated as one of the state's largest regeneration schemes have been delivered the final insult in their futile quest for new homes.
Neglected for nearly a decade while their flats awaited the wrecking ball, Dublin City Council has finally started work at the complex – by giving the exterior of the housing blocks a fresh coat of paint.
It is the first significant maintenance to take place in O'Devaney Gardens since plans for its redevelopment were first mooted a decade ago.
The city council said the repainting project would cost in the region of €250,000 and would be carried out along with the scheduled demolition of four blocks of empty flats.
A statement said: "The demolition has been priced at €440,000. The figure for painting the complex is €250,000.
"Dublin City Council believes that these works, together with the planned playground will prove to be of benefit to the local residents in the context of the delay to the regeneration project.
"[Dublin] City Council is in the process of painting the exterior of nine blocks in O'Devaney Gardens." These are the blocks that will remain.
"Demolition started last Monday on the four blocks. It is anticipated that the demolition will be finished in January 2009."
Labour's Joe Costello said the council were quite literally "painting over the cracks."
The local TD said: "This certainly isn't going to fix very much. The city council are responding to the fact that things got out of hand over Hallowe'en and it was a warzone over the holiday period for about three days and three nights.
"They are faced with a situation where they
have to come up with new plans and this is obviously going to take considerable time.
"All of the tenants, except for 79 people, want to leave the estate entirely. There are less than 180 families now and more than half of them want to get out of there and you cannot blame them.
"They had agreed to stay there with the expectation of a brand new village with all mod cons and a good standard of accommodation.
"All of that has been blown out of the water by the decision by property developer Bernard McNamara to pull out of the project."
The plans had been officially launched in February 2007 when then taoiseach Bertie Ahern and McNamara came together to celebrate the official signing of the project.
Ahern had also been the first to congratulate local residents in December 2005 when the developer had first been chosen.
A spokesman for McNamara said at the time the projects were cancelled: "The decision in relation to these PPPs was taken because of a combination of two things – the downturn in the marketplace and fundamental changes to the schemes that would have required a new planning application."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Neglected for nearly a decade while their flats awaited the wrecking ball, Dublin City Council has finally started work at the complex – by giving the exterior of the housing blocks a fresh coat of paint.
It is the first significant maintenance to take place in O'Devaney Gardens since plans for its redevelopment were first mooted a decade ago.
The city council said the repainting project would cost in the region of €250,000 and would be carried out along with the scheduled demolition of four blocks of empty flats.
A statement said: "The demolition has been priced at €440,000. The figure for painting the complex is €250,000.
"Dublin City Council believes that these works, together with the planned playground will prove to be of benefit to the local residents in the context of the delay to the regeneration project.
"[Dublin] City Council is in the process of painting the exterior of nine blocks in O'Devaney Gardens." These are the blocks that will remain.
"Demolition started last Monday on the four blocks. It is anticipated that the demolition will be finished in January 2009."
Labour's Joe Costello said the council were quite literally "painting over the cracks."
The local TD said: "This certainly isn't going to fix very much. The city council are responding to the fact that things got out of hand over Hallowe'en and it was a warzone over the holiday period for about three days and three nights.
"They are faced with a situation where they
have to come up with new plans and this is obviously going to take considerable time.
"All of the tenants, except for 79 people, want to leave the estate entirely. There are less than 180 families now and more than half of them want to get out of there and you cannot blame them.
"They had agreed to stay there with the expectation of a brand new village with all mod cons and a good standard of accommodation.
"All of that has been blown out of the water by the decision by property developer Bernard McNamara to pull out of the project."
The plans had been officially launched in February 2007 when then taoiseach Bertie Ahern and McNamara came together to celebrate the official signing of the project.
Ahern had also been the first to congratulate local residents in December 2005 when the developer had first been chosen.
A spokesman for McNamara said at the time the projects were cancelled: "The decision in relation to these PPPs was taken because of a combination of two things – the downturn in the marketplace and fundamental changes to the schemes that would have required a new planning application."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Sea-level rises could endanger Dublin Bay assets - expert
PROJECTED GLOBAL rises in sea levels throughout the remainder of this century could put some $33 billion (€26 billion)worth of assets around Dublin Bay at risk, a leading expert on climate change has warned.
Prof Colin Woodroffe, who has authored a report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said that sea levels are projected to rise by between 18 and 59cm over the remainder of the century due to climate change.
These calculations are based on the thermal expansion of water as the seas heat up, and do not include the effects of continuing ice melts which will add further to sea-level rises but which make projections more difficult to model.
While tide records show no evidence of any major sea-level change around Dublin, projections show some $33 billion worth of assets could be at risk around the bay - less than the $304 billion at risk in London, but more than the $7 billion at risk in Glasgow.
Prof Woodroffe said sea-level rises would have catastrophic effects in Asia where some eight delta regions are under threat, with some 10 million people affected in each of seven of these deltas. Meanwhile, multiples of this number would be affected in Bangladesh.
He was speaking at a climate change conference in Cork, organised by Partnership for Change, which was officially opened by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who described climate change as the biggest challenge facing humanity.
The issue of sea-level rises were also addressed by John Moffet, head of programme development with Christian Aid Ireland, who said a two-degree increase in average global temperature would have catastrophic effects. Such an increase could force 150 million people in Asia's coastal regions to move, with a further 200 million people ending up in areas prone to malaria - while it could also lead to 500 million people reliant on Himalayan glaciers for their water suffering shortages.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Prof Colin Woodroffe, who has authored a report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said that sea levels are projected to rise by between 18 and 59cm over the remainder of the century due to climate change.
These calculations are based on the thermal expansion of water as the seas heat up, and do not include the effects of continuing ice melts which will add further to sea-level rises but which make projections more difficult to model.
While tide records show no evidence of any major sea-level change around Dublin, projections show some $33 billion worth of assets could be at risk around the bay - less than the $304 billion at risk in London, but more than the $7 billion at risk in Glasgow.
Prof Woodroffe said sea-level rises would have catastrophic effects in Asia where some eight delta regions are under threat, with some 10 million people affected in each of seven of these deltas. Meanwhile, multiples of this number would be affected in Bangladesh.
He was speaking at a climate change conference in Cork, organised by Partnership for Change, which was officially opened by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who described climate change as the biggest challenge facing humanity.
The issue of sea-level rises were also addressed by John Moffet, head of programme development with Christian Aid Ireland, who said a two-degree increase in average global temperature would have catastrophic effects. Such an increase could force 150 million people in Asia's coastal regions to move, with a further 200 million people ending up in areas prone to malaria - while it could also lead to 500 million people reliant on Himalayan glaciers for their water suffering shortages.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 14 November 2008
Metro line rerouted for holy well
A FIFTH-century holy well established by St Brigid to baptise pagans will not be demolished to make way for the Metro West light-rail system.
The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) announced the route of the tram system will be altered so the holy well -- the water from which is said to be a cure for sore eyes -- is saved.
Located beside the Fonthill Road in Clondalkin, the RPA had proposed relocating it, but instead decided to slightly alter the route of the tram after the public expressed concerns.
Yesterday, a spokesman said that planning permission for Metro West would be sought next year, and it expected to have the projected opened by its 2015 deadline -- assuming planning was granted and the necessary finance was in place.
The final route of the system was announced yesterday, which will see 25.5km of track built, linking Tallaght to Dardistown in north Dublin, via Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown.
It will link with the Luas Red Line and extension to Citywest, Iarnrod Eireann services on the Kildare and Maynooth/Dunboyne line and the proposed Luas extension to Lucan and Metro North.
The route makes provision for initial and future stops, with the RPA saying that future stops would be opened as the surrounding land was developed.
It starts in Tallaght East on the Belgard Road and will serve the Tallaght Institute of Technology and Tallaght village.
Potential
A track link will be provided to join Metro West with the Luas Red Line, which will allow trams to switch between the Luas and Metro West routes. From Tallaght, the route follows Belgard Road northward to a potential future stop at Colbert's Fort.
After this, the line crosses the Luas Red Line where an interchange stop, Belgard, will be provided which will allow passengers to travel into the city centre or to Citywest.
The route continues to serve Rowlagh and then Liffey Valley from a stop at Quarryvale, with a link to the proposed Lucan Luas line. It crosses the River Liffey and Liffey Valley on a new bridge before continuing to Porterstown.
The remaining stops are Ballycoolin, Abbottstown, Cappagh, Huntstown and Meakstown.
Finally, the route will link with Metro North at Dardistown. From here, passengers will be able to travel northwards to the airport and Swords, or southwards to the city centre.
Paul Melia
www.buckplanning.ie
The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) announced the route of the tram system will be altered so the holy well -- the water from which is said to be a cure for sore eyes -- is saved.
Located beside the Fonthill Road in Clondalkin, the RPA had proposed relocating it, but instead decided to slightly alter the route of the tram after the public expressed concerns.
Yesterday, a spokesman said that planning permission for Metro West would be sought next year, and it expected to have the projected opened by its 2015 deadline -- assuming planning was granted and the necessary finance was in place.
The final route of the system was announced yesterday, which will see 25.5km of track built, linking Tallaght to Dardistown in north Dublin, via Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown.
It will link with the Luas Red Line and extension to Citywest, Iarnrod Eireann services on the Kildare and Maynooth/Dunboyne line and the proposed Luas extension to Lucan and Metro North.
The route makes provision for initial and future stops, with the RPA saying that future stops would be opened as the surrounding land was developed.
It starts in Tallaght East on the Belgard Road and will serve the Tallaght Institute of Technology and Tallaght village.
Potential
A track link will be provided to join Metro West with the Luas Red Line, which will allow trams to switch between the Luas and Metro West routes. From Tallaght, the route follows Belgard Road northward to a potential future stop at Colbert's Fort.
After this, the line crosses the Luas Red Line where an interchange stop, Belgard, will be provided which will allow passengers to travel into the city centre or to Citywest.
The route continues to serve Rowlagh and then Liffey Valley from a stop at Quarryvale, with a link to the proposed Lucan Luas line. It crosses the River Liffey and Liffey Valley on a new bridge before continuing to Porterstown.
The remaining stops are Ballycoolin, Abbottstown, Cappagh, Huntstown and Meakstown.
Finally, the route will link with Metro North at Dardistown. From here, passengers will be able to travel northwards to the airport and Swords, or southwards to the city centre.
Paul Melia
www.buckplanning.ie
High Court refers unauthorised Slane quarry's papers to DPP
A HIGH court judge has ruled that a stone quarry at Slane, Co Meath, which employs 50 people, constitutes unauthorised development and is operating without the required planning permission.
Mr Justice John Hedigan also referred papers in the case to the DPP after finding there were grounds to suspect a "carefully-planned" effort to subvert the planning process by altering or forging an official form to the advantage of quarry owner, Patrick Shiels.
He upheld arguments by Meath County Council that operations intensified at the quarry since 2004, when it was purchased for €1 million by Mr Shiels, amounting to a material change of use for which planning permission was required.
He noted local residents had complained from 2006 about long hours, dust, noise and explosions. Less than 20 loads of stone daily were taken from the quarry in 2004 but that had increased to 60 loads. Blasting was now common and there was no objective evidence of blasting before 2006.
The judge was told a planning application had been lodged on October 15th and he adjourned to next week the issue of final orders in the case. The judge said the court should make orders restraining unauthorised development and prohibiting intensification of quarrying .
Mr Shiels had urged the judge to take into account that the quarry employs 50 people and provides stone to major infrastructural projects such as the M50.
Restriction to 20 loads of stone per day, as sought by Meath County Council, would put him out of business, he said.
Mr Justice Hedigan said Mr Shiels was on notice from 2006 of the council's concerns and the complaints of local residents but had acted in deliberate and conscious disregard of council attempts to ensure compliance.
The judge said evidence before the court had indicated Mr Shiels had fabricated evidence "on at least one occasion" in the hearing - a page on the 2004 quarry registration form stating its output would be up to 100 loads per week. Mr Shiels had said that page was submitted in error and his version of the form provided for up to 1400 loads per week.
The judge said there were grounds to suspect a serious and carefully-executed effort was made to subvert the planning process. He said he would refer papers in the case to the DPP with a view to criminal proceedings.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Mr Justice John Hedigan also referred papers in the case to the DPP after finding there were grounds to suspect a "carefully-planned" effort to subvert the planning process by altering or forging an official form to the advantage of quarry owner, Patrick Shiels.
He upheld arguments by Meath County Council that operations intensified at the quarry since 2004, when it was purchased for €1 million by Mr Shiels, amounting to a material change of use for which planning permission was required.
He noted local residents had complained from 2006 about long hours, dust, noise and explosions. Less than 20 loads of stone daily were taken from the quarry in 2004 but that had increased to 60 loads. Blasting was now common and there was no objective evidence of blasting before 2006.
The judge was told a planning application had been lodged on October 15th and he adjourned to next week the issue of final orders in the case. The judge said the court should make orders restraining unauthorised development and prohibiting intensification of quarrying .
Mr Shiels had urged the judge to take into account that the quarry employs 50 people and provides stone to major infrastructural projects such as the M50.
Restriction to 20 loads of stone per day, as sought by Meath County Council, would put him out of business, he said.
Mr Justice Hedigan said Mr Shiels was on notice from 2006 of the council's concerns and the complaints of local residents but had acted in deliberate and conscious disregard of council attempts to ensure compliance.
The judge said evidence before the court had indicated Mr Shiels had fabricated evidence "on at least one occasion" in the hearing - a page on the 2004 quarry registration form stating its output would be up to 100 loads per week. Mr Shiels had said that page was submitted in error and his version of the form provided for up to 1400 loads per week.
The judge said there were grounds to suspect a serious and carefully-executed effort was made to subvert the planning process. He said he would refer papers in the case to the DPP with a view to criminal proceedings.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bord upholds plan for Waterford development
AN BORD Pleanála has upheld a decision by Waterford City Council to allow a €280 million inner-city development, expected to create 1,900 full-time and temporary jobs, to proceed.
In July 2007 the council granted permission to KRM Construction Partnership for the Newgate centre, subject to conditions.
However, objections were lodged with An Bord Pleanála by parties including the Department of the Environment, the Waterford Alliance for Sustainable Inner City Development, the Waterford Council of Trade Unions, the Patrick Street and Stephen Street Traders Group, Brendan McCann and Noel McDonagh.
Traffic problems, along with environmental and archaeological concerns, were cited as the main reasons for the objections.
An Bord Pleanála yesterday upheld the council's position in favour of the development "with revised conditions".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In July 2007 the council granted permission to KRM Construction Partnership for the Newgate centre, subject to conditions.
However, objections were lodged with An Bord Pleanála by parties including the Department of the Environment, the Waterford Alliance for Sustainable Inner City Development, the Waterford Council of Trade Unions, the Patrick Street and Stephen Street Traders Group, Brendan McCann and Noel McDonagh.
Traffic problems, along with environmental and archaeological concerns, were cited as the main reasons for the objections.
An Bord Pleanála yesterday upheld the council's position in favour of the development "with revised conditions".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bray Environs Local Area Plan
Wicklow County Council is preparing a Local Area Plan for Bray Environs.
Written submissions or observations with respect to the preparation of the Plan may be made until Wednesday 31rd December 2008.
For assistance in making your submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or email: admin@buckplanning.ie
bps is an Irish Planning Institute accredited town planning consultancy based in Wicklow Town.
Written submissions or observations with respect to the preparation of the Plan may be made until Wednesday 31rd December 2008.
For assistance in making your submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or email: admin@buckplanning.ie
bps is an Irish Planning Institute accredited town planning consultancy based in Wicklow Town.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Green light for €297m Beaumont private hospital
THE €297m private hospital to be built on the grounds of Dublin's Beaumont Hospital should be ready to receive its first patients by late 2011 or early 2012, developers predicted yesterday.
The co-located hospital , with 170 single rooms, was given the go ahead by an Bord Pleanala yesterday after objections by former TD Joe Higgins were overturned.
Michael Cullen, chief executive of the Beacon Medical Group, which is backing the facility, insisted that while the lending environment has changed in the past year he was still confident of securing the funds to begin "digging in the ground" by the middle of next year.
He said they could not finalise the funding until full planning permission had been granted but that his group was at an advanced stage in discussions with a number of banks.
The co-located facility is part of the Government's controversial plan to build private hospitals on the sites of a number of public hospitals in a bid to free up 1,000 beds for public patients.
Progress
The Beaumont campus will have 16 critical-care beds, six operating theatres and be fitted with new-generation diagnostic equipment, Mr Cullen said.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday rejected claims by Labour that the controversial plan would share the fate of the PDs and end up being scrapped.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore suggested in the Dail that the policy was in jeopardy.
Mr Cowen replied that plans were advanced in relation to six of the eight co-located hospital originally envisaged by health chiefs.
Eilish O'Regan and Senan Molony
www.buckplanning.ie
The co-located hospital , with 170 single rooms, was given the go ahead by an Bord Pleanala yesterday after objections by former TD Joe Higgins were overturned.
Michael Cullen, chief executive of the Beacon Medical Group, which is backing the facility, insisted that while the lending environment has changed in the past year he was still confident of securing the funds to begin "digging in the ground" by the middle of next year.
He said they could not finalise the funding until full planning permission had been granted but that his group was at an advanced stage in discussions with a number of banks.
The co-located facility is part of the Government's controversial plan to build private hospitals on the sites of a number of public hospitals in a bid to free up 1,000 beds for public patients.
Progress
The Beaumont campus will have 16 critical-care beds, six operating theatres and be fitted with new-generation diagnostic equipment, Mr Cullen said.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday rejected claims by Labour that the controversial plan would share the fate of the PDs and end up being scrapped.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore suggested in the Dail that the policy was in jeopardy.
Mr Cowen replied that plans were advanced in relation to six of the eight co-located hospital originally envisaged by health chiefs.
Eilish O'Regan and Senan Molony
www.buckplanning.ie
Carroll fights to keep €200m development
DEVELOPER Liam Carroll has moved to protect a €200m office development following legal action by rival developer, Sean Dunne, who is seeking the demolition of the building work that has already been undertaken on the Dublin Docklands site.
Now Mr Carroll has applied to Dublin City Council for permission to retain the existing eight-storey building and to continue with a development which will accommodate almost 300,000 sq ft of offices as well as a retail bank and the new Anglo Irish Bank head office at North Wall Quay.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) has said he is satisfied that, based on legal advice, there will be no claims for compensation following the recent court judgment.
There had been some media speculation that DDDA might be liable for claims following a court finding in favour of Mr Dunne.
It was also speculated at the time that of the court decision that the DDDA would appeal to the Supreme Court but it subsequently decided against this course of action.
Donal Buckley
www.buckplanning.ie
Now Mr Carroll has applied to Dublin City Council for permission to retain the existing eight-storey building and to continue with a development which will accommodate almost 300,000 sq ft of offices as well as a retail bank and the new Anglo Irish Bank head office at North Wall Quay.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) has said he is satisfied that, based on legal advice, there will be no claims for compensation following the recent court judgment.
There had been some media speculation that DDDA might be liable for claims following a court finding in favour of Mr Dunne.
It was also speculated at the time that of the court decision that the DDDA would appeal to the Supreme Court but it subsequently decided against this course of action.
Donal Buckley
www.buckplanning.ie
Group opposing incinerator plans Obama-style drive
RESIDENTS fighting plans for a €75 million incinerator are planning an Obama-style fundraising campaign to cover potentially crippling legal costs.
The Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) said it is considering using an online donations system similar to the one used by US president-elect Barack Obama during his successful election campaign to build up a war chest.
It is facing a massive legal bill after the Supreme Court awarded costs on Tuesday to the State and Indaver following an unsuccessful legal challenge by CHASE.
Some 30,000 people have objected to Indaver’s project.
CHASE said it hopes communities in Cork Harbour who will be affected by Indaver’s controversial project will donate whatever they can — from €1 to €100 — to its campaign.
They are hoping they can raise enough to cover the legal costs in the event the State and Indaver decide to pursue them.
The organisation, which was set up seven years ago to fight the incinerator project, raises most of its money through the sale of €10 calendars.
CHASE spokeswoman, Mary Hurley, said the fundraising drive would also help foster a sense of “participatory democracy”.
“We are not some crackpot group with banners waving,” she said.
“Our communities are resilient. But people have a sense of being excluded from the democratic process. To try to stamp us out is outrageous,” Ms Hurley said.
CHASE reiterated its appeal to the Government yesterday not to pursue it for legal costs.
Indaver has said it has yet to make a decision on whether it will exercise its right to seek its costs in full.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bórd Pleanála told the Supreme Court they will not be looking for their costs.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) said it is considering using an online donations system similar to the one used by US president-elect Barack Obama during his successful election campaign to build up a war chest.
It is facing a massive legal bill after the Supreme Court awarded costs on Tuesday to the State and Indaver following an unsuccessful legal challenge by CHASE.
Some 30,000 people have objected to Indaver’s project.
CHASE said it hopes communities in Cork Harbour who will be affected by Indaver’s controversial project will donate whatever they can — from €1 to €100 — to its campaign.
They are hoping they can raise enough to cover the legal costs in the event the State and Indaver decide to pursue them.
The organisation, which was set up seven years ago to fight the incinerator project, raises most of its money through the sale of €10 calendars.
CHASE spokeswoman, Mary Hurley, said the fundraising drive would also help foster a sense of “participatory democracy”.
“We are not some crackpot group with banners waving,” she said.
“Our communities are resilient. But people have a sense of being excluded from the democratic process. To try to stamp us out is outrageous,” Ms Hurley said.
CHASE reiterated its appeal to the Government yesterday not to pursue it for legal costs.
Indaver has said it has yet to make a decision on whether it will exercise its right to seek its costs in full.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bórd Pleanála told the Supreme Court they will not be looking for their costs.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Indaver plans greater volume of waste incineration
INDAVER is planning to significantly increase the amount of household waste it proposes to incinerate in the environs of Cork harbour, it has been revealed.
The disclosure comes as the company prepares to lodge a new planning application to build a municipal incinerator in Ringaskiddy, with a capacity to burn 140,000 tonnes a year.
Indaver managing director John Ahern said the company originally envisaged processing 100,000 tonnes a year. “We have increased that projected figure because there has been an increase in the population in Cork and an increase in the volume of waste.”
He claimed the need for the incinerator was greater than ever, especially as Ireland, along with Britain and Greece, was not meeting its obligation to divert waste from landfill.
“We have assumed the Cork area will achieve 50% recycling rates by 2015 but, even at that, we will still need to incinerate 140,000 tonnes per annum. Otherwise, Ireland will not meet its environmental obligations and will be faced with massive fines from the EU.”
Indaver’s planning permission for an industrial and hazardous waste incinerator is about to expire. The company will submit a new application for the hazardous waste incinerator next month, in tandem with one for household waste.
Indaver wants to build them at the same time as part of a €150m project.
“We will keep the industrial and hazardous waste incineration at 100,000 tonnes per year. We will give a cast-iron guarantee we will not import such waste. Hazardous waste will only come from this island.”
Indaver, meanwhile, believes the amount of hazardous waste generated in the country is enough to fill its planned capacity. It insists household waste incinerated at Ringaskiddy will come primarily from Cork city and county.
Mr Ahern said 300 jobs would be created during construction of the incinerators and a further 60 when completed. The company wanted to sit down and talk to objectors led by CHASE (Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment).
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The disclosure comes as the company prepares to lodge a new planning application to build a municipal incinerator in Ringaskiddy, with a capacity to burn 140,000 tonnes a year.
Indaver managing director John Ahern said the company originally envisaged processing 100,000 tonnes a year. “We have increased that projected figure because there has been an increase in the population in Cork and an increase in the volume of waste.”
He claimed the need for the incinerator was greater than ever, especially as Ireland, along with Britain and Greece, was not meeting its obligation to divert waste from landfill.
“We have assumed the Cork area will achieve 50% recycling rates by 2015 but, even at that, we will still need to incinerate 140,000 tonnes per annum. Otherwise, Ireland will not meet its environmental obligations and will be faced with massive fines from the EU.”
Indaver’s planning permission for an industrial and hazardous waste incinerator is about to expire. The company will submit a new application for the hazardous waste incinerator next month, in tandem with one for household waste.
Indaver wants to build them at the same time as part of a €150m project.
“We will keep the industrial and hazardous waste incineration at 100,000 tonnes per year. We will give a cast-iron guarantee we will not import such waste. Hazardous waste will only come from this island.”
Indaver, meanwhile, believes the amount of hazardous waste generated in the country is enough to fill its planned capacity. It insists household waste incinerated at Ringaskiddy will come primarily from Cork city and county.
Mr Ahern said 300 jobs would be created during construction of the incinerators and a further 60 when completed. The company wanted to sit down and talk to objectors led by CHASE (Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment).
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Sandymount scheme refused by Bord
DEVELOPER BRYAN Cullen's plans to add five apartments to an approved scheme at Sandymount have been rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
Cullen, with permission for 27 apartments and 12 houses at Sandymount Castle Park and Gilford Road, D4, wants to add a fifth level to one block with four penthouses and add an extra apartment to the fourth floor.
Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association appealed permission granted by Dublin City Council for the extra units. They are concerned the application is "an attempt to bypass all the conditions of the previous application". The board said that the height and traffic generating movements would be excessive and result in overdevelopment of the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Cullen, with permission for 27 apartments and 12 houses at Sandymount Castle Park and Gilford Road, D4, wants to add a fifth level to one block with four penthouses and add an extra apartment to the fourth floor.
Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association appealed permission granted by Dublin City Council for the extra units. They are concerned the application is "an attempt to bypass all the conditions of the previous application". The board said that the height and traffic generating movements would be excessive and result in overdevelopment of the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Guineys goes for new look in D1
IT COULD be the end of an era as Guineys four-storey building on Talbot Street, D1 might be demolished for a seven-storey building with a new look Guineys store and offices.
The owners of the store have applied for planning permission to Dublin City Council for the development at the site at 79-80 Talbot Street which backs on to Beresford Lane. The 3,039sq m (32,711sq ft) scheme would have retail in the basement, ground and first floors, and offices on the second to sixth floor. The scheme provides for three new pedestrian access points off Talbot Street as well as a new pedestrian and access points off Beresford lane.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The owners of the store have applied for planning permission to Dublin City Council for the development at the site at 79-80 Talbot Street which backs on to Beresford Lane. The 3,039sq m (32,711sq ft) scheme would have retail in the basement, ground and first floors, and offices on the second to sixth floor. The scheme provides for three new pedestrian access points off Talbot Street as well as a new pedestrian and access points off Beresford lane.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Planning and Development
An Bord Pleanála
APPEALS
Location: Franklin House, 140-142 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish four-storey building for an office block ranging from four to eight storeys with site development works. Applicant: David Daly. Appellant(s): Pembroke Road Association, James OReilly, An Taisce, Lansdowne and District Residents Association, Dermot Desmond, David Daly, James O'Reilly and others.
Location: 10-12 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish three-storey building for an office block form one to six storeys. Applicant: Irish Property Unit Management Services. Appellant(s): Pembroke Road Association, Lansdowne and District Residents Association, An Taisce.
Location: north of Naul Road, south of Flemington Lane, east of Clonard-Bridgefoot Road, west of Moylaragh, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 1,057 dwellings units on a 36.08-hectare site. Applicant: Crescent Park Properties. Appellant(s): James Halligan, Moylaragh Road Residents Association.
Location: Regency Airport Hotel, Swords Road, Dublin 9. Proposed development: block of 68 apartments from four to eight storeys with 109 car-parking spaces. Applicant: Niall Molloy. Appellant(s): Damien and Mary Martin, J and M Eustace, Gaeltacht Park Residents Association, Peter Kelly, Anthony OReilly, Colin Maguire.
Location: Ashleaf Shopping Centre, Crumlin Cross, Dublin 12. Proposed development: retail, medical centre, 80-bed apart-hotel and 40 residential units. Applicant: Gary Smith. Appellant(s): Peter Keogh, Peter and Jennifer Keogh.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: George's Court, 15-16 George's Place, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Proposed development: alter, extend and change of use of office building to residential use comprising 25 units and site works. Applicant: Monway (with revised conditions).
Location: Oldbridge, Rathmullen Road, Drogheda, Co Meath. Proposed development: 745 houses and apartments with a crèche, car-parking and works and services. Applicant: Niall Mellon and Pat OReilly (with revised conditions).
Location: Old Greenfield Road, Straffan Road, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Proposed development: demolish house for 95 apartments, 16 houses, crèche, car-parking, new access road and site works. Applicant: High Degree Construction (with conditions).
Location: 39B Quinsborough Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 64 apartments, office units, retail units and site works. Applicant: TBD Group Holdings Ltd (with conditions).
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: Clontarf Baths, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish sheds and outbuildings associated with former outdoor pool for a day spa with site works. Applicant: Abbeybeg Ltd.
Location: Sandymount Castle Park and 34 Gilford Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Proposed development: alterations and extension to previously approved development (PL29S.222414). Applicant: Bryan Cullen
Location: Croham Hurst, Balally townland, Sandyford Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house for 48 apartments in three blocks with new entrance, car-parking and site works. Applicant: Ralph Lindsay.
Location: The Traders, St James Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish first floor/attic space for 14 apartments, extend off-licence and public house, new holding kitchen and shop fronts. Applicant: Stanaless Services Ltd.
Location: The Old Fever Hospital, Abbeyleix Road, Mountrath, Co Laois. Proposed development: convert Old Fever Hospital to five apartments (protected structure). Applicant: Des Kelly Interiors.
Location: Church Street, Kilcock, Co Kildare. Proposed development: 180 residential units, 29 retail units, office space, crèche, medical centre and site works. Applicant: Zed Candy Ltd.
Location: Gormanston, Co Meath. Proposed development: garden centre, coffee dock, 192 car-parking spaces, six advertising signs, 15 flag pole signs and site works. Applicant: McGarrell Reilly Contractors Ltd.
Location: Main Street, between Dunnes Stores and St Declans Credit Union, Killegland Road, Ashbourne, Co Meath. Proposed development: 90 apartments, two office units, crèche, 147 car-parking spaces and site works. Applicant: Darlington Properties Ltd.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
APPLICATIONS
Location: 19 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. Proposed development: temporary classroom building consisting of two resource rooms for a period of five years. Applicant: Muslim National School, Islamic Cultural Centre.
Dublin City Council
APPLICATIONS
Location: Guineys, 79-80 Talbot Street, which backs onto Beresford Lane to the rear, Dublin 1. Proposed development: demolish building for a seven-storey scheme fronting onto Talbot Street, stepping down to four and two storeys to the rear facing onto Beresford Lane, over basement commercial mid-terrace building to consist of retail and ancillary uses at basement, ground and first floor level that includes 57sq m (614sq ft) of basement that extends under Talbot Street to be retained and used as storage. ESB substation proposed at ground floor to Beresford Lane and primarily office and ancillary uses at second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floor level with terraces proposed to rear elevation at fourth and fifth floors and west and north (front) elevation at sixth floor. Three new pedestrian access points off Talbot Street, new pedestrian and service access points off Beresford Lane to the rear to serve the retail and office components and site works. Applicant: Guiney and Company Ltd.
Location: Shelbourne Hall, Shelbourne Lane to the rear of 144, 146 and 150 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: alterations to apartment building. Remove mansard roof for two storeys on top of the existing apartment building consisting of six apartments (one one-bed, four two-beds and one two-bed duplex) with balconies/terraces. Modifiy units within Shelbourne Hall at first to third floor to comprise changes to the kitchen layout and the addition of balconies to the 18 units at first to third floor. The proposed development will increase the height of Shelbourne Hall from four to six storeys and a total of 24 residential units will be provided. Car-parking is provided by 47 spaces within the ground floor car-park. Site development, landscaping and treatment works. Applicant: David Daly.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club, Londonbridge Road, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish clubhouse and outbuildings for a two-storey clubhouse with finished ground floor level one metre below existing level and three viewing terraces at first floor level. Improvement works to the boundary wall with the neighbouring houses on Londonbridge Road to the north of the clubhouse. Rebuild car-park to new lower level to provide 36 car-parking spaces. Landscaping and site works. Applicant: Trustees and Committee of Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club.
Location: former Easons Warehouse premises, Brickfield Drive, Crumlin, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish all buildings and structures on site for four blocks from three to five storeys with 48 two-bed apartments, four three-bed apartments and 12 three-bed houses over a basement car-parking with 55 spaces. Industry/science and technology-based industry/office area of 10,353sq m (111,439sq ft) in two blocks over two basement car-parking areas with a total of 52 spaces. Crèche and outdoor play area. New boundary walls and fences, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Brian M Durkan Co Ltd.
Location: Redcourt, Seafield Road East, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish derelict and fire-gutted building formally known as Redcourt House for a new Redcourt House on three storeys containing four two-bed apartments and one three-bed apartment. Apartment block of up to five storeys comprising two four-bed units, five three-bed units, three two-bed units and four one-bed units, 89 car-parking spaces, site works and landscaping. Planning permission previously granted on this site (PA Ref 1349/07). Applicant: The Redcourt Partnership.
Location: 366-368 Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish Dollymount House and associated structures for 62 apartments (12 one-beds, 38 two-beds and 12 three-beds) in three blocks of three to five storeys. Provision of 105 car-parking spaces, landscaping and site works. Applicant: MKN Developments Ltd.
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: former Grand Cinema, 396-402 Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9. Proposed development: demolish former cinema while retaining façade for two ground floor retail units, two office units at first and second floor level, 16 apartments (two one-beds, eight two-beds and six three-beds) and 32 underground car-parking spaces. Applicant: Cowra Ltd.
South Dublin
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Tobermaclugg development area, Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 317 dwellings comprising 159 houses (21 four-beds, 123 three-beds and 15 two-beds) in a mix of two and three-storey terraces; 110 duplex units (79 three-beds and 31 two-beds) in a mix of upper and lower level units in four-storey buildings; 48 apartments (32 two-beds and 16 three-beds). The apartments are in one two-storey building and four three/four-storey buildings. Solar panels are provided for all units. Total of 590 surface car-parking spaces, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Castlethorn Construction.
Location: Stewarts Sports Hall, Stewarts Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20. Proposed development: demolition of part of existing sports centre for new two-storey entrance hall with an intermediate part mezzanine including new entrance hall, new accommodation stairs and lift. Single storey exhibition space over the sports centre (swimming pool) accessed from the new entrance hall and including new exhibition area. New fire escape stairs and new windows to swimming pool. Landscaping and site works. The development is within the curtilage of a protected structure (Stewarts Hospital). Applicant: Stewarts Foundation Ltd.
Location: DSPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16. Proposed development: four single storey buildings with 20 parking spaces and site works. Applicant: DSPCA.
Fingal
APPLICATIONS
Location: 7-hectare (17.2-acre) site at Cloghran Stud Farm, Old Stockhole Lane, Cloghran, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 10-year temporary permission for the demolition of farm buildings and the development of a 2,715-space surface car-park, internal roads, bus parking and exit/entry control facilities with ancillary lighting and surface water drainage, 72sq m (775sq ft) control office and eight bus shelters. Upgrade 300m of the carriageway of Old Stockhole Lane and 2.4m high palisade fencing on all boundaries. The proposed development will link to and serve Dublin Airport by means of a shuttle bus service. Applicant: Park Developments (Dublin) Ltd.
The Irish Times
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APPEALS
Location: Franklin House, 140-142 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish four-storey building for an office block ranging from four to eight storeys with site development works. Applicant: David Daly. Appellant(s): Pembroke Road Association, James OReilly, An Taisce, Lansdowne and District Residents Association, Dermot Desmond, David Daly, James O'Reilly and others.
Location: 10-12 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish three-storey building for an office block form one to six storeys. Applicant: Irish Property Unit Management Services. Appellant(s): Pembroke Road Association, Lansdowne and District Residents Association, An Taisce.
Location: north of Naul Road, south of Flemington Lane, east of Clonard-Bridgefoot Road, west of Moylaragh, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 1,057 dwellings units on a 36.08-hectare site. Applicant: Crescent Park Properties. Appellant(s): James Halligan, Moylaragh Road Residents Association.
Location: Regency Airport Hotel, Swords Road, Dublin 9. Proposed development: block of 68 apartments from four to eight storeys with 109 car-parking spaces. Applicant: Niall Molloy. Appellant(s): Damien and Mary Martin, J and M Eustace, Gaeltacht Park Residents Association, Peter Kelly, Anthony OReilly, Colin Maguire.
Location: Ashleaf Shopping Centre, Crumlin Cross, Dublin 12. Proposed development: retail, medical centre, 80-bed apart-hotel and 40 residential units. Applicant: Gary Smith. Appellant(s): Peter Keogh, Peter and Jennifer Keogh.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: George's Court, 15-16 George's Place, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Proposed development: alter, extend and change of use of office building to residential use comprising 25 units and site works. Applicant: Monway (with revised conditions).
Location: Oldbridge, Rathmullen Road, Drogheda, Co Meath. Proposed development: 745 houses and apartments with a crèche, car-parking and works and services. Applicant: Niall Mellon and Pat OReilly (with revised conditions).
Location: Old Greenfield Road, Straffan Road, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Proposed development: demolish house for 95 apartments, 16 houses, crèche, car-parking, new access road and site works. Applicant: High Degree Construction (with conditions).
Location: 39B Quinsborough Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. Proposed development: demolish buildings for 64 apartments, office units, retail units and site works. Applicant: TBD Group Holdings Ltd (with conditions).
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: Clontarf Baths, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish sheds and outbuildings associated with former outdoor pool for a day spa with site works. Applicant: Abbeybeg Ltd.
Location: Sandymount Castle Park and 34 Gilford Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Proposed development: alterations and extension to previously approved development (PL29S.222414). Applicant: Bryan Cullen
Location: Croham Hurst, Balally townland, Sandyford Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. Proposed development: demolish house for 48 apartments in three blocks with new entrance, car-parking and site works. Applicant: Ralph Lindsay.
Location: The Traders, St James Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish first floor/attic space for 14 apartments, extend off-licence and public house, new holding kitchen and shop fronts. Applicant: Stanaless Services Ltd.
Location: The Old Fever Hospital, Abbeyleix Road, Mountrath, Co Laois. Proposed development: convert Old Fever Hospital to five apartments (protected structure). Applicant: Des Kelly Interiors.
Location: Church Street, Kilcock, Co Kildare. Proposed development: 180 residential units, 29 retail units, office space, crèche, medical centre and site works. Applicant: Zed Candy Ltd.
Location: Gormanston, Co Meath. Proposed development: garden centre, coffee dock, 192 car-parking spaces, six advertising signs, 15 flag pole signs and site works. Applicant: McGarrell Reilly Contractors Ltd.
Location: Main Street, between Dunnes Stores and St Declans Credit Union, Killegland Road, Ashbourne, Co Meath. Proposed development: 90 apartments, two office units, crèche, 147 car-parking spaces and site works. Applicant: Darlington Properties Ltd.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
APPLICATIONS
Location: 19 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. Proposed development: temporary classroom building consisting of two resource rooms for a period of five years. Applicant: Muslim National School, Islamic Cultural Centre.
Dublin City Council
APPLICATIONS
Location: Guineys, 79-80 Talbot Street, which backs onto Beresford Lane to the rear, Dublin 1. Proposed development: demolish building for a seven-storey scheme fronting onto Talbot Street, stepping down to four and two storeys to the rear facing onto Beresford Lane, over basement commercial mid-terrace building to consist of retail and ancillary uses at basement, ground and first floor level that includes 57sq m (614sq ft) of basement that extends under Talbot Street to be retained and used as storage. ESB substation proposed at ground floor to Beresford Lane and primarily office and ancillary uses at second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floor level with terraces proposed to rear elevation at fourth and fifth floors and west and north (front) elevation at sixth floor. Three new pedestrian access points off Talbot Street, new pedestrian and service access points off Beresford Lane to the rear to serve the retail and office components and site works. Applicant: Guiney and Company Ltd.
Location: Shelbourne Hall, Shelbourne Lane to the rear of 144, 146 and 150 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Proposed development: alterations to apartment building. Remove mansard roof for two storeys on top of the existing apartment building consisting of six apartments (one one-bed, four two-beds and one two-bed duplex) with balconies/terraces. Modifiy units within Shelbourne Hall at first to third floor to comprise changes to the kitchen layout and the addition of balconies to the 18 units at first to third floor. The proposed development will increase the height of Shelbourne Hall from four to six storeys and a total of 24 residential units will be provided. Car-parking is provided by 47 spaces within the ground floor car-park. Site development, landscaping and treatment works. Applicant: David Daly.
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club, Londonbridge Road, Dublin 4. Proposed development: demolish clubhouse and outbuildings for a two-storey clubhouse with finished ground floor level one metre below existing level and three viewing terraces at first floor level. Improvement works to the boundary wall with the neighbouring houses on Londonbridge Road to the north of the clubhouse. Rebuild car-park to new lower level to provide 36 car-parking spaces. Landscaping and site works. Applicant: Trustees and Committee of Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club.
Location: former Easons Warehouse premises, Brickfield Drive, Crumlin, Dublin 12. Proposed development: demolish all buildings and structures on site for four blocks from three to five storeys with 48 two-bed apartments, four three-bed apartments and 12 three-bed houses over a basement car-parking with 55 spaces. Industry/science and technology-based industry/office area of 10,353sq m (111,439sq ft) in two blocks over two basement car-parking areas with a total of 52 spaces. Crèche and outdoor play area. New boundary walls and fences, landscaping and site works. Applicant: Brian M Durkan Co Ltd.
Location: Redcourt, Seafield Road East, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish derelict and fire-gutted building formally known as Redcourt House for a new Redcourt House on three storeys containing four two-bed apartments and one three-bed apartment. Apartment block of up to five storeys comprising two four-bed units, five three-bed units, three two-bed units and four one-bed units, 89 car-parking spaces, site works and landscaping. Planning permission previously granted on this site (PA Ref 1349/07). Applicant: The Redcourt Partnership.
Location: 366-368 Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. Proposed development: demolish Dollymount House and associated structures for 62 apartments (12 one-beds, 38 two-beds and 12 three-beds) in three blocks of three to five storeys. Provision of 105 car-parking spaces, landscaping and site works. Applicant: MKN Developments Ltd.
DECISION TO REFUSE
Location: former Grand Cinema, 396-402 Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9. Proposed development: demolish former cinema while retaining façade for two ground floor retail units, two office units at first and second floor level, 16 apartments (two one-beds, eight two-beds and six three-beds) and 32 underground car-parking spaces. Applicant: Cowra Ltd.
South Dublin
DECISION TO GRANT
Location: Tobermaclugg development area, Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 317 dwellings comprising 159 houses (21 four-beds, 123 three-beds and 15 two-beds) in a mix of two and three-storey terraces; 110 duplex units (79 three-beds and 31 two-beds) in a mix of upper and lower level units in four-storey buildings; 48 apartments (32 two-beds and 16 three-beds). The apartments are in one two-storey building and four three/four-storey buildings. Solar panels are provided for all units. Total of 590 surface car-parking spaces, site works and landscaping. Applicant: Castlethorn Construction.
Location: Stewarts Sports Hall, Stewarts Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20. Proposed development: demolition of part of existing sports centre for new two-storey entrance hall with an intermediate part mezzanine including new entrance hall, new accommodation stairs and lift. Single storey exhibition space over the sports centre (swimming pool) accessed from the new entrance hall and including new exhibition area. New fire escape stairs and new windows to swimming pool. Landscaping and site works. The development is within the curtilage of a protected structure (Stewarts Hospital). Applicant: Stewarts Foundation Ltd.
Location: DSPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16. Proposed development: four single storey buildings with 20 parking spaces and site works. Applicant: DSPCA.
Fingal
APPLICATIONS
Location: 7-hectare (17.2-acre) site at Cloghran Stud Farm, Old Stockhole Lane, Cloghran, Co Dublin. Proposed development: 10-year temporary permission for the demolition of farm buildings and the development of a 2,715-space surface car-park, internal roads, bus parking and exit/entry control facilities with ancillary lighting and surface water drainage, 72sq m (775sq ft) control office and eight bus shelters. Upgrade 300m of the carriageway of Old Stockhole Lane and 2.4m high palisade fencing on all boundaries. The proposed development will link to and serve Dublin Airport by means of a shuttle bus service. Applicant: Park Developments (Dublin) Ltd.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bord refuses Sean Dunne's Kilcock plan
AN BORD Pleanála has overturned planning permission granted to developer Seán Dunne for a residential, retail and office development at the Zed Candy factory site in Kilcock, Co Kildare because it would have a detrimental impact on the “viability and vitality” of Kilcock town centre.
Mountbrook Homes acquired the Zed Candy factory in Church Street, one of the main streets in Kilcock, in 2006 and was granted planning permission earlier this year by Kildare County Council for 29 shops including an anchor store, 180 apartments, offices, a medical centre and community facilities. The development would have been spread over six blocks rising to six storeys.
The proposal came up against considerable local opposition with five third party appeals submitted to An Bord Pleanála. Among the appellants was Emmet Stagg TD and Chris Rowland who said the scheme was out of character with the surrounding area and the mass and scale would negatively dominate the village.
They said the purpose of town centre zoning is to protect and enhance the character of Kilcock town centre.
Kilcock and District Community Council and Abbeyfield Residents Association were among the other appellants. By refusing permission, An Bord Pleanála overruled its inspector’s recommendation. It said the design fails to provide adequate links between Church Street and the Royal Canal which it is between, resulting in an “introverted” form of development out of character with the area.
The Irish Times
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Mountbrook Homes acquired the Zed Candy factory in Church Street, one of the main streets in Kilcock, in 2006 and was granted planning permission earlier this year by Kildare County Council for 29 shops including an anchor store, 180 apartments, offices, a medical centre and community facilities. The development would have been spread over six blocks rising to six storeys.
The proposal came up against considerable local opposition with five third party appeals submitted to An Bord Pleanála. Among the appellants was Emmet Stagg TD and Chris Rowland who said the scheme was out of character with the surrounding area and the mass and scale would negatively dominate the village.
They said the purpose of town centre zoning is to protect and enhance the character of Kilcock town centre.
Kilcock and District Community Council and Abbeyfield Residents Association were among the other appellants. By refusing permission, An Bord Pleanála overruled its inspector’s recommendation. It said the design fails to provide adequate links between Church Street and the Royal Canal which it is between, resulting in an “introverted” form of development out of character with the area.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dermot Desmond appeals David Daly's D4 plans
BUSINESSMAN DERMOT Desmond is opposing yet another proposal for development in Ballsbridge.
A high profile opponent of developer Seán Dunne's proposal for a 37-storey tower on the Jurys/Berkeley Court site, he is now appealing developer David Daly's proposal to redevelop nearby Franklin House on Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 to An Bord Pleanála.
Among the grounds for appealing the scheme, which involves knocking the office block and replacing it with two office buildings, is that the design reflects the style of nearby Hume House "one of the ugliest buildings in Dublin".
Desmond, who lives on Ailesbury Road, Ballsbridge, is one of six parties to appeal planning permission granted by Dublin City Council last month.
Developer David Daly got planning permission from Dublin City Council to knock the 1,369sq m (14,736sq ft) Franklin House and build 4,194sq m (45,144sq ft) of office space from four to eight storeys connected by an atrium.
Desmond maintains the design "lacks any sophistication" and says the classically proportioned buildings to the east of the site "are not reflected anywhere in the design either in terms of their scale, fenestration, materials or finishes".
He told the board that he has always expressed his concern "about the need for high standards of design in the city of Dublin if it is to compete with other great European cities and indeed other world cities". He said permitting a building "of this calibre within an area like Ballsbridge is simply unacceptable".
In its submission to An Bord Pleanála, An Taisce says the scale and height of the development would have a "negative impact" on protected structures such as the "iconic" US embassy buildings, 19th century protected structures near it at the end of Elgin Road and estate cottages on Shelbourne Road.
It also points to a surplus of office space in the area, saying there are vacant offices at newer blocks like the Oval, RDS, Watermarque building and older office blocks like Hume House, the Faculty Building, Iona building, Shelbourne House and Carrisbrook House.
Among the other appellants are Lansdowne and District Residents Association, Pembroke Road Association and James O'Reilly SC and others.
David Daly bought Franklin House from developer Gerry 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 as the Jurys/Berkeley Court site, developer Seán 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 and Pembroke Road.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
A high profile opponent of developer Seán Dunne's proposal for a 37-storey tower on the Jurys/Berkeley Court site, he is now appealing developer David Daly's proposal to redevelop nearby Franklin House on Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 to An Bord Pleanála.
Among the grounds for appealing the scheme, which involves knocking the office block and replacing it with two office buildings, is that the design reflects the style of nearby Hume House "one of the ugliest buildings in Dublin".
Desmond, who lives on Ailesbury Road, Ballsbridge, is one of six parties to appeal planning permission granted by Dublin City Council last month.
Developer David Daly got planning permission from Dublin City Council to knock the 1,369sq m (14,736sq ft) Franklin House and build 4,194sq m (45,144sq ft) of office space from four to eight storeys connected by an atrium.
Desmond maintains the design "lacks any sophistication" and says the classically proportioned buildings to the east of the site "are not reflected anywhere in the design either in terms of their scale, fenestration, materials or finishes".
He told the board that he has always expressed his concern "about the need for high standards of design in the city of Dublin if it is to compete with other great European cities and indeed other world cities". He said permitting a building "of this calibre within an area like Ballsbridge is simply unacceptable".
In its submission to An Bord Pleanála, An Taisce says the scale and height of the development would have a "negative impact" on protected structures such as the "iconic" US embassy buildings, 19th century protected structures near it at the end of Elgin Road and estate cottages on Shelbourne Road.
It also points to a surplus of office space in the area, saying there are vacant offices at newer blocks like the Oval, RDS, Watermarque building and older office blocks like Hume House, the Faculty Building, Iona building, Shelbourne House and Carrisbrook House.
Among the other appellants are Lansdowne and District Residents Association, Pembroke Road Association and James O'Reilly SC and others.
David Daly bought Franklin House from developer Gerry 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 as the Jurys/Berkeley Court site, developer Seán 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 and Pembroke Road.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bono's extension appealed by An Taisce
Just when Bono may have thought his planning application to expand his house - Temple Hill, Vico Road, Killiney - further skyward had no opposition, An Taisce submitted its objection to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at the 11th hour.
The U2 frontman applied last month for a 130sq m (1,400sq ft) roof extension and a conservatory saying his current 595sq m (6,400sq ft) of living space no longer meets the family's needs. The extension would house a main bedroom (bringing the number of bedrooms to five), a study, two en suites, two dressingrooms and storage. Apparently it would be a lightweight prefab structure placed over the pitched roof which, says Bono's architect Colin Jennings, could be removed at short notice. A ground floor conservatory with a terrace above is also part of the plan.
But An Taisce says the house is within a conservation area and it doesn't approve of the lead roof finish, the metal frame windows of the extension and decorative panels which it says are out of keeping with the architectural integrity of the building. It also says the extension would "distract" from two protected structures, singer Enya's Ayesha Castle and Killiney Hill Obelisk.
Saying that it is "disappointed" that the council hasn't listed Temple Hill, An Taisce points to the substantial size of the home which is made up of the main house, mews, coach-house, folly, gardener's shelter, changing facilities, and recreation building.
It suggests "a more sympathetic extension with a similar design and finish to the original house should be considered".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The U2 frontman applied last month for a 130sq m (1,400sq ft) roof extension and a conservatory saying his current 595sq m (6,400sq ft) of living space no longer meets the family's needs. The extension would house a main bedroom (bringing the number of bedrooms to five), a study, two en suites, two dressingrooms and storage. Apparently it would be a lightweight prefab structure placed over the pitched roof which, says Bono's architect Colin Jennings, could be removed at short notice. A ground floor conservatory with a terrace above is also part of the plan.
But An Taisce says the house is within a conservation area and it doesn't approve of the lead roof finish, the metal frame windows of the extension and decorative panels which it says are out of keeping with the architectural integrity of the building. It also says the extension would "distract" from two protected structures, singer Enya's Ayesha Castle and Killiney Hill Obelisk.
Saying that it is "disappointed" that the council hasn't listed Temple Hill, An Taisce points to the substantial size of the home which is made up of the main house, mews, coach-house, folly, gardener's shelter, changing facilities, and recreation building.
It suggests "a more sympathetic extension with a similar design and finish to the original house should be considered".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Council spending €10 million at The Grange
It looks like some lucky council tenants could be in line for 37 one and two-bed apartments at the upmarket Grange development in Stillorgan which Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is acquiring for social housing under Part V of the planning and development act for over €10.26 million.
The council has signed contracts with the developer Ray Grehan of Glenkerrin Homes and is looking for a loan from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to fund the 12 one-beds and 25 two-beds - at an average of €277,240 per unit.
Two months ago Grehan was offering buyers a 15 per cent interest-free loan for luxury two-bed private apartments at the Grange so that they would only have to come up with a 5 per cent deposit. The apartments were being sold at 2005 prices of €525,000.
The council is proposing the €10.26 million would go to BIH Housing Association (Ireland) Ltd, an approved voluntary body that provides accommodation to meet a range of housing needs for single people and families.
A spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the units at the Grange were allocated to social housing - along with another 38 affordable housing units - prior to the downturn and have been a long time in negotiation.
They did acknowledge, however, that in more buoyant times "there's no doubt that developers preferred to make financial contributions rather than allocate units although this was always our least preferred option", but added that this was never the case at the Grange.
The council has either agreed to acquire units or has already acquired them in a long list of salubrious and high profile south Dublin developments, including 24 social units and 36 affordable units at the Gallops in Leopardstown, and 34 social and 70 affordable units at Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford.
The Irish Times
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The council has signed contracts with the developer Ray Grehan of Glenkerrin Homes and is looking for a loan from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to fund the 12 one-beds and 25 two-beds - at an average of €277,240 per unit.
Two months ago Grehan was offering buyers a 15 per cent interest-free loan for luxury two-bed private apartments at the Grange so that they would only have to come up with a 5 per cent deposit. The apartments were being sold at 2005 prices of €525,000.
The council is proposing the €10.26 million would go to BIH Housing Association (Ireland) Ltd, an approved voluntary body that provides accommodation to meet a range of housing needs for single people and families.
A spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the units at the Grange were allocated to social housing - along with another 38 affordable housing units - prior to the downturn and have been a long time in negotiation.
They did acknowledge, however, that in more buoyant times "there's no doubt that developers preferred to make financial contributions rather than allocate units although this was always our least preferred option", but added that this was never the case at the Grange.
The council has either agreed to acquire units or has already acquired them in a long list of salubrious and high profile south Dublin developments, including 24 social units and 36 affordable units at the Gallops in Leopardstown, and 34 social and 70 affordable units at Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Turning the corner in social housing design
YORK STREET flats were the last real slums in Dublin to survive into the 21st century, and probably provided a setting for films that needed an authentic "tenement" backdrop. But now they've been replaced by a superb social housing scheme that would put even the most "exclusive" private sector apartments to shame.
"The old flats were really appalling," says architect Seán Harrington, whose firm designed the replacement housing.
A Georgian terrace, rebuilt in 1949, the block contained 99 apartments, 45 of which faced northwards onto the street and the rest faced south, looking out over bleak concrete yards with washing lines.
Harrington is a committed architect who is passionate about housing. His "learning curve" in this area was a competition, sponsored by Dublin City Council, for an affordable housing scheme on Holles Street; a complex public-private partnership (PPP) project, it is only now nearing completion six long years later.
"When we came on the scene in York Street, the city council had already decided to demolish the flats," he recalls. "We said we wanted to meet the remaining residents to find out what their needs, wants and worries were, and to introduce them to the design process, instead of just getting what they would be given.
"We had some experience of this in Ballymun and also in the UK and, although it can be difficult, it can also be very rewarding. As architects, it's great to meet the people you're housing because it focuses you in a way and makes you do a good job. So we ended up having 10 meetings in Aungier Street community centre."
By then, less than 60 of the York Street flats were occupied and the city council had agreed to sell a third of the site to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, whose main teaching building is directly opposite.
The flats were also plagued by "quite serious crime, health and safety issues", according to Seán Harrington.
The brief was to provide 66 new homes on a relatively tight site, and the residents made it clear that they wanted a variety of apartments, duplex units and townhouses.
"Right at the beginning, they also said the things we wanted to hear about building 'eco-homes' with waste control and even a composter," he says.
Architecturally, the new building turns the corner at York Street and Mercer Street, heralding its presence with a flourish; previously, there was only a blank gable here. It is arranged around a Scandinavian-style courtyard, divided into useful compartments - including a sedum-roofed and timber-clad recycling centre.
Rainwater is harvested in large stainless steel drums, from which it can be drawn to water a variety of shrubs, vegetables and fruit trees. There's also a seating area, which conceals the basement carpark vents, a playspace for kids and a portico formed by a pair of salvaged Georgian doorcases, set back-to-back. The apartments, all dual-aspect, are arranged in a U-shaped block around the courtyard, with five cores of lifts and staircases serving just two apartments per floor.
To the rear, where the back yards used to be, there is a range of three-storey mews buildings - separated from each other to let the sun come through.
The footprint of the apartment and mews pavilions is quite shallow, at just 11 metres (compared to 13 or 14 metres for most private apartments). Spatially, they are very generous, with 85sq m (915sq ft) for two-bed apartments and nearly 110sq m (1,184sq ft) for three-bedroom duplexes - well ahead of minimum standards.
With the city council's backing, Seán Harrington Architects extended the environmental agenda to include very high levels of insulation (using sheep's wool, incidentally) as well as glazed shutters on balconies, so that they can become winter gardens, and solar thermal panels on the roof, to supplement gas boilers.
"We just thought that all of this was best practice, even though it was way in excess of Building Regulations at the time," Harrington says. "As a result, each home in the scheme will have a BER (Building Energy Rating) of A3 or B1, which is still higher than what's required by the latest Building Regulations."
As if that wasn't enough, all of the timber joists in the old flats were salvaged and re-used in the timber-frame construction of the new mews housing as well as "green" cement from Ecocem for the concrete casting.
Even MDF was shunned in favour of plywood and chipboard for the kitchen units and wardrobes.
There are no PVC drainpipes either; stainless steel was used instead. Lime mortar, rather than cement, was used to point the brickwork, which is "stacked" on the street elevations to show that it is merely a cladding material. And every balcony has been supplied with a built-in planter - another Scandinavian touch (project architect Jim Roche lived in Finland for a while).
On both street frontages, steel bands delineate the extent of each apartment while the projecting bay windows all have side windows in different colours to give a sense of individuality. "But street elevations in a sensitive location like this need to be polite and have certain uniformity," Harrington says.
Echoing the Georgian idiom, a railed dry moat on York Street "keeps people away from the windows", with short bridges leading to entrances.
Granite gate piers were carved to provide children's seats and the architects have even designed a 10-panel art work in baked enamel illustrating the area's history.
On Mercer Street, the balconies are diagonally arranged so that residents enjoying the afternoon sun will always just have the sky over their heads.
The balustrades are also solid, rather than glazed, to provide a greater degree of privacy - and also to conceal bikes and toys that would otherwise be visible. In the seven-storey corner tower, rendered in cobalt blue, the balconies are "stacked like drawers" to reinforce its verticality.
Solar panels are integrated into the design, as is a south-facing roof garden from which there are great views; pity about the incessant noise from the Mercer Hotel's air-handling units opposite.
Extract vents from the plant rooms read like Georgian chimneys - a device also used by Grafton Architects on their great new building for the Department of Finance on Merrion Row. It is also possible to see right through the apartment block on York Street to the garden, or rather "outdoor room", in the courtyard.
The completed scheme, with its lavishly furnished showflats (all with lots of storage space), contrasts with the grim blocks of flats on the west side of Mercer Street, built by Dublin Corporation in the 1970s - none of which addresses the street; they're almost crying out for demolition and replacement.
Built by McNamara for €16 million (including fees), the York Street housing may be the swansong of a particular form of procurement and seems unlikely to be replicated elsewhere.
The critical thing now is that it gets good estate management, most effectively involving its justifiably delighted residents.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
"The old flats were really appalling," says architect Seán Harrington, whose firm designed the replacement housing.
A Georgian terrace, rebuilt in 1949, the block contained 99 apartments, 45 of which faced northwards onto the street and the rest faced south, looking out over bleak concrete yards with washing lines.
Harrington is a committed architect who is passionate about housing. His "learning curve" in this area was a competition, sponsored by Dublin City Council, for an affordable housing scheme on Holles Street; a complex public-private partnership (PPP) project, it is only now nearing completion six long years later.
"When we came on the scene in York Street, the city council had already decided to demolish the flats," he recalls. "We said we wanted to meet the remaining residents to find out what their needs, wants and worries were, and to introduce them to the design process, instead of just getting what they would be given.
"We had some experience of this in Ballymun and also in the UK and, although it can be difficult, it can also be very rewarding. As architects, it's great to meet the people you're housing because it focuses you in a way and makes you do a good job. So we ended up having 10 meetings in Aungier Street community centre."
By then, less than 60 of the York Street flats were occupied and the city council had agreed to sell a third of the site to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, whose main teaching building is directly opposite.
The flats were also plagued by "quite serious crime, health and safety issues", according to Seán Harrington.
The brief was to provide 66 new homes on a relatively tight site, and the residents made it clear that they wanted a variety of apartments, duplex units and townhouses.
"Right at the beginning, they also said the things we wanted to hear about building 'eco-homes' with waste control and even a composter," he says.
Architecturally, the new building turns the corner at York Street and Mercer Street, heralding its presence with a flourish; previously, there was only a blank gable here. It is arranged around a Scandinavian-style courtyard, divided into useful compartments - including a sedum-roofed and timber-clad recycling centre.
Rainwater is harvested in large stainless steel drums, from which it can be drawn to water a variety of shrubs, vegetables and fruit trees. There's also a seating area, which conceals the basement carpark vents, a playspace for kids and a portico formed by a pair of salvaged Georgian doorcases, set back-to-back. The apartments, all dual-aspect, are arranged in a U-shaped block around the courtyard, with five cores of lifts and staircases serving just two apartments per floor.
To the rear, where the back yards used to be, there is a range of three-storey mews buildings - separated from each other to let the sun come through.
The footprint of the apartment and mews pavilions is quite shallow, at just 11 metres (compared to 13 or 14 metres for most private apartments). Spatially, they are very generous, with 85sq m (915sq ft) for two-bed apartments and nearly 110sq m (1,184sq ft) for three-bedroom duplexes - well ahead of minimum standards.
With the city council's backing, Seán Harrington Architects extended the environmental agenda to include very high levels of insulation (using sheep's wool, incidentally) as well as glazed shutters on balconies, so that they can become winter gardens, and solar thermal panels on the roof, to supplement gas boilers.
"We just thought that all of this was best practice, even though it was way in excess of Building Regulations at the time," Harrington says. "As a result, each home in the scheme will have a BER (Building Energy Rating) of A3 or B1, which is still higher than what's required by the latest Building Regulations."
As if that wasn't enough, all of the timber joists in the old flats were salvaged and re-used in the timber-frame construction of the new mews housing as well as "green" cement from Ecocem for the concrete casting.
Even MDF was shunned in favour of plywood and chipboard for the kitchen units and wardrobes.
There are no PVC drainpipes either; stainless steel was used instead. Lime mortar, rather than cement, was used to point the brickwork, which is "stacked" on the street elevations to show that it is merely a cladding material. And every balcony has been supplied with a built-in planter - another Scandinavian touch (project architect Jim Roche lived in Finland for a while).
On both street frontages, steel bands delineate the extent of each apartment while the projecting bay windows all have side windows in different colours to give a sense of individuality. "But street elevations in a sensitive location like this need to be polite and have certain uniformity," Harrington says.
Echoing the Georgian idiom, a railed dry moat on York Street "keeps people away from the windows", with short bridges leading to entrances.
Granite gate piers were carved to provide children's seats and the architects have even designed a 10-panel art work in baked enamel illustrating the area's history.
On Mercer Street, the balconies are diagonally arranged so that residents enjoying the afternoon sun will always just have the sky over their heads.
The balustrades are also solid, rather than glazed, to provide a greater degree of privacy - and also to conceal bikes and toys that would otherwise be visible. In the seven-storey corner tower, rendered in cobalt blue, the balconies are "stacked like drawers" to reinforce its verticality.
Solar panels are integrated into the design, as is a south-facing roof garden from which there are great views; pity about the incessant noise from the Mercer Hotel's air-handling units opposite.
Extract vents from the plant rooms read like Georgian chimneys - a device also used by Grafton Architects on their great new building for the Department of Finance on Merrion Row. It is also possible to see right through the apartment block on York Street to the garden, or rather "outdoor room", in the courtyard.
The completed scheme, with its lavishly furnished showflats (all with lots of storage space), contrasts with the grim blocks of flats on the west side of Mercer Street, built by Dublin Corporation in the 1970s - none of which addresses the street; they're almost crying out for demolition and replacement.
Built by McNamara for €16 million (including fees), the York Street housing may be the swansong of a particular form of procurement and seems unlikely to be replicated elsewhere.
The critical thing now is that it gets good estate management, most effectively involving its justifiably delighted residents.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Decentralisation lands not for sale
THE OFFICE of Public Works (OPW) has said there are no plans to sell land purchased as part of the Government decentralisation scheme, but that it will consider alternative uses for some sites.
The Government has spent €230 million on decentralisation, with over €220 million of that going on property costs. More than 2,500 public service posts have to date been moved to new locations outside Dublin.
The figures emerged following parliamentary questions by Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
He said the OPW spent €10.1 million on two derelict sites in Dungarvan and Waterford which would be left derelict because of the shelving of the decentralisation programme in the Budget.
He said he had approached the OPW and asked that the land be made available for investment projects in the area. He had also spoken to the IDA which had agreed to list the sites as available to possible investors.
"The Government paid a premium rate for many of these sites," he said. "They must be pragmatic and practical about these sites and make them available for development. It's common sense."
He said if decentralisation ever did go ahead, which was unlikely, other sites could be found.
"The OPW is open to it. They've agreed to take proposals from local authorities and deal with the IDA," Mr Deasy said.
He urged the OPW to take the same attitude toward other decentralisation sites around the country.
A spokesman for the OPW said the decision on the sites in Waterford had been deferred until 2011, but decentralisation could well go ahead. "If another proposal is put to us, we will consider it," he said.
"But we have no plans to dispose of the site we acquired."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Government has spent €230 million on decentralisation, with over €220 million of that going on property costs. More than 2,500 public service posts have to date been moved to new locations outside Dublin.
The figures emerged following parliamentary questions by Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
He said the OPW spent €10.1 million on two derelict sites in Dungarvan and Waterford which would be left derelict because of the shelving of the decentralisation programme in the Budget.
He said he had approached the OPW and asked that the land be made available for investment projects in the area. He had also spoken to the IDA which had agreed to list the sites as available to possible investors.
"The Government paid a premium rate for many of these sites," he said. "They must be pragmatic and practical about these sites and make them available for development. It's common sense."
He said if decentralisation ever did go ahead, which was unlikely, other sites could be found.
"The OPW is open to it. They've agreed to take proposals from local authorities and deal with the IDA," Mr Deasy said.
He urged the OPW to take the same attitude toward other decentralisation sites around the country.
A spokesman for the OPW said the decision on the sites in Waterford had been deferred until 2011, but decentralisation could well go ahead. "If another proposal is put to us, we will consider it," he said.
"But we have no plans to dispose of the site we acquired."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanála approves co-located private hospital
THE BEACON Medical Group (BMG) has welcomed An Bord Pleanála's decision to approve plans for a co-located private hospital adjoining Beaumont Hospital in north Dublin.
Dublin City Council's initial decision last May to grant permission for the €297 million project had been appealed by Socialist Party leader and former TD Joe Higgins, on ideological and other grounds.
In his appeal, Mr Higgins argued that it was contrary to proper planning to approve "a private, for profit facility" on a site that was originally earmarked for a public psychiatric hospital.
BMG urged An Bord Pleanála to dismiss the appeal as vexatious, arguing that the former TD was engaged in "an ideological debate that does not form part of the planning considerations".
After being notified of the decision yesterday, BMG chief executive Michael Cullen said the company was "thrilled to have received planning permission for this much-needed state-of-the-art facility".
According to BMG, the co-located private hospital with its 170 single rooms would have the capacity to cater for more than 11,000 in-patients a year, as well as some 20,000 out-patients.
Tom Finn, director of the co-location project for the Health Service Executive said it was "a significant milestone towards full implementation of the Government's policy" in this area.
In its ruling, An Bord Pleanála did not specifically refer to Government policy on co-located hospitals, but said the proposed facility at Beaumont would be in accordance with proper planning.
It laid down a total of 13 conditions, including the preparation of a revised "mobility management plan" aimed at achieving a share of no more than 70 per cent for car usage in accessing the hospital.
The board ordered the removal of 51 "temporary" parking spaces within three months of the hospital's opening - although it would continue to have permanent parking for more than 470 cars.
Its decision also requires BMG to make a financial contribution to Dublin City Council towards the cost of public infrastructure and facilities in the area, prior to starting construction work.
BMG is to pay rent to the State for the site over a 65-year period.
According to Mr Cullen, this would produce revenue of €280 million for the three co-located hospitals being planned by the group. The other facilities would be in the grounds of Cork University Hospital and the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin City Council's initial decision last May to grant permission for the €297 million project had been appealed by Socialist Party leader and former TD Joe Higgins, on ideological and other grounds.
In his appeal, Mr Higgins argued that it was contrary to proper planning to approve "a private, for profit facility" on a site that was originally earmarked for a public psychiatric hospital.
BMG urged An Bord Pleanála to dismiss the appeal as vexatious, arguing that the former TD was engaged in "an ideological debate that does not form part of the planning considerations".
After being notified of the decision yesterday, BMG chief executive Michael Cullen said the company was "thrilled to have received planning permission for this much-needed state-of-the-art facility".
According to BMG, the co-located private hospital with its 170 single rooms would have the capacity to cater for more than 11,000 in-patients a year, as well as some 20,000 out-patients.
Tom Finn, director of the co-location project for the Health Service Executive said it was "a significant milestone towards full implementation of the Government's policy" in this area.
In its ruling, An Bord Pleanála did not specifically refer to Government policy on co-located hospitals, but said the proposed facility at Beaumont would be in accordance with proper planning.
It laid down a total of 13 conditions, including the preparation of a revised "mobility management plan" aimed at achieving a share of no more than 70 per cent for car usage in accessing the hospital.
The board ordered the removal of 51 "temporary" parking spaces within three months of the hospital's opening - although it would continue to have permanent parking for more than 470 cars.
Its decision also requires BMG to make a financial contribution to Dublin City Council towards the cost of public infrastructure and facilities in the area, prior to starting construction work.
BMG is to pay rent to the State for the site over a 65-year period.
According to Mr Cullen, this would produce revenue of €280 million for the three co-located hospitals being planned by the group. The other facilities would be in the grounds of Cork University Hospital and the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Rathcoole waste plant oral hearing begins
THE DEVELOPER of a €250 million waste-to-energy plant proposed for west Dublin has moved to reassure the State's top bloodstock figures and local communities that the technology involved would have no adverse effects on human or animal health.
At the opening of a Bord Pleanála hearing yesterday, the developer acknowledged 276 "objections and observations" including "objections raised in relation to the possible adverse consequences of the project on the bloodstock industry in Co Kildare".
The proposed facility would be located on a 14-hectare site at Behan's Quarry south of Rathcoole, on the Kildare/Dublin border.
Among the bloodstock interests granted observer status at the hearing - which allows them to attend and raise issues of concern - are some of Ireland's best-known bloodstock industry names.
These include Goffs plc, Kill International Equestrian Centre, The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Naas racecourse and Cavan Developments Bloodstock.
The proposal was outlined at the planning hearing yesterday by senior counsel James Connolly, for the developer Energy Answers International. He said it was anticipated, in relation to the bloodstock industry, that reference would be made to a previous refusal of planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for a project in Co Tipperary.
But he said the Rosegreen project, a proposed meat and bone meal incinerator plant that drew concerted opposition from bloodstock interests, was very different. Rosegreen, he said, featured an intake high in organic material from abattoir waste; utilised anaerobic digestion; was based on a regional road; was in the vicinity of a high number of stud and racing stables; and was "unprecedented in size in Europe". None of these factors applied to the Rathcoole project, he said.
Outlining a list of expert Irish and international witnesses who would be brought forward over the course of the next three hearing days, Mr Connolly said the company would show there "is no scientific basis for concern".
He said it was misleading to refer to the project as an "incinerator". In fact it was "much more than a waste-to-energy process and far more advanced than simple incineration".
However, the comments did little to reassure a number of protesters who had been picketing the inquiry from early yesterday morning. Outside the hearing Deborah McDermott of Raid (Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins) said that, as a mother of three and a chemist, she was completely opposed to the project. "Dioxins are carcinogenic", she said.
Also among the protesters was Fine Gael Senator Frances Fitzgerald who said the proposal "would make incineration the cornerstone of our waste management policy". Ms Fitzgerald said she had written to the Minister for the Environment asking him to reiterate the new Government policy, and ensure that Bord Pleanála took note of it.
Local councillor Therese Ridge said she was concerned about the effects of the plant on the local Holy Family school. Parents and teachers were united in their opposition to the proposal, she said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
At the opening of a Bord Pleanála hearing yesterday, the developer acknowledged 276 "objections and observations" including "objections raised in relation to the possible adverse consequences of the project on the bloodstock industry in Co Kildare".
The proposed facility would be located on a 14-hectare site at Behan's Quarry south of Rathcoole, on the Kildare/Dublin border.
Among the bloodstock interests granted observer status at the hearing - which allows them to attend and raise issues of concern - are some of Ireland's best-known bloodstock industry names.
These include Goffs plc, Kill International Equestrian Centre, The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Naas racecourse and Cavan Developments Bloodstock.
The proposal was outlined at the planning hearing yesterday by senior counsel James Connolly, for the developer Energy Answers International. He said it was anticipated, in relation to the bloodstock industry, that reference would be made to a previous refusal of planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for a project in Co Tipperary.
But he said the Rosegreen project, a proposed meat and bone meal incinerator plant that drew concerted opposition from bloodstock interests, was very different. Rosegreen, he said, featured an intake high in organic material from abattoir waste; utilised anaerobic digestion; was based on a regional road; was in the vicinity of a high number of stud and racing stables; and was "unprecedented in size in Europe". None of these factors applied to the Rathcoole project, he said.
Outlining a list of expert Irish and international witnesses who would be brought forward over the course of the next three hearing days, Mr Connolly said the company would show there "is no scientific basis for concern".
He said it was misleading to refer to the project as an "incinerator". In fact it was "much more than a waste-to-energy process and far more advanced than simple incineration".
However, the comments did little to reassure a number of protesters who had been picketing the inquiry from early yesterday morning. Outside the hearing Deborah McDermott of Raid (Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins) said that, as a mother of three and a chemist, she was completely opposed to the project. "Dioxins are carcinogenic", she said.
Also among the protesters was Fine Gael Senator Frances Fitzgerald who said the proposal "would make incineration the cornerstone of our waste management policy". Ms Fitzgerald said she had written to the Minister for the Environment asking him to reiterate the new Government policy, and ensure that Bord Pleanála took note of it.
Local councillor Therese Ridge said she was concerned about the effects of the plant on the local Holy Family school. Parents and teachers were united in their opposition to the proposal, she said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Ringaskiddy waste incinerator objectors face paying legal costs
THE SUPREME Court has ordered the Ringaskiddy and District Residents' Association and a number of individuals to pay the legal costs of their unsuccessful attempts to further adjourn two legal challenges to the proposed €75 million development of the State's first hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.
The local groups expressed dismay at the ruling last night. The EPA and An Bord Pleanála have indicated they will not pursue the costs. Residents and local representatives are now appealing to Indaver and the State to do likewise.
The residents had sought the adjournments pending the outcome of a legal action against Ireland in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the European Commission. The action is based on the commission's formal view that Ireland failed to properly transpose into Irish law an EC directive relating to the environmental impact assessment of public and private projects, including incinerators.
The two cases concerning the incinerator were initiated in 2005 and will be mentioned in the High Court next week with a view to getting full hearing dates.
Among the grounds on which the residents challenge the proposed incinerator is that the same directive was not properly transposed into Irish law. The Supreme Court had in another case ruled the directive was properly transposed.
The High Court last May refused to adjourn the two cases, and the five-judge Supreme Court last July dismissed the residents' appeal against that refusal.
Chief Justice Mr Justice John Murray said the residents, within the terms they had argued, had failed to establish a substantial risk of conflict between decisions of the Irish courts and the ECJ if the cases went ahead before the ECJ hearing.
The European Commission had announced in October 2007 it was bringing its case against Ireland but no proceedings had yet begun, he noted.
The proceedings came back before the Supreme Court yesterday to deal with the issue of costs of the applications to adjourn. The court ruled that costs must "follow the event", meaning the winning sides get their costs. The decision means the residents' association and all but three of a group of local residents who took separate proceedings must pay the costs of An Bord Pleanála, the EPA, the State and Indaver in relation to the motions to defer.
Cork Labour TD Ciarán Lynch has called on Minister for the Environment John Gormley and on Indaver to make similar indications of intention, that they would not be pursuing costs, as have the EPA and An Bord Pleanála.
He said yesterday's court decision would send out a shockwave to local groups throughout the country as to the financial implications of sticking up for their own areas and communities.
"This decision will undermine the concept and the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns and, as a result, the planning process is in danger of becoming a charter for the rich and powerful," said Mr Lynch.
A spokeswoman for Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment said the decision was devastating, but it remained within the power of the State and Indaver not to pursue the costs if they so chose. "Pursuing costs exposes Indaver's claims to be a good neighbour as complete farce, but we expected better from the State," she said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The local groups expressed dismay at the ruling last night. The EPA and An Bord Pleanála have indicated they will not pursue the costs. Residents and local representatives are now appealing to Indaver and the State to do likewise.
The residents had sought the adjournments pending the outcome of a legal action against Ireland in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the European Commission. The action is based on the commission's formal view that Ireland failed to properly transpose into Irish law an EC directive relating to the environmental impact assessment of public and private projects, including incinerators.
The two cases concerning the incinerator were initiated in 2005 and will be mentioned in the High Court next week with a view to getting full hearing dates.
Among the grounds on which the residents challenge the proposed incinerator is that the same directive was not properly transposed into Irish law. The Supreme Court had in another case ruled the directive was properly transposed.
The High Court last May refused to adjourn the two cases, and the five-judge Supreme Court last July dismissed the residents' appeal against that refusal.
Chief Justice Mr Justice John Murray said the residents, within the terms they had argued, had failed to establish a substantial risk of conflict between decisions of the Irish courts and the ECJ if the cases went ahead before the ECJ hearing.
The European Commission had announced in October 2007 it was bringing its case against Ireland but no proceedings had yet begun, he noted.
The proceedings came back before the Supreme Court yesterday to deal with the issue of costs of the applications to adjourn. The court ruled that costs must "follow the event", meaning the winning sides get their costs. The decision means the residents' association and all but three of a group of local residents who took separate proceedings must pay the costs of An Bord Pleanála, the EPA, the State and Indaver in relation to the motions to defer.
Cork Labour TD Ciarán Lynch has called on Minister for the Environment John Gormley and on Indaver to make similar indications of intention, that they would not be pursuing costs, as have the EPA and An Bord Pleanála.
He said yesterday's court decision would send out a shockwave to local groups throughout the country as to the financial implications of sticking up for their own areas and communities.
"This decision will undermine the concept and the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns and, as a result, the planning process is in danger of becoming a charter for the rich and powerful," said Mr Lynch.
A spokeswoman for Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment said the decision was devastating, but it remained within the power of the State and Indaver not to pursue the costs if they so chose. "Pursuing costs exposes Indaver's claims to be a good neighbour as complete farce, but we expected better from the State," she said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin City Council gets in all on the move toward tall buildings
PLANS FOR the regeneration of the George's Quay area, which would allow the construction of a 22-storey tower opposite the Custom House, are to be released for public consultation by Dublin City Council early next year.
City councillors, who were shown a draft of the plan this week, have raised concerns about the effect a high-rise tower would have on the historic core of the city, particularly the Custom House, Trinity College and O'Connell Bridge.
The council is seeking to develop a new "midtown" for the city through the regeneration of the area on the south side of the Liffey stretching from Hawkins Street to Lombard Street and south from the river to Townsend Street and part of Pearse Street.
The draft George's Quay Master Plan proposes the demolition of Hawkins House, the current headquarters of the Department of Health; the redevelopment of Tara Street station with the potential for a 22, 14 and 12-storey building "cluster" and the construction of two new towers of up to 15 storeys, the height of Liberty Hall, at City Quay.
If, following public consultation, the plan is ratified by the city councillors, it would be incorporated into the city development plan and used as a template for development in the area.
The plan was written without reference to the council's recent Maximising the City's Potential document which sets out the principles for locating high-rise buildings.
This document does list Tara Street as a location where a building of more than 16-storeys could be allowed. However, the George's Quay Master Plan is the first indication that a building of up to 22-storeys could be built at Tara Street. If constructed such a tower would be 1½ times the height of Liberty Hall and would be the tallest structure near the historic centre of the city.
Labour councillor Mary Freehill said the tower would destroy the setting of the Custom House.
"To allow a 22-storey building opposite the finest Gandon building in Dublin is absolute madness."
Labour's Kevin Humphreys said a photo montage of the potential effect of the building on O'Connell Bridge and Trinity College confirmed his worst fears about its intrusion on the historic core of the city.
Despite being just minutes from the principal shopping district of the city, the area to the east and west of Tara Street is primarily office land and there are several vacant or derelict sites which contribute to a "lack of vibrancy" in the area, the council said.
The plan identifies three general sectors for development, the Hawkins House area, the Tara Street Station area and the City Quay area. The Hawkins House sector extends from the Department of Health building to the Screen Cinema on the corner of Townsend Street and Hawkins Street. Most of the buildings in this area would be demolished and redeveloped as a commercial and residential scheme with a new diagonal street leading from College Green to Tara Street station.
The plan acknowledges that this site is unlikely to be redeveloped all at once, but as each landowner undertakes redevelopment they would fit in with the plan. While the plan does not mention the demolition of the Screen Cinema, it says this location would be suitable for a 10-storey building.
Tara Street would be transformed into a tree-lined boulevard with bicycle lanes. The station, with its new high-rise buildings would incorporate shops, restaurants and offices as well as being a transport hub. The church and school at City Quay would remain and the residential quality of the area would be improved.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
City councillors, who were shown a draft of the plan this week, have raised concerns about the effect a high-rise tower would have on the historic core of the city, particularly the Custom House, Trinity College and O'Connell Bridge.
The council is seeking to develop a new "midtown" for the city through the regeneration of the area on the south side of the Liffey stretching from Hawkins Street to Lombard Street and south from the river to Townsend Street and part of Pearse Street.
The draft George's Quay Master Plan proposes the demolition of Hawkins House, the current headquarters of the Department of Health; the redevelopment of Tara Street station with the potential for a 22, 14 and 12-storey building "cluster" and the construction of two new towers of up to 15 storeys, the height of Liberty Hall, at City Quay.
If, following public consultation, the plan is ratified by the city councillors, it would be incorporated into the city development plan and used as a template for development in the area.
The plan was written without reference to the council's recent Maximising the City's Potential document which sets out the principles for locating high-rise buildings.
This document does list Tara Street as a location where a building of more than 16-storeys could be allowed. However, the George's Quay Master Plan is the first indication that a building of up to 22-storeys could be built at Tara Street. If constructed such a tower would be 1½ times the height of Liberty Hall and would be the tallest structure near the historic centre of the city.
Labour councillor Mary Freehill said the tower would destroy the setting of the Custom House.
"To allow a 22-storey building opposite the finest Gandon building in Dublin is absolute madness."
Labour's Kevin Humphreys said a photo montage of the potential effect of the building on O'Connell Bridge and Trinity College confirmed his worst fears about its intrusion on the historic core of the city.
Despite being just minutes from the principal shopping district of the city, the area to the east and west of Tara Street is primarily office land and there are several vacant or derelict sites which contribute to a "lack of vibrancy" in the area, the council said.
The plan identifies three general sectors for development, the Hawkins House area, the Tara Street Station area and the City Quay area. The Hawkins House sector extends from the Department of Health building to the Screen Cinema on the corner of Townsend Street and Hawkins Street. Most of the buildings in this area would be demolished and redeveloped as a commercial and residential scheme with a new diagonal street leading from College Green to Tara Street station.
The plan acknowledges that this site is unlikely to be redeveloped all at once, but as each landowner undertakes redevelopment they would fit in with the plan. While the plan does not mention the demolition of the Screen Cinema, it says this location would be suitable for a 10-storey building.
Tara Street would be transformed into a tree-lined boulevard with bicycle lanes. The station, with its new high-rise buildings would incorporate shops, restaurants and offices as well as being a transport hub. The church and school at City Quay would remain and the residential quality of the area would be improved.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plans to redevelop harbour fort into tourist attraction
PLANS are being drawn up to create a tourist attraction out of a fort built in Cork harbour in the late 1700s.
Cork County Council officials are drawing up plans for the future of Fort Camden, near Crosshaven. County manager Martin Riordan had said he is prepared to put a significant amount of local authority money into the restoration project, although he is hoping that the state will also contribute.
Fort Camden was built by the British in 1775, coinciding with the start of the American War of Independence.
It was remodelled during the Napoleonic period and used as a prison from 1850-65. It was again remodelled as a fort from 1862 to 1874. When it was taken over by the Irish in 1938 it was renamed Fort Meagher.
News of the council’s interest in the project came to light when Councillor John A Collins asked the county manager what plans he had for the facility.
Mr Riordan admitted that keeping the site safe and secure was costing the council a considerable amount of money and he would rather see something positive done with it.
Mr Collins maintained some of the land should be sold off for housing and some handed over to local sports clubs.
Cllr Tim Lombard wondered if some of the land could be zoned for holiday homes, but didn’t think it was feasible to sell a large chunk to developers because of the present slump in the housing market.
“I’m very concerned it has been lying idle for an inordinate amount of time. I’m not satisfied it is getting as much attention as it deserves,” Cllr Paula Desmond said.
The county manager said the fort “was of major historical significance” and he wanted to get funding to do it up.
Mr Riordan asked councillors to be patient while he tried to get a number of Government departments onboard: “I’d prefer to try and link it with the redevelopment of Spike Island and say there is a story to be told in the harbour.”
He said the council was putting together a plan and he would shortly be bringing it to the attention of councillors.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork County Council officials are drawing up plans for the future of Fort Camden, near Crosshaven. County manager Martin Riordan had said he is prepared to put a significant amount of local authority money into the restoration project, although he is hoping that the state will also contribute.
Fort Camden was built by the British in 1775, coinciding with the start of the American War of Independence.
It was remodelled during the Napoleonic period and used as a prison from 1850-65. It was again remodelled as a fort from 1862 to 1874. When it was taken over by the Irish in 1938 it was renamed Fort Meagher.
News of the council’s interest in the project came to light when Councillor John A Collins asked the county manager what plans he had for the facility.
Mr Riordan admitted that keeping the site safe and secure was costing the council a considerable amount of money and he would rather see something positive done with it.
Mr Collins maintained some of the land should be sold off for housing and some handed over to local sports clubs.
Cllr Tim Lombard wondered if some of the land could be zoned for holiday homes, but didn’t think it was feasible to sell a large chunk to developers because of the present slump in the housing market.
“I’m very concerned it has been lying idle for an inordinate amount of time. I’m not satisfied it is getting as much attention as it deserves,” Cllr Paula Desmond said.
The county manager said the fort “was of major historical significance” and he wanted to get funding to do it up.
Mr Riordan asked councillors to be patient while he tried to get a number of Government departments onboard: “I’d prefer to try and link it with the redevelopment of Spike Island and say there is a story to be told in the harbour.”
He said the council was putting together a plan and he would shortly be bringing it to the attention of councillors.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Incinerator group in legal costs plea after failing in Supreme Court appeal
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for the country’s first toxic waste incinerator have pleaded with the Government not to pursue them for substantial legal costs following what they called a “devastating” court ruling.
The Supreme Court awarded costs to the State and to Indaver against residents of Cork Harbour relating to its decision in July not to adjourn incinerator cases pending a European Court of Justice case against Ireland.
The court said as this appeal had failed, there was no reason for it to depart from the normal practice of requiring the unsuccessful party to be responsible for costs.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bórd Pleanála told the court they are not looking for their costs.
Residents fighting the €75 million incinerator are facing a substantial legal bill, potentially hundreds of thousands of euro.
Labour TD Ciarán Lynch said the decision will have huge financial implications for people around the country “sticking up for their own community”.
“This will undermine the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns,” he said.
Green Party Senator Dan Boyle said he was very unhappy with the decision.
“The State can and should withdraw its demand for costs and I will argue that point to Government,” he said.
Indaver managing director John Ahern said he will not make a decision on the costs until other cases pending have been determined.
“We question the wisdom of the objectors continuing with a case which we believe we will be successful in,” he said.
The Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) said the Supreme Court decision sent shockwaves through harbour communities.
CHASE chairwoman Mary O’Leary said this would be “an acid test” of Environment Minister John Gormley’s “green credentials”.
“He must ensure that the communities who sought important clarification on a matter of planning law don’t suffer for bringing this to the state’s attention,” she said.
Ms O’Leary and Mr Gormley were among a delegation which travelled to Brussels in spring 2004 to lodge a complaint with the EU about alleged breaches of planning law.
It led to a European Court of Justice case against the State on the grounds of non-compliance with an European Commission (EC) directive on Environmental Impact Assessments on significant projects.
The residents wanted judicial review proceedings relating to the incinerator adjourned, pending the outcome of the EU’s case against Ireland.
Ms O’Leary said groups fighting the incinerator will be pleading with Mr Gormley not to pursue them for costs.
“We should not be punished to bringing this to the attention of the State,” she said.
The minister is due to open a climate change conference in Cork on Friday and is likely to be met with protests.
More than 30,000 people have objected to the planned incinerator, citing health concerns.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The Supreme Court awarded costs to the State and to Indaver against residents of Cork Harbour relating to its decision in July not to adjourn incinerator cases pending a European Court of Justice case against Ireland.
The court said as this appeal had failed, there was no reason for it to depart from the normal practice of requiring the unsuccessful party to be responsible for costs.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bórd Pleanála told the court they are not looking for their costs.
Residents fighting the €75 million incinerator are facing a substantial legal bill, potentially hundreds of thousands of euro.
Labour TD Ciarán Lynch said the decision will have huge financial implications for people around the country “sticking up for their own community”.
“This will undermine the principle of the participation by community groups in public debate and public campaigns,” he said.
Green Party Senator Dan Boyle said he was very unhappy with the decision.
“The State can and should withdraw its demand for costs and I will argue that point to Government,” he said.
Indaver managing director John Ahern said he will not make a decision on the costs until other cases pending have been determined.
“We question the wisdom of the objectors continuing with a case which we believe we will be successful in,” he said.
The Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) said the Supreme Court decision sent shockwaves through harbour communities.
CHASE chairwoman Mary O’Leary said this would be “an acid test” of Environment Minister John Gormley’s “green credentials”.
“He must ensure that the communities who sought important clarification on a matter of planning law don’t suffer for bringing this to the state’s attention,” she said.
Ms O’Leary and Mr Gormley were among a delegation which travelled to Brussels in spring 2004 to lodge a complaint with the EU about alleged breaches of planning law.
It led to a European Court of Justice case against the State on the grounds of non-compliance with an European Commission (EC) directive on Environmental Impact Assessments on significant projects.
The residents wanted judicial review proceedings relating to the incinerator adjourned, pending the outcome of the EU’s case against Ireland.
Ms O’Leary said groups fighting the incinerator will be pleading with Mr Gormley not to pursue them for costs.
“We should not be punished to bringing this to the attention of the State,” she said.
The minister is due to open a climate change conference in Cork on Friday and is likely to be met with protests.
More than 30,000 people have objected to the planned incinerator, citing health concerns.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 10 November 2008
Standard of Irish architecture
Madam, - Eoin Dillon's colourful command of metaphor (November 5th) may inadvertently imply that a Lithuanian crematorium could not a thing of beauty be! However, his contribution to a debate about the standard of Irish architecture is to be welcomed, just as the participation of tens of thousands of citizens in the recent "open days" organised by the Irish Architectural Foundation was a welcome demonstration of the huge, repressed hunger that exists for engagement with architecture and standards of architecture.
My letter of November 3rd was a call for a pause for celebration for Grafton Architects, who incidentally designed some very fine buildings here. Any suggestion that my offering was an apologia for mediocrity or poor standards is misplaced.
The quality of any individual building is a direct function of the quality of the brief - which in turn is an expression of ambition, societal values and priorities. I would cite the recent generation of county and city halls, whether in Fingal, Limerick, Cork, Kildare or Tullamore, as an expression of the synthesis of educated patronage and architectural talent. They also demonstrate that we can produce excellent buildings which attract serious international interest.
We are a young country, and have paid a price for an errant and misguided adolescence - particularly in recent years. There was never a more urgent need for discourse, vision and leadership. Part of the remit of the RIAI is to promote this discourse and specifically to enhance the quality of architecture and the built environment.
The RIAI will shortly announce details of "2009: A Year of Architecture", which will aspire to bring this discourse into a public forum nationally.
I hope that Eoin Dillon and many others will engage. Metaphors can also inspire a future. - Yours, etc,
SEÁN Ó LAOIRE, President, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland,Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
My letter of November 3rd was a call for a pause for celebration for Grafton Architects, who incidentally designed some very fine buildings here. Any suggestion that my offering was an apologia for mediocrity or poor standards is misplaced.
The quality of any individual building is a direct function of the quality of the brief - which in turn is an expression of ambition, societal values and priorities. I would cite the recent generation of county and city halls, whether in Fingal, Limerick, Cork, Kildare or Tullamore, as an expression of the synthesis of educated patronage and architectural talent. They also demonstrate that we can produce excellent buildings which attract serious international interest.
We are a young country, and have paid a price for an errant and misguided adolescence - particularly in recent years. There was never a more urgent need for discourse, vision and leadership. Part of the remit of the RIAI is to promote this discourse and specifically to enhance the quality of architecture and the built environment.
The RIAI will shortly announce details of "2009: A Year of Architecture", which will aspire to bring this discourse into a public forum nationally.
I hope that Eoin Dillon and many others will engage. Metaphors can also inspire a future. - Yours, etc,
SEÁN Ó LAOIRE, President, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland,Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gormley challenges council's builders list
DONEGAL COUNTY Council's plan to draw up a list of small builders and guarantee them planning permission for up to two "one-off" houses a year is being challenged by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
"The Minister's position is that compilation by the councillors of an annual register of small builders who will then be permitted to build two houses each per year is not appropriate for inclusion in a land-use plan," a spokesman said.
"It is akin to business support - and preferred business support at that - which may be open to legal challenge as it confers preferred development rights on local builders to the exclusion of others from outside the locality.
"This is the fourth case where [Mr Gormley] may have no option but to intervene because a council is not adhering to planning legislation and policy. He believes it highlights an issue where councillors act . . . against the interests of the wider community."
The spokesman said the council's Small Builders Policy - believed to be the first of its kind in Ireland - raised "potential ethics, probity, fairness and competition issues" and also amounted to an abuse of the county development plan.
The Department of the Environment wrote to Donegal County Council last June outlining its "serious concerns" about certain aspects of the then proposed draft variation of the county plan.
"The Minister continues to have serious concerns about the potential planning implications of the proposal, but requires further information about the plan in terms of the number of units/builders etc, in order to determine whether he will intervene," the spokesman said.
Last Friday, Dave Walsh, principal officer in charge of spatial policy, wrote to Donegal county manager Michael McLoone requesting the council to outline clearly how the small builders policy would operate.
He asked on what objective criteria were the applicants for inclusion on the register to be assessed: who could qualify as a builder for the purposes of the register; who would adjudicate on applicants; and what "preferential treatment" they would receive.
Mr Walsh also asked what safeguards would be put in place "to ensure that . . .the proposed system fully accords with the local government ethics framework".
Mr Walsh wrote: "The introduction of this policy could also have significant adverse planning implications for the council . . . [G]iven the lack of detail contained in the proposed variation . . . it is not possible to fully quantify and adequately assess the full planning implications."
The letter "strongly advised" the council to seek legal advice on whether the plan was "well-founded, proportionate and robust to potential legal challenge" and also whether it was valid, given that no environmental assessment was carried out.
"I would appreciate if you would revert to the department with the additional information . . . so that we can assess whether further action is warranted by the department in this matter," Mr Walsh's letter concluded.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
"The Minister's position is that compilation by the councillors of an annual register of small builders who will then be permitted to build two houses each per year is not appropriate for inclusion in a land-use plan," a spokesman said.
"It is akin to business support - and preferred business support at that - which may be open to legal challenge as it confers preferred development rights on local builders to the exclusion of others from outside the locality.
"This is the fourth case where [Mr Gormley] may have no option but to intervene because a council is not adhering to planning legislation and policy. He believes it highlights an issue where councillors act . . . against the interests of the wider community."
The spokesman said the council's Small Builders Policy - believed to be the first of its kind in Ireland - raised "potential ethics, probity, fairness and competition issues" and also amounted to an abuse of the county development plan.
The Department of the Environment wrote to Donegal County Council last June outlining its "serious concerns" about certain aspects of the then proposed draft variation of the county plan.
"The Minister continues to have serious concerns about the potential planning implications of the proposal, but requires further information about the plan in terms of the number of units/builders etc, in order to determine whether he will intervene," the spokesman said.
Last Friday, Dave Walsh, principal officer in charge of spatial policy, wrote to Donegal county manager Michael McLoone requesting the council to outline clearly how the small builders policy would operate.
He asked on what objective criteria were the applicants for inclusion on the register to be assessed: who could qualify as a builder for the purposes of the register; who would adjudicate on applicants; and what "preferential treatment" they would receive.
Mr Walsh also asked what safeguards would be put in place "to ensure that . . .the proposed system fully accords with the local government ethics framework".
Mr Walsh wrote: "The introduction of this policy could also have significant adverse planning implications for the council . . . [G]iven the lack of detail contained in the proposed variation . . . it is not possible to fully quantify and adequately assess the full planning implications."
The letter "strongly advised" the council to seek legal advice on whether the plan was "well-founded, proportionate and robust to potential legal challenge" and also whether it was valid, given that no environmental assessment was carried out.
"I would appreciate if you would revert to the department with the additional information . . . so that we can assess whether further action is warranted by the department in this matter," Mr Walsh's letter concluded.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Plan for 'eco-district' in west Dublin approved
AN BORD Pleanála has approved a masterplan for the development of more than 11,500 new homes at Clonburris, in west Dublin, with its chairman describing it as a model of "superb planning" for the future of Ireland.
The masterplan was prepared by South Dublin County Council for the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone (SDZ).
Clonburris is envisaged as a major new "eco-district" with a range of significant and innovative environmental sustainability measures in terms of transport, energy use, carbon reduction and the conservation of biodiversity.
It is the fourth SDZ planning scheme to be approved in Ireland and the second in the council's area after Adamstown.
All facilities are to be provided on a phased basis over 15-20 years.
The majority of the SDZ lands are owned by large established developers. In addition to having the role of development agency for Clonburris, the county council is also a minor landowner in the area. Approval of the masterplan means that applications in compliance with it will be granted planning permission and those that are not will be refused, with no provision for appeal.
It is estimated that Clonburris could be home to 35,000 people in the future. Although some of the land has been zoned for development since 1972, it is only in recent years that the area has been made accessible by road and rail.
The area, now consisting entirely of green fields, is located alongside both the Grand Canal and the Kildare commuter line.
According to plans drawn up by the Railway Procurement Agency, it would also be served by Metro West in the future.
One of the conditions laid down by Bord Pleanála is that the masterplan will by modified to accommodate Metro West after a railway order is made for this project, linking Tallaght with Ballymun via Clondalkin and Blanchardstown.
It said this condition was required "to provide for necessary flexibility for the future provision of Metro West, and to ensure successful integration of transport systems forming a coherent and sustainable form of development".
In its ruling, the board said it considered that the masterplan would provide for the comprehensive planning and development of the site "in accordance with the nature and scale required under the SDZ designation".
It also specified that an "urban form development framework" should be drawn up for Clonburris town centre, given that the land was owned by different parties.
It also said that a biodiversity action plan should be prepared for the area - in consultation with relevant national and local wildlife authorities, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The masterplan was prepared by South Dublin County Council for the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone (SDZ).
Clonburris is envisaged as a major new "eco-district" with a range of significant and innovative environmental sustainability measures in terms of transport, energy use, carbon reduction and the conservation of biodiversity.
It is the fourth SDZ planning scheme to be approved in Ireland and the second in the council's area after Adamstown.
All facilities are to be provided on a phased basis over 15-20 years.
The majority of the SDZ lands are owned by large established developers. In addition to having the role of development agency for Clonburris, the county council is also a minor landowner in the area. Approval of the masterplan means that applications in compliance with it will be granted planning permission and those that are not will be refused, with no provision for appeal.
It is estimated that Clonburris could be home to 35,000 people in the future. Although some of the land has been zoned for development since 1972, it is only in recent years that the area has been made accessible by road and rail.
The area, now consisting entirely of green fields, is located alongside both the Grand Canal and the Kildare commuter line.
According to plans drawn up by the Railway Procurement Agency, it would also be served by Metro West in the future.
One of the conditions laid down by Bord Pleanála is that the masterplan will by modified to accommodate Metro West after a railway order is made for this project, linking Tallaght with Ballymun via Clondalkin and Blanchardstown.
It said this condition was required "to provide for necessary flexibility for the future provision of Metro West, and to ensure successful integration of transport systems forming a coherent and sustainable form of development".
In its ruling, the board said it considered that the masterplan would provide for the comprehensive planning and development of the site "in accordance with the nature and scale required under the SDZ designation".
It also specified that an "urban form development framework" should be drawn up for Clonburris town centre, given that the land was owned by different parties.
It also said that a biodiversity action plan should be prepared for the area - in consultation with relevant national and local wildlife authorities, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wicklow County Development Plan 2010-2016
Wicklow County Council is reviewing the County Development Plan 2004-2010 and preparing a new County Development Plan for its functional area.
Written submissions or observations with respect to the preparation of the draft County Development Plan may be made until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday 23rd December 2008.
For assistance in making your Development Plan submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or email: admin@buckplanning.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Written submissions or observations with respect to the preparation of the draft County Development Plan may be made until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday 23rd December 2008.
For assistance in making your Development Plan submission contact bps planning consultants on 0404-66060 or email: admin@buckplanning.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Donegal Development Plan Policy queried by Minister
Mr John Gormley TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, today (10 November 08) confirmed that officials from his Department have written to Donegal County Council outlining concerns about specific changes to the Donegal County Development Plan 2006-2012, adopted on 29 September 2008 by way of variation to the Plan under Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
In particular, the Minister is concerned about the inclusion of a “small builders policy” in the variation whereby the Council will facilitate local builders who are registered with the Council under this measure to build two one-off houses per annum.
Speaking yesterday, the Minister said that such a policy ran against proper planning practice.
“It is my view that this policy runs contrary to proper planning and sustainable development, given that it has the potential to be development-led and not plan-led, this goes against statutory guidance for planning authorities as set out in the Department’s Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines (2005) and Development Plan Guidelines (2007),” Minister Gormley said.
“Good planning should have at its core the objective of serving the best interests of the members of the community. The people of Donegal are at the centre of my concerns and that of the officials in my Department. I am not convinced that this small builders policy will serve the best interests of the community. Accordingly I have asked the local authority to clarify certain matters for me,” said Minister Gormley.
The Department’s letter to Donegal Council has sought additional information on how the policy will operate in order to make a fully informed assessment on its impact.
The information sought includes the number of builders proposed to be involved, the criteria for becoming registered on the list, and the safeguards to ensure the system complies with current ethics laws and guidelines.
The letter has also raised concerns about the potential of legal challenges that could arise whether in relation to individual planning applications or from those excluded from the register, bearing in mind the principles laid down in the EC Treaty regarding open access to markets and freedom of establishment.
The Department has strongly advised the Council to seek legal advice as to whether or not the policy as adopted is well-founded, proportionate and robust to potential legal challenge.
“ If the local authority are concerned with boosting economic development in Donegal, they should consider other more appropriate ways to do this, for example, through the introduction of measures to release lands, publicly and privately owned, in various towns and villages throughout the county for development, “ continued Minister Gormley.
“I hope that the members of Donegal County Council will deal with this matter in a constructive and considered manner,” concluded Minster Gormley, “and I await the Council’s response to my Department’s queries.”
www.buckplanning.ie
In particular, the Minister is concerned about the inclusion of a “small builders policy” in the variation whereby the Council will facilitate local builders who are registered with the Council under this measure to build two one-off houses per annum.
Speaking yesterday, the Minister said that such a policy ran against proper planning practice.
“It is my view that this policy runs contrary to proper planning and sustainable development, given that it has the potential to be development-led and not plan-led, this goes against statutory guidance for planning authorities as set out in the Department’s Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines (2005) and Development Plan Guidelines (2007),” Minister Gormley said.
“Good planning should have at its core the objective of serving the best interests of the members of the community. The people of Donegal are at the centre of my concerns and that of the officials in my Department. I am not convinced that this small builders policy will serve the best interests of the community. Accordingly I have asked the local authority to clarify certain matters for me,” said Minister Gormley.
The Department’s letter to Donegal Council has sought additional information on how the policy will operate in order to make a fully informed assessment on its impact.
The information sought includes the number of builders proposed to be involved, the criteria for becoming registered on the list, and the safeguards to ensure the system complies with current ethics laws and guidelines.
The letter has also raised concerns about the potential of legal challenges that could arise whether in relation to individual planning applications or from those excluded from the register, bearing in mind the principles laid down in the EC Treaty regarding open access to markets and freedom of establishment.
The Department has strongly advised the Council to seek legal advice as to whether or not the policy as adopted is well-founded, proportionate and robust to potential legal challenge.
“ If the local authority are concerned with boosting economic development in Donegal, they should consider other more appropriate ways to do this, for example, through the introduction of measures to release lands, publicly and privately owned, in various towns and villages throughout the county for development, “ continued Minister Gormley.
“I hope that the members of Donegal County Council will deal with this matter in a constructive and considered manner,” concluded Minster Gormley, “and I await the Council’s response to my Department’s queries.”
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Redevelopment of Liberty Hall
On 2 November, 2008, you carried a report that the redevelopment of Liberty Hall has been postponed because of the property slump and harsh economic climate. This is not the case. The redevelopment project is on course, with the architects Gilroy McMahon having recently presented their outline design to the National Executive Council and to the internal Consultative Group as part of the agreed consultative process. The architects are on target to complete their design early next year taking into account the need for further and ongoing consultation. It is then hoped to proceed to the planning application stage.
SIPTU has not postponed the demolition of the existing Liberty Hall, as reported in the Sunday Tribune, for the simple reason that there is no point in demolishing the existing building until such time as planning is assured, as to do so would incur unnecessary costs in relocating staff when the design is still at the outline stage. When there is any significant development to report to the media, you can rest assured we will do so.
Tony Walsh,
Head of Property Development,
Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
SIPTU has not postponed the demolition of the existing Liberty Hall, as reported in the Sunday Tribune, for the simple reason that there is no point in demolishing the existing building until such time as planning is assured, as to do so would incur unnecessary costs in relocating staff when the design is still at the outline stage. When there is any significant development to report to the media, you can rest assured we will do so.
Tony Walsh,
Head of Property Development,
Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Property developers use idle building sites as car parks
Hard-pressed property developers are finding alternative uses for sites which are lying idle because of the downturn in the building industry.
Park Developments, which is headed by Michael Cotter, has applied to Fingal County Council for a ten-year temporary planning permission for a 2,715-space surface car park on a 17-acre site at Cloghran Stud Farm, Old Stockhole Lane, Cloghran. A shuttle bus will link the car park to Dublin Airport.
Dick Cuddihy, a director of Park Developments, said the site, which is just behind the Coachman pub, would eventually be used for a commercial mixed-used development.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to do something with an idle site,” he said. ‘‘There’s a lot of long-term parking on the south side of the airport and we see this as a location which can capture traffic coming from the north side. We will put in a very experienced operator and would hope to have it running by next summer.”
Cuddihy said that Park Developments was one of a number of developers that had opened car parks on building sites. He said that the building firm PJ Hegarty, for example, had opened a car park on the old Atlantic Homecare site in Sandyford, Co Dublin.
The Dublin Airport development will involve the demolition of existing farm buildings, the construction of internal roads and bus parking, and building a control office.
A 2.4-metre fence will surround the car park. The developers will also upgrade 300 metres of Old Stockhole Lane. An environmental impact statement has been provided to Fingal Council.
Turnover at Park Developments halved last year, falling to €67.4 million from €134 million in 2006.Profits for the year were down by more than 90 per cent, from €28 million to €2.6 million.
The firm’s main developments include the Park in Carrickmines. It also has a 50 per cent interest in the Hanover Quay and Cherry Orchard partnerships, as well as a half share in Sispar Ltd, which is developing a marina in Greystones, Co Wicklow. It employed 153 staff in 2007, with payroll costs of €18.9 million.
According to the accounts for Park Developments, the principal risks facing the group are ‘‘a downturn in the property market, increase in interest rates, change in property tax incentives, slowdown in the general economy, shortage of available development land and unexpected delays in pending planning permissions’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Park Developments, which is headed by Michael Cotter, has applied to Fingal County Council for a ten-year temporary planning permission for a 2,715-space surface car park on a 17-acre site at Cloghran Stud Farm, Old Stockhole Lane, Cloghran. A shuttle bus will link the car park to Dublin Airport.
Dick Cuddihy, a director of Park Developments, said the site, which is just behind the Coachman pub, would eventually be used for a commercial mixed-used development.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to do something with an idle site,” he said. ‘‘There’s a lot of long-term parking on the south side of the airport and we see this as a location which can capture traffic coming from the north side. We will put in a very experienced operator and would hope to have it running by next summer.”
Cuddihy said that Park Developments was one of a number of developers that had opened car parks on building sites. He said that the building firm PJ Hegarty, for example, had opened a car park on the old Atlantic Homecare site in Sandyford, Co Dublin.
The Dublin Airport development will involve the demolition of existing farm buildings, the construction of internal roads and bus parking, and building a control office.
A 2.4-metre fence will surround the car park. The developers will also upgrade 300 metres of Old Stockhole Lane. An environmental impact statement has been provided to Fingal Council.
Turnover at Park Developments halved last year, falling to €67.4 million from €134 million in 2006.Profits for the year were down by more than 90 per cent, from €28 million to €2.6 million.
The firm’s main developments include the Park in Carrickmines. It also has a 50 per cent interest in the Hanover Quay and Cherry Orchard partnerships, as well as a half share in Sispar Ltd, which is developing a marina in Greystones, Co Wicklow. It employed 153 staff in 2007, with payroll costs of €18.9 million.
According to the accounts for Park Developments, the principal risks facing the group are ‘‘a downturn in the property market, increase in interest rates, change in property tax incentives, slowdown in the general economy, shortage of available development land and unexpected delays in pending planning permissions’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Further energy developments planned for Mayo
Mayo could become a new energy centre for Ireland under government plans for further energy developments near the contentious Corrib gas pipeline in the north of the county.
Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, plans to ‘‘encourage the development of a new gas plant’’ in the area and support development of the electricity grid to connect to the area. He said the government had already committed to developing a wave or tidal grid connection out to the sea near Belmullet.
A proposed wind farm of 44 turbines for the Erris Peninsula in north Mayo has already been designated a strategic infrastructure development and may be fast-tracked under planning law. Ryan said the moves should bring ‘‘long-term sustainable jobs for the area’’.
‘‘We need an energy revolution ... Mayo will become a centre point of the new energy future for Ireland,” Ryan said.
‘‘We have some of the best renewable energy resources in the world - some of the best ocean resources are in the north-west of the country. Some of the best wind resources in the world are in the same area.”
The government last week announced a new community forum which it hopes will help supporters and opponents of the Shell gas pipeline to reach agreement. Eamon O’Cuiv, Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, said Mayo had suffered from unemployment and that it was time for the community ‘‘to seize this opportunity for long-term jobs.
‘‘Divided, they cannot reach their potential,” he said. He highlighted the funding available to the Erris community from the €17 million Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta fund, were ‘‘the community to move forward and work together’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, plans to ‘‘encourage the development of a new gas plant’’ in the area and support development of the electricity grid to connect to the area. He said the government had already committed to developing a wave or tidal grid connection out to the sea near Belmullet.
A proposed wind farm of 44 turbines for the Erris Peninsula in north Mayo has already been designated a strategic infrastructure development and may be fast-tracked under planning law. Ryan said the moves should bring ‘‘long-term sustainable jobs for the area’’.
‘‘We need an energy revolution ... Mayo will become a centre point of the new energy future for Ireland,” Ryan said.
‘‘We have some of the best renewable energy resources in the world - some of the best ocean resources are in the north-west of the country. Some of the best wind resources in the world are in the same area.”
The government last week announced a new community forum which it hopes will help supporters and opponents of the Shell gas pipeline to reach agreement. Eamon O’Cuiv, Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, said Mayo had suffered from unemployment and that it was time for the community ‘‘to seize this opportunity for long-term jobs.
‘‘Divided, they cannot reach their potential,” he said. He highlighted the funding available to the Erris community from the €17 million Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta fund, were ‘‘the community to move forward and work together’’.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Grehan calm about impact of falling values on his site
Property developer Ray Grehan has said he is not worried about the impact of falling property values on his €171 million site at the former Veterinary College in Ballsbridge in Dublin, but admitted the site was now worth less than he paid for it.
Grehan told The Sunday Business Post he would not be seeking to go ahead with the proposed €600 million development on the site until the property market recovered, even if he won a planning appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála.
Grehan paid a record €81 million per acre for the site, and was granted planning permission earlier this year for a 13storey development of apartments, offices and shops.
That was appealed to An Bord Pleanála and, according to Grehan, its ruling will be delivered on November 17, having been put back twice. That will be almost three years since Grehan purchased the site.
Accounts for Kintene, the company that owns the site, show the €110 million borrowed from AIB to buy the site is due to be repaid next year.
The accounts show AIB has no security on the loan other than the site itself, a personal guarantee from Grehan on the interest, and a further guarantee for just €3.5 million.
Grehan has lent Kintene €72 million to help it purchase the site from a company called Glenkerrin Finance. This company derived partof its funding in the form of loans from Glenkerrin Homes which, totalled €35.2 million at the end of last year, and a further €48 million from Grehan’s own ‘‘current accounts’’, according to the Companies Registration Office filings.
Grehan said that the timeframe for repaying the €110 million loan was standard for a loan of that kind, and that he would expect to refinance it when going ahead with the project.
‘‘I have always said this was a five-to-seven-year project and we are now three years in,” he said.
Last week, AIB indicated that it was seeing an average 40 per cent fall in the value of development sites, although another senior banker suggested that, in some cases it was as high as 80 per cent.
The accounts for Kintene placed the same value on the site at the end of 2007 as when it was purchased two years earlier, at the height of the property boom.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Grehan told The Sunday Business Post he would not be seeking to go ahead with the proposed €600 million development on the site until the property market recovered, even if he won a planning appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála.
Grehan paid a record €81 million per acre for the site, and was granted planning permission earlier this year for a 13storey development of apartments, offices and shops.
That was appealed to An Bord Pleanála and, according to Grehan, its ruling will be delivered on November 17, having been put back twice. That will be almost three years since Grehan purchased the site.
Accounts for Kintene, the company that owns the site, show the €110 million borrowed from AIB to buy the site is due to be repaid next year.
The accounts show AIB has no security on the loan other than the site itself, a personal guarantee from Grehan on the interest, and a further guarantee for just €3.5 million.
Grehan has lent Kintene €72 million to help it purchase the site from a company called Glenkerrin Finance. This company derived partof its funding in the form of loans from Glenkerrin Homes which, totalled €35.2 million at the end of last year, and a further €48 million from Grehan’s own ‘‘current accounts’’, according to the Companies Registration Office filings.
Grehan said that the timeframe for repaying the €110 million loan was standard for a loan of that kind, and that he would expect to refinance it when going ahead with the project.
‘‘I have always said this was a five-to-seven-year project and we are now three years in,” he said.
Last week, AIB indicated that it was seeing an average 40 per cent fall in the value of development sites, although another senior banker suggested that, in some cases it was as high as 80 per cent.
The accounts for Kintene placed the same value on the site at the end of 2007 as when it was purchased two years earlier, at the height of the property boom.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
‘Uncertainty’ over value of Dunne’s sites
The value of the property assets owned by developer Sean Dunne’s main trading company is now ‘‘subject to uncertainty’’ in light of the economic downturn.
DCD Builders has property-related assets valued at €477 million, but owes its banks €624 million. The firm’s continued ability to trade depends on the support of Dunne and the banks, according to new filings at the Companies Registration Office in Dublin.
Amid the mounting debt, Dunne has said he will not seek repayments of €176.3 million he has advanced to DCD Builders for an additional 12 months.
Despite the property slump, the company has refused to write down the value of its assets, citing the quality of the location of its properties.
Further filings show that Bank of Ireland moved in recent weeks to secure loans it advanced to the company by registering a charge against the company’s borrowings. A number of financial institutions, including AIB, now hold charges against assets in Dunne’s company.
Dunne has also given a personal guarantee of €4 million in relation to the company’s borrowings, according to accounts for DCD Builders.
‘‘Based on a review of financial projections and consideration of the availability of financial support, the directors believe the appropriate funding will be made available to the group and company to enable the group and company to realise the value of the property-related assets,” the accounts stated.
DCD Builders made a pretax loss of €14.8 million last year, compared with a profit of €31 million in 2006. Turnover decreased slightly, from €50 million to €48 million.
The deterioration in profits is largely attributable to interest payments on bank loans totalling €38 million during the year. The cost of sales also rose steeply.
Dunne has been one of Ireland’s most acquisitive developers. In 2006, he agreed to pay €260 million for the 4.84-acre Jurys Doyle site in Ballsbridge, and €119 million for the adjoining Berkeley Court hotel. He is currently awaiting the outcome of a Bord Pleanála hearing into his master plan for the Ballsbridge area.
DCD Builders is ‘‘involved in the completion of certain properties and in the planning process in respect of certain other properties, and are continuing to take the necessary steps to bring the various proposed developments to a successful conclusion’’, the accounts said.
According to the accounts, the firm is owed €387 million that it advanced to another group company, JDPCH, which is unsecured, interest-free and repayable on demand. The company has work in progress valued at €321 million.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
DCD Builders has property-related assets valued at €477 million, but owes its banks €624 million. The firm’s continued ability to trade depends on the support of Dunne and the banks, according to new filings at the Companies Registration Office in Dublin.
Amid the mounting debt, Dunne has said he will not seek repayments of €176.3 million he has advanced to DCD Builders for an additional 12 months.
Despite the property slump, the company has refused to write down the value of its assets, citing the quality of the location of its properties.
Further filings show that Bank of Ireland moved in recent weeks to secure loans it advanced to the company by registering a charge against the company’s borrowings. A number of financial institutions, including AIB, now hold charges against assets in Dunne’s company.
Dunne has also given a personal guarantee of €4 million in relation to the company’s borrowings, according to accounts for DCD Builders.
‘‘Based on a review of financial projections and consideration of the availability of financial support, the directors believe the appropriate funding will be made available to the group and company to enable the group and company to realise the value of the property-related assets,” the accounts stated.
DCD Builders made a pretax loss of €14.8 million last year, compared with a profit of €31 million in 2006. Turnover decreased slightly, from €50 million to €48 million.
The deterioration in profits is largely attributable to interest payments on bank loans totalling €38 million during the year. The cost of sales also rose steeply.
Dunne has been one of Ireland’s most acquisitive developers. In 2006, he agreed to pay €260 million for the 4.84-acre Jurys Doyle site in Ballsbridge, and €119 million for the adjoining Berkeley Court hotel. He is currently awaiting the outcome of a Bord Pleanála hearing into his master plan for the Ballsbridge area.
DCD Builders is ‘‘involved in the completion of certain properties and in the planning process in respect of certain other properties, and are continuing to take the necessary steps to bring the various proposed developments to a successful conclusion’’, the accounts said.
According to the accounts, the firm is owed €387 million that it advanced to another group company, JDPCH, which is unsecured, interest-free and repayable on demand. The company has work in progress valued at €321 million.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Residents make noise over Metro fears
RESIDENTS fearful of noise pollution during the construction of Dublin's Metro North rail line have met with independent engineers in a bid to address their concerns.
The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) employed the UK-based independent GWP Consultants to set out in layman's terms exactly what residents close to the line could expect.
The talks followed the publication of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which included information on noise levels but which was set out in highly technical engineering terms.
Detailing a geographical breakdown of areas likely to be affected and to what extent, the report will be included in a submission on the transport project to be furnished to An Bord Pleanála by Fingal County Council.
Three of four meetings held two weeks ago took place in Drumcondra where there are significant concerns over noise and disruption caused by tunnel boring. The final meeting was held in Swords.
Labour TD Joe Costello said that they were a welcome development for an organisation which lacks a "culture of consultation."
"That was one of the demands that was looked for by residents that there would be a structure in place that would be independent of the RPA," he said.
According to information communicated by GWP, noise surrounding the works will reach a maximum of 75 decibels on Mondays to Fridays between 7am and 7pm.
Noise levels higher than 10 decibels are considered to have a "severe noise impact magnitude."
In areas where work continues between 7pm and 10pm, the noise levels will reach 65 decibels, work throughout the night and early morning will max at 45 decibels while work carried out on Sundays between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm will be capped at 60 decibels.
While the duration of the works varies from area to area, the major operations are expected to last for between 10 and 12 months.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) employed the UK-based independent GWP Consultants to set out in layman's terms exactly what residents close to the line could expect.
The talks followed the publication of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which included information on noise levels but which was set out in highly technical engineering terms.
Detailing a geographical breakdown of areas likely to be affected and to what extent, the report will be included in a submission on the transport project to be furnished to An Bord Pleanála by Fingal County Council.
Three of four meetings held two weeks ago took place in Drumcondra where there are significant concerns over noise and disruption caused by tunnel boring. The final meeting was held in Swords.
Labour TD Joe Costello said that they were a welcome development for an organisation which lacks a "culture of consultation."
"That was one of the demands that was looked for by residents that there would be a structure in place that would be independent of the RPA," he said.
According to information communicated by GWP, noise surrounding the works will reach a maximum of 75 decibels on Mondays to Fridays between 7am and 7pm.
Noise levels higher than 10 decibels are considered to have a "severe noise impact magnitude."
In areas where work continues between 7pm and 10pm, the noise levels will reach 65 decibels, work throughout the night and early morning will max at 45 decibels while work carried out on Sundays between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm will be capped at 60 decibels.
While the duration of the works varies from area to area, the major operations are expected to last for between 10 and 12 months.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Lansdowne on the road to early 2010 completion
REDEVELOPMENT works at Lansdowne Road are now 10 weeks ahead of schedule and running to cost, according to developers.
The concrete shell of the towering 50,000-seater stadium was completed about two weeks ago, a crucial turning point described by its developers as the 'milestone' stage of construction works.
In the coming months, contractors on site at the south Dublin project are set to rise in number from around 600 to 900 as 'fit-out' staff begin the next phases of construction.
Ireland football team manager Giovanni Trapattoni was just one of many guests given the grand tour of the ongoing works in Ballsbridge in recent weeks.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is still in the process of showing potential clients premium seats in the ground while the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has completed the sale of its 10,000 allocation.
The stadium is now a complete concrete shell with temporary steel support structures in place to take the weight of the curved roof before completion.
Hundreds of contractors are working within strict daytime hours to complete the ground by its April 2010 deadline.
In recent weeks engineers employed by the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) have visited both the Wembley stadium and Arsenal football club's Emirates ground in London to learn from the experience of their recent construction.
"It's not secret. In every stadium around the world, things go right, things go wrong," said Paul Charles, technical services manager at the ground. "If you can imagine a guy at the new Olympic stadium in London, they will ask us what went right and what went wrong."
But while shared knowledge is of paramount importance in the industry, so far it seems not a lot has gone wrong in south Dublin.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The concrete shell of the towering 50,000-seater stadium was completed about two weeks ago, a crucial turning point described by its developers as the 'milestone' stage of construction works.
In the coming months, contractors on site at the south Dublin project are set to rise in number from around 600 to 900 as 'fit-out' staff begin the next phases of construction.
Ireland football team manager Giovanni Trapattoni was just one of many guests given the grand tour of the ongoing works in Ballsbridge in recent weeks.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is still in the process of showing potential clients premium seats in the ground while the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has completed the sale of its 10,000 allocation.
The stadium is now a complete concrete shell with temporary steel support structures in place to take the weight of the curved roof before completion.
Hundreds of contractors are working within strict daytime hours to complete the ground by its April 2010 deadline.
In recent weeks engineers employed by the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) have visited both the Wembley stadium and Arsenal football club's Emirates ground in London to learn from the experience of their recent construction.
"It's not secret. In every stadium around the world, things go right, things go wrong," said Paul Charles, technical services manager at the ground. "If you can imagine a guy at the new Olympic stadium in London, they will ask us what went right and what went wrong."
But while shared knowledge is of paramount importance in the industry, so far it seems not a lot has gone wrong in south Dublin.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Chairman John O'Connor faces barristers after comments about oral hearing histrionics
Last week, on release of the An Bord Pleanála Annual Report, Chairman of the Board, John O'Connor took the opportunity to criticise lawyers, stating: "There is concern that some lawyers participating in hearings are engaging in courtroom histrionics which may be good for the odd headline but have no place in a planning hearing".
Attending a planning law conference on Saturday, Mr O'Connor again made these criticisms.
Criticism of Mr O'Connor's position was voiced by a number of barristers; however, the criticism reached a high point with a speech by Mr Garrett Simons, S.C whose 5 minute review of Mr O'Connor's comments was both pointed and funny, calling Mr O'Connor both the "elephant in the room" and "Sarah Palin".
Mr O'Connor responded at the end of the conference by clarifying his comments, stating that oral hearings should be conducted as per the intention of the Planning Acts.
It is clear that Mr O'Connor touched a nerve and upset lawyers, who, as one might expect, reacted with vigour, but it is equally clear that he is capable of weathering such histrionics.
www.buckplanning.ie
Attending a planning law conference on Saturday, Mr O'Connor again made these criticisms.
Criticism of Mr O'Connor's position was voiced by a number of barristers; however, the criticism reached a high point with a speech by Mr Garrett Simons, S.C whose 5 minute review of Mr O'Connor's comments was both pointed and funny, calling Mr O'Connor both the "elephant in the room" and "Sarah Palin".
Mr O'Connor responded at the end of the conference by clarifying his comments, stating that oral hearings should be conducted as per the intention of the Planning Acts.
It is clear that Mr O'Connor touched a nerve and upset lawyers, who, as one might expect, reacted with vigour, but it is equally clear that he is capable of weathering such histrionics.
www.buckplanning.ie
DDDA errors grow
U2 Tower saga is the latest in a series of errors by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.
The decision by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to suspend talks on the U2 Tower is merely the latest in a litany of travails faced by the authority. This week it will be appearing in the commercial court as the Spencer Dock Developments company, owned by Treasury Holdings, CIE and Harry Crosbie, take action against it for giving Liam Carroll planning permission to develop the Brooks Thomas site.
It is essentially the same case previously taken by Seán Dunne, in which Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan found the authority had acted ultra vires. Dunne has since applied to have the works undertaken by Carroll demolished, which will leave the DDDA facing a huge compensation bill as well as massive legal costs. The authority may try to include higher densities and taller buildings in the area as part of its master plan but sources close to Dunne are confident that that won't stand up in court either.
That is but the latest in a series of questionable decisions by the DDDA. In 2004, McCann FitzGerald bought the 0.5-acre Riverside One site for €12.5m from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in an off-market deal. Just months later it sold it planned new headquarters, which it has since occupied, to Quinlan Private, among others, in a sale and leaseback deal, netting a reported €30m profit. A similar, albeit less profitable, deal was also concluded by Dillon Eustace in the same area.
CHQ, envisioned as a flagship shopping centre for wealthier workers in the IFSC, ended up costing €50m, €10m of which was spent on consultants, according to DDDA chief executive Paul Maloney. The sum spent on consultants raised eyebrows, given it amounted to 20% of the budget cost. Originally targeting the likes of Harvey Nichols, Gucci and Prada, the centre had to reduce expectations and never attracted the luxury international retailers it hoped for.
The DDDA also acquired the Jones Oil site at Sheriff Street, using a compulsory purchase order, for a park. "The site will be developed with a view to accommodating family living and could contain a pocket park and other community facilities," the DDDA's master plan monitoring report said in 2006. A spokeswoman for the DDDA said it "can't release the land cost for this project. The site will be developed in accordance with the planning scheme for the North Lotts area. The amended planning scheme will be put out to public consultation next year and then submitted to the minister for approval".
More recently, the DDDA contacted developers looking to be involved in a consortium bidding to develop the South Wharf site. The DDDA teamed up eventually with Bernard McNamara and Derek Quinlan to form Becbay and bid an eye-watering €412m for the site, which is now worth only about €300m, according to senior industry sources.
The DDDA had been due to expire in 2012 but, by becoming involved in South Wharf, that is now unlikely to happen. Instead, it will play a role in the future development of the land, having already invested €36m in the site, €9m of which is being spent on remediation of the site after asbestos was found there. Maloney has already conceded that the economic downturn has serious implications for the future development of the site.
Other mistakes were less visible. The Antony Gormley sculpture was a worthy idea but locals reacted badly to the fact that, in their view, it looked as if it was going to urinate on them, while the Liffey Island idea as a whole was puzzling. It involved developers ceding land in the docklands to be dug out while residential towers would be built on stilts within the Liffey itself.
The U2 Tower, though, will be the first and last thought for many when it comes to the DDDA. Losing the winning entrant's name, redesigns, aborted negotiations with developers, differing heights, not revealing in their press release that U2 was part of one of the consortia… the controversy surrounding the building will simply not go away.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The decision by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to suspend talks on the U2 Tower is merely the latest in a litany of travails faced by the authority. This week it will be appearing in the commercial court as the Spencer Dock Developments company, owned by Treasury Holdings, CIE and Harry Crosbie, take action against it for giving Liam Carroll planning permission to develop the Brooks Thomas site.
It is essentially the same case previously taken by Seán Dunne, in which Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan found the authority had acted ultra vires. Dunne has since applied to have the works undertaken by Carroll demolished, which will leave the DDDA facing a huge compensation bill as well as massive legal costs. The authority may try to include higher densities and taller buildings in the area as part of its master plan but sources close to Dunne are confident that that won't stand up in court either.
That is but the latest in a series of questionable decisions by the DDDA. In 2004, McCann FitzGerald bought the 0.5-acre Riverside One site for €12.5m from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in an off-market deal. Just months later it sold it planned new headquarters, which it has since occupied, to Quinlan Private, among others, in a sale and leaseback deal, netting a reported €30m profit. A similar, albeit less profitable, deal was also concluded by Dillon Eustace in the same area.
CHQ, envisioned as a flagship shopping centre for wealthier workers in the IFSC, ended up costing €50m, €10m of which was spent on consultants, according to DDDA chief executive Paul Maloney. The sum spent on consultants raised eyebrows, given it amounted to 20% of the budget cost. Originally targeting the likes of Harvey Nichols, Gucci and Prada, the centre had to reduce expectations and never attracted the luxury international retailers it hoped for.
The DDDA also acquired the Jones Oil site at Sheriff Street, using a compulsory purchase order, for a park. "The site will be developed with a view to accommodating family living and could contain a pocket park and other community facilities," the DDDA's master plan monitoring report said in 2006. A spokeswoman for the DDDA said it "can't release the land cost for this project. The site will be developed in accordance with the planning scheme for the North Lotts area. The amended planning scheme will be put out to public consultation next year and then submitted to the minister for approval".
More recently, the DDDA contacted developers looking to be involved in a consortium bidding to develop the South Wharf site. The DDDA teamed up eventually with Bernard McNamara and Derek Quinlan to form Becbay and bid an eye-watering €412m for the site, which is now worth only about €300m, according to senior industry sources.
The DDDA had been due to expire in 2012 but, by becoming involved in South Wharf, that is now unlikely to happen. Instead, it will play a role in the future development of the land, having already invested €36m in the site, €9m of which is being spent on remediation of the site after asbestos was found there. Maloney has already conceded that the economic downturn has serious implications for the future development of the site.
Other mistakes were less visible. The Antony Gormley sculpture was a worthy idea but locals reacted badly to the fact that, in their view, it looked as if it was going to urinate on them, while the Liffey Island idea as a whole was puzzling. It involved developers ceding land in the docklands to be dug out while residential towers would be built on stilts within the Liffey itself.
The U2 Tower, though, will be the first and last thought for many when it comes to the DDDA. Losing the winning entrant's name, redesigns, aborted negotiations with developers, differing heights, not revealing in their press release that U2 was part of one of the consortia… the controversy surrounding the building will simply not go away.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Oscar Traynor Road scheme withdrawn
BAM Contractors, previously known as Ascon, and its joint venture partners Durkan and Newlyn, have withdrawn their planning application for a public park and over 700 houses on a site at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock, Dublin. The consortium had won a public-private partnership tender that was advertised for development by Dublin City Council based on a design brief.
"A planning application was received and additional information was sought. This was due to be returned by 22 October. It was not returned and the application is therefore classed as withdrawn," said a spokesman for the council.
The 42-acre site was to have 715 residential units, 13,000 square metres of commercial space and 1,820 square metres for community use. The development was also to include a park of nearly 10 acres and includes land in a proposed outer public safety zone for Dublin airport.
The decision to withdraw the application is the latest in a series of public partnership troubles for Dublin City Council, which has also seen social housing regeneration schemes involving Bernard McNamara and Castlethorn Construction fall apart.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
"A planning application was received and additional information was sought. This was due to be returned by 22 October. It was not returned and the application is therefore classed as withdrawn," said a spokesman for the council.
The 42-acre site was to have 715 residential units, 13,000 square metres of commercial space and 1,820 square metres for community use. The development was also to include a park of nearly 10 acres and includes land in a proposed outer public safety zone for Dublin airport.
The decision to withdraw the application is the latest in a series of public partnership troubles for Dublin City Council, which has also seen social housing regeneration schemes involving Bernard McNamara and Castlethorn Construction fall apart.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
cycle planning in Dublin
Dublin will need to do more than a modest public bike scheme and a few cycle lanes to get commuters on to the saddle and off the roads, writes Harry McGee
THERE IS A word, specifically a verb, which perfectly describes what happened to me. Except I didn't know it at the time. I was cycling along Dublin's south quays just outside the Clarence Hotel when the driver's door of an illegally parked car swung open in my path.
I tried to swerve to the right but ended up hitting the door on the outside. The bike skidded and I kept on going, my momentum taking me right into the middle of the two-lane roadway.
In truth, I was very lucky. Although it happened just before articulated lorries were banned from the city centre, I was blessed that, at the moment of my crash, the trucks and cars that zip along the keys had been stalled by pedestrian lights at the Millennium Bridge.
The culprit was probably more shocked than I was and full of apologies. After my reflex, hysterical reaction - in censored form, "you stupid fool, you could have got me killed" - I brushed myself down, hopped on to my dented bike, and cycled on.
What did it leave me with? Badly scraped knees, torn trousers, a little post-event shock and an everlasting wariness of a door swinging open in front of me.
But there was actually a word for this. I came across it about two years later when I was reading a guidebook for New York and checking out the cycling section. "The biggest danger for anyone weaving in and out of traffic in Manhattan," it said, "is getting doored." Immediately, I knew what it meant.
I moved from Galway to Dublin in 1992 and have been cycling on a daily basis since. There are hazards and downsides to cycling in the capital. Strangely enough, the weather isn't one of them. The Green Party's Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, owned a cycling tour company before becoming a politician, and he always comes out with the line that Dublin is a drier city than Amsterdam (which is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world, along with Copenhagen and Paris). It rains badly enough to dissuade you on only eight days every year, he argues. Let it be quickly added that this sad, sodden, miserable deluge of a year has been an exception to the Ryan rule.
On the other side of the coin, there are the real hazards. The first is getting your bike nicked. It's happened to me about four times and at least once to just about every other cyclist I know.
The second is the danger. The incident on the quays was one of about three similar accidents I have had. From time to time, it also crosses my mind that cyclists get killed in Dublin (12 died between 2000 and 2006). Granted, there have been steep improvements. No more lorries in the city centre, for one. And there has been a big improvement in bicycle lanes. But what's provided is still pathetically short of what it should be.
Here's what's wrong with cycle lanes in Dublin. Often, they are a piece of a bus lane. They are usually not separated from the road by a kerb or some other kind of clear buffer. Sometimes a new bicycle lane appears and two months later somebody lays a cable or does some roadworks and the bicycle lane disappears forever. Another great win for the hard-pressed motorist is that bicycle lanes often provide handy parking slots. And they come to an end, sometimes after 50 or 60 metres.
Many of the nastiest sections of road for cyclists are devoid of cycle lanes. There are no cycle lanes on most of the bridges. Nor are there any on large stretches of the north and south quays, where you take your life into your hands trying to squeeze in the slither of space between parked buses and speeding cars. Or along Pearse Street, where four lanes of traffic have been accommodated but cyclists have been provided with the steeply-cambered gutter and the drains.
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST dissuader for cycling has been affluence. Increasing wealth - and car ownership - has brought with it a culture of laziness. These days people cycle out of choice, not out of necessity: few seem to make that choice, especially when there are few compelling reasons to abandon the car.
To be sure, car culture had predominated in Ireland for the past 20 years. In practical terms, it meant that motorists have had priority on the roads and cyclists have priority only in their own heads. In other words, there is a perception, and it is real enough, that cycling in Dublin isn't all that safe.
All of the above makes cycling seem unremittingly unattractive in Dublin or the major urban centre. That's not quite the case. It's a quick, easy, healthy and green way of getting around the city. I know exactly how long it will take me to get from A to B. I can go places without spending 20 minutes searching for parking. When it rains, I wear a Goretex raincoat, pull-ups and galoshes, which I can throw on in less than a minute. I might look like Michelin Man but it's effective. Clip-on pannier baskets, instead of a backpack, ward off excessive sweat. Overall, I am a happy cyclist.
It's much less stressful than driving, though not entirely stress-free. I have become more militant in defending my rights over the years. But I have got more than I have bargained for in upbraiding some drivers, including a young woman in a 4x4 who calmly replied to my complaint with the following effective putdown: "You should not have been cycling so f***ing fast. Go and take a running jump you f***er."
What disappoints me is that so few people commute by bicycle in Dublin. Over the past two decades, cycling's lot has receded to a low ebb in Dublin (and indeed in most Irish towns and cities). Up to 40 per cent of commuters in Copenhagen cycle to work. By sad comparison, the share enjoyed by cycling in Dublin was a paltry 2 per cent in 2006. What is more shocking has been the dramatic fall in the number of pupils cycling to school. In 1986, a total of 23,635 primary-level pupils cycled to school. By 2006, that had fallen to just 4,000 (a decline of 83 per cent). This, despite the fact that 40 per cent of the 125,000 children in the greater Dublin area who are driven to school each day live less than two kilometres away. Safety and weather are factors in this, but so is indolence.
Earlier this year, the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey committed himself to increasing the number of commuters cycling from 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020. It's an extraordinary ambition. It would mean moving 120,000 daily commuters on to bikes. If it were achieved, the benefits would be enormous in terms of carbon-emission reductions. It would also be a hell of a lot cheaper than the €18 billion earmarked to shift a similar number of commuters from cars to buses, trams and trains.
But to achieve it is another matter. The upshot of a higher priority for bikes is invariably much fewer vehicles in the city, especially between the two canals. In practical terms, the only way to achieve the Minister's vision would be through the introduction of congestion charges, the provision of more bicycle lanes, lower speed limits, stricter traffic enforcement, and increased traffic calming. This is sure to raise the ire of vocal motor-lobbying groups.
The Minister has promised to put cycling at the heart of his National Cycling Policy and of his sustainable transport plan - both are due to be published by the end of the year. Both will tell a lot about whether Dempsey's ambition of a 10 per cent modal share is realisable or a pipe dream.
But so far, the moves have been tentative. There's money being made available to finish one cycle route along the coast plus the tax claw-back for bicycles. And there are also plans to reduce the speed limits in the city centre to 30kph. But that will be enforced just as strictly as keeping cycle lanes free of cars - hardly, or not at all.
THERE IS ALSO the new Vélib scheme due to be introduced early next year. That's based on the amazing innovation in Paris where people hire out bikes from "docking stations" using their credit cards. It has been hugely successful.
You can see just why by looking at the stats. The Parisian authorities reduced car parking spaces and greatly increased the number of bicycle lanes. There was also critical mass - an impressive 10,000 bicycles when it was launched in the summer of 2007. In the space of a few months, the city doubled the number of bikes available.
Here in Dublin, it's more modest. You wonder, can a two-wheeled revolution really begin with only 450 bicycles and a city that's not quite ready to embrace pedal-power? You suspect that in a few years time there will be a word that sums up the scheme. And, you've guessed it, that word will be doored.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
THERE IS A word, specifically a verb, which perfectly describes what happened to me. Except I didn't know it at the time. I was cycling along Dublin's south quays just outside the Clarence Hotel when the driver's door of an illegally parked car swung open in my path.
I tried to swerve to the right but ended up hitting the door on the outside. The bike skidded and I kept on going, my momentum taking me right into the middle of the two-lane roadway.
In truth, I was very lucky. Although it happened just before articulated lorries were banned from the city centre, I was blessed that, at the moment of my crash, the trucks and cars that zip along the keys had been stalled by pedestrian lights at the Millennium Bridge.
The culprit was probably more shocked than I was and full of apologies. After my reflex, hysterical reaction - in censored form, "you stupid fool, you could have got me killed" - I brushed myself down, hopped on to my dented bike, and cycled on.
What did it leave me with? Badly scraped knees, torn trousers, a little post-event shock and an everlasting wariness of a door swinging open in front of me.
But there was actually a word for this. I came across it about two years later when I was reading a guidebook for New York and checking out the cycling section. "The biggest danger for anyone weaving in and out of traffic in Manhattan," it said, "is getting doored." Immediately, I knew what it meant.
I moved from Galway to Dublin in 1992 and have been cycling on a daily basis since. There are hazards and downsides to cycling in the capital. Strangely enough, the weather isn't one of them. The Green Party's Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, owned a cycling tour company before becoming a politician, and he always comes out with the line that Dublin is a drier city than Amsterdam (which is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world, along with Copenhagen and Paris). It rains badly enough to dissuade you on only eight days every year, he argues. Let it be quickly added that this sad, sodden, miserable deluge of a year has been an exception to the Ryan rule.
On the other side of the coin, there are the real hazards. The first is getting your bike nicked. It's happened to me about four times and at least once to just about every other cyclist I know.
The second is the danger. The incident on the quays was one of about three similar accidents I have had. From time to time, it also crosses my mind that cyclists get killed in Dublin (12 died between 2000 and 2006). Granted, there have been steep improvements. No more lorries in the city centre, for one. And there has been a big improvement in bicycle lanes. But what's provided is still pathetically short of what it should be.
Here's what's wrong with cycle lanes in Dublin. Often, they are a piece of a bus lane. They are usually not separated from the road by a kerb or some other kind of clear buffer. Sometimes a new bicycle lane appears and two months later somebody lays a cable or does some roadworks and the bicycle lane disappears forever. Another great win for the hard-pressed motorist is that bicycle lanes often provide handy parking slots. And they come to an end, sometimes after 50 or 60 metres.
Many of the nastiest sections of road for cyclists are devoid of cycle lanes. There are no cycle lanes on most of the bridges. Nor are there any on large stretches of the north and south quays, where you take your life into your hands trying to squeeze in the slither of space between parked buses and speeding cars. Or along Pearse Street, where four lanes of traffic have been accommodated but cyclists have been provided with the steeply-cambered gutter and the drains.
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST dissuader for cycling has been affluence. Increasing wealth - and car ownership - has brought with it a culture of laziness. These days people cycle out of choice, not out of necessity: few seem to make that choice, especially when there are few compelling reasons to abandon the car.
To be sure, car culture had predominated in Ireland for the past 20 years. In practical terms, it meant that motorists have had priority on the roads and cyclists have priority only in their own heads. In other words, there is a perception, and it is real enough, that cycling in Dublin isn't all that safe.
All of the above makes cycling seem unremittingly unattractive in Dublin or the major urban centre. That's not quite the case. It's a quick, easy, healthy and green way of getting around the city. I know exactly how long it will take me to get from A to B. I can go places without spending 20 minutes searching for parking. When it rains, I wear a Goretex raincoat, pull-ups and galoshes, which I can throw on in less than a minute. I might look like Michelin Man but it's effective. Clip-on pannier baskets, instead of a backpack, ward off excessive sweat. Overall, I am a happy cyclist.
It's much less stressful than driving, though not entirely stress-free. I have become more militant in defending my rights over the years. But I have got more than I have bargained for in upbraiding some drivers, including a young woman in a 4x4 who calmly replied to my complaint with the following effective putdown: "You should not have been cycling so f***ing fast. Go and take a running jump you f***er."
What disappoints me is that so few people commute by bicycle in Dublin. Over the past two decades, cycling's lot has receded to a low ebb in Dublin (and indeed in most Irish towns and cities). Up to 40 per cent of commuters in Copenhagen cycle to work. By sad comparison, the share enjoyed by cycling in Dublin was a paltry 2 per cent in 2006. What is more shocking has been the dramatic fall in the number of pupils cycling to school. In 1986, a total of 23,635 primary-level pupils cycled to school. By 2006, that had fallen to just 4,000 (a decline of 83 per cent). This, despite the fact that 40 per cent of the 125,000 children in the greater Dublin area who are driven to school each day live less than two kilometres away. Safety and weather are factors in this, but so is indolence.
Earlier this year, the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey committed himself to increasing the number of commuters cycling from 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020. It's an extraordinary ambition. It would mean moving 120,000 daily commuters on to bikes. If it were achieved, the benefits would be enormous in terms of carbon-emission reductions. It would also be a hell of a lot cheaper than the €18 billion earmarked to shift a similar number of commuters from cars to buses, trams and trains.
But to achieve it is another matter. The upshot of a higher priority for bikes is invariably much fewer vehicles in the city, especially between the two canals. In practical terms, the only way to achieve the Minister's vision would be through the introduction of congestion charges, the provision of more bicycle lanes, lower speed limits, stricter traffic enforcement, and increased traffic calming. This is sure to raise the ire of vocal motor-lobbying groups.
The Minister has promised to put cycling at the heart of his National Cycling Policy and of his sustainable transport plan - both are due to be published by the end of the year. Both will tell a lot about whether Dempsey's ambition of a 10 per cent modal share is realisable or a pipe dream.
But so far, the moves have been tentative. There's money being made available to finish one cycle route along the coast plus the tax claw-back for bicycles. And there are also plans to reduce the speed limits in the city centre to 30kph. But that will be enforced just as strictly as keeping cycle lanes free of cars - hardly, or not at all.
THERE IS ALSO the new Vélib scheme due to be introduced early next year. That's based on the amazing innovation in Paris where people hire out bikes from "docking stations" using their credit cards. It has been hugely successful.
You can see just why by looking at the stats. The Parisian authorities reduced car parking spaces and greatly increased the number of bicycle lanes. There was also critical mass - an impressive 10,000 bicycles when it was launched in the summer of 2007. In the space of a few months, the city doubled the number of bikes available.
Here in Dublin, it's more modest. You wonder, can a two-wheeled revolution really begin with only 450 bicycles and a city that's not quite ready to embrace pedal-power? You suspect that in a few years time there will be a word that sums up the scheme. And, you've guessed it, that word will be doored.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Damages case over gas pipeline delay is settled
A LEGAL action by An Bord Gáis’s Northern Ireland subsidiary aimed at compelling Lord Ballyedmond, formerly senator Edward Haughey, to pay some £613,000 (€756,000) in damages over alleged delays in construction over his lands of the North-South natural gas pipeline, has been settled.
BGE/UK had sought the damages after the Commercial Court in 2006 dismissed Lord Ballyedmond’s challenge to the proposed pipeline route over some of his lands at Dungooley, Co Louth.
Lord Ballyedmond proposed an alternative route over his lands but an inspector appointed by the Commission for Energy Regulation said the alternative route would prove more costly, while the route selected was the most economical. The hearing to assess the amount of damages began on Tuesday before Mr Justice Peter Kelly in the Commercial Court, and was due to resume yesterday when the judge was told it had been settled. He said the settlement was “not before time”.
Lawyers for Lord Ballyedmond have disputed the claims of delays, and had argued that he had no liability under an undertaking for damages given by him when bringing his legal proceedings for the sums claimed.
On Tuesday, ruling on preliminary arguments in the case, Mr Justice Kelly rejected Lord Ballyedmond’s argument that the damages undertaking did not apply. The judge then proceeded to hear arguments as to the amount of damages incurred.
In his main action, Lord Ballyedmond challenged orders made in 2005 for the compulsory acquisition of some of his lands for the purpose of constructing a 900- metre section of pipeline. The section is part of the 156km of pipeline being built by An Bord Gáis between Gormanston, Co Meath, and Ballyclare, Co Antrim.
Lord Ballyedmond argued that procedures used to select the pipeline route were unfair.
In 2006, Mr Justice Frank Clarke rejected the challenge on all grounds, including claims that the issue of the costs of various proposed pipeline routes were not adequately notified to Lord Ballyedmond in a manner which would allow him a reasonable opportunity to deal with such issues.
In this week’s damages hearing, BGE/UK claimed that, because it had given an undertaking pending the outcome of the court case not to enter Lord Ballyedmond’s property to carry out works, it was entitled to damages for the costs of having workers, plant and equipment on standby. It claimed entitlement to £612,698 in damages and said this included some £182,000 for costs of a “lock-out period” when it was not permitted on to the lands and £330,000 for having equipment on standby.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
BGE/UK had sought the damages after the Commercial Court in 2006 dismissed Lord Ballyedmond’s challenge to the proposed pipeline route over some of his lands at Dungooley, Co Louth.
Lord Ballyedmond proposed an alternative route over his lands but an inspector appointed by the Commission for Energy Regulation said the alternative route would prove more costly, while the route selected was the most economical. The hearing to assess the amount of damages began on Tuesday before Mr Justice Peter Kelly in the Commercial Court, and was due to resume yesterday when the judge was told it had been settled. He said the settlement was “not before time”.
Lawyers for Lord Ballyedmond have disputed the claims of delays, and had argued that he had no liability under an undertaking for damages given by him when bringing his legal proceedings for the sums claimed.
On Tuesday, ruling on preliminary arguments in the case, Mr Justice Kelly rejected Lord Ballyedmond’s argument that the damages undertaking did not apply. The judge then proceeded to hear arguments as to the amount of damages incurred.
In his main action, Lord Ballyedmond challenged orders made in 2005 for the compulsory acquisition of some of his lands for the purpose of constructing a 900- metre section of pipeline. The section is part of the 156km of pipeline being built by An Bord Gáis between Gormanston, Co Meath, and Ballyclare, Co Antrim.
Lord Ballyedmond argued that procedures used to select the pipeline route were unfair.
In 2006, Mr Justice Frank Clarke rejected the challenge on all grounds, including claims that the issue of the costs of various proposed pipeline routes were not adequately notified to Lord Ballyedmond in a manner which would allow him a reasonable opportunity to deal with such issues.
In this week’s damages hearing, BGE/UK claimed that, because it had given an undertaking pending the outcome of the court case not to enter Lord Ballyedmond’s property to carry out works, it was entitled to damages for the costs of having workers, plant and equipment on standby. It claimed entitlement to £612,698 in damages and said this included some £182,000 for costs of a “lock-out period” when it was not permitted on to the lands and £330,000 for having equipment on standby.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Corrib forum described as timely, inclusive
A NEW Government-backed initiative on the Corrib gas project has been described as “timely, balanced, inclusive, comprehensive and meaningful” by the Council for the West.
Council chairman Seán Hannick said the establishment of a community forum for development in northwest Mayo, taking in the Corrib project, was “a holistic approach that deserved to be given a fair chance by all interests in the region”.
Chaired by Joe Brosnan, a retired senior civil servant, the community forum announced this week will focus on economic development in the region. It will also address specific contentious issues about the Corrib project, including compliance with permits and licences, safety, technology and environmental management.
Mr Hannick said for “too long the debate has been around a single issue, the Corrib gas find and how it might be utilised”. He said: “In a sense, that has led to differing views from differing groups while the Government, which should have been playing a much more helpful and understanding role from the outset, stood back when leadership and vision were needed to alleviate a difficult situation.”
Originally established by the western bishops to campaign for objective one status, the council is an independent group that lobbies for economic development in the region.
Shell EP Ireland and a number of campaigners against the development have welcomed the forum. But the Campaign for Protection of Resources (CPR) warned that it is “doomed to failure unless it has a total understanding of the opposition to the project as currently constituted”.
“The local community, through Pobal Chill Chomáin and the area’s priests, has put forward a compromise location for this gas refinery which is backed by Bishop of Killala Dr John Fleming and both Labour and Fine Gael politicians. This project can benefit both the State and the local community, if done properly,” Padhraig Campbell of CPR said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Council chairman Seán Hannick said the establishment of a community forum for development in northwest Mayo, taking in the Corrib project, was “a holistic approach that deserved to be given a fair chance by all interests in the region”.
Chaired by Joe Brosnan, a retired senior civil servant, the community forum announced this week will focus on economic development in the region. It will also address specific contentious issues about the Corrib project, including compliance with permits and licences, safety, technology and environmental management.
Mr Hannick said for “too long the debate has been around a single issue, the Corrib gas find and how it might be utilised”. He said: “In a sense, that has led to differing views from differing groups while the Government, which should have been playing a much more helpful and understanding role from the outset, stood back when leadership and vision were needed to alleviate a difficult situation.”
Originally established by the western bishops to campaign for objective one status, the council is an independent group that lobbies for economic development in the region.
Shell EP Ireland and a number of campaigners against the development have welcomed the forum. But the Campaign for Protection of Resources (CPR) warned that it is “doomed to failure unless it has a total understanding of the opposition to the project as currently constituted”.
“The local community, through Pobal Chill Chomáin and the area’s priests, has put forward a compromise location for this gas refinery which is backed by Bishop of Killala Dr John Fleming and both Labour and Fine Gael politicians. This project can benefit both the State and the local community, if done properly,” Padhraig Campbell of CPR said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 7 November 2008
LOCAL authorities need to stop planning on a piecemeal basis
LOCAL authorities need to stop planning on a piecemeal basis and start protecting "green infrastructure", such as parks, farmland and drinking water supplies close to cities, a leading ecologist has said.
Harvard Professor Richard Forman told a conference in Dublin yesterday that an "urban tsunami" was sweeping across the world and unless cities and towns were planned around green spaces, the population of urban centres would suffer.
And he said that farms and market gardens should be located close to cities so transport costs, as well as emissions from vehicles, could be reduced.
"The piecemeal approach has been done too often, we need to think globally, plan regionally and act locally. We have to think of an urban region as a big powerhouse, a lot depends on it," he told the 'Green Infrastructure: Connecting Nature, People and Places' conference.
"The cities are spreading out, we're at the beginning of an urban tsunami. You can't expect the Boyne Valley to remain that way without planning."
Environment Minister John Gormley said that protecting green infrastructure was one of the most important steps planners could take to protect wildlife, but that Ireland faced "serious challenges" in this regard.
"There are many compelling reasons why we should treat our green infrastructure as a valuable asset," he said.
"Ireland faces serious challenges to conserve our biodiversity. Factors such as development, intensive agriculture, invasive alien species and, of course, climate change all pose serious threats to our biodiversity and the ecosystems it supports."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Harvard Professor Richard Forman told a conference in Dublin yesterday that an "urban tsunami" was sweeping across the world and unless cities and towns were planned around green spaces, the population of urban centres would suffer.
And he said that farms and market gardens should be located close to cities so transport costs, as well as emissions from vehicles, could be reduced.
"The piecemeal approach has been done too often, we need to think globally, plan regionally and act locally. We have to think of an urban region as a big powerhouse, a lot depends on it," he told the 'Green Infrastructure: Connecting Nature, People and Places' conference.
"The cities are spreading out, we're at the beginning of an urban tsunami. You can't expect the Boyne Valley to remain that way without planning."
Environment Minister John Gormley said that protecting green infrastructure was one of the most important steps planners could take to protect wildlife, but that Ireland faced "serious challenges" in this regard.
"There are many compelling reasons why we should treat our green infrastructure as a valuable asset," he said.
"Ireland faces serious challenges to conserve our biodiversity. Factors such as development, intensive agriculture, invasive alien species and, of course, climate change all pose serious threats to our biodiversity and the ecosystems it supports."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Councils risk being sued over 'excessive' zoning
LOCAL authorities will leave themselves open to huge compensation claims if they continue to inappropriately zone large tracts of land for development, a planning expert warned yesterday.
An Bord Pleanala has also accused lawyers of engaging in "courtroom histrionics" which delay planning hearings.
Speaking at the launch of the board's 2007 annual report, chairman John O'Connor said local authorities needed to maximise the return on expensive infrastructural investment.
"Indiscriminate and excessive zonings" many of which were "completely out of line" with national guidelines need to be curtailed, he said.
Local authorities which failed to act faced the likelihood of the planning appeals board overturning permission decisions, which could lead to compensation claims from developers.
The comments come after Environment Minister John Gormley earlier this year ordered local authorities in Monaghan, Mayo and Waterford to amend their development plans because they were not in line with national planning policies.
Councillors have criticised the move but yesterday Mr O'Connor warned that much development was not being carried out in an "orderly" manner.
"In dealing with planning appeals the board is constantly coming across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, and lighting," he said.
He added there was a high likelihood that "possible consequent compensation liabilities" would increase, warning councillors to expend less effort "on responding to special pleading for unsuitably located lands".
He also said development must take place where money has been invested in water treatment plants, public transport, roads and schools.
Shopping centres should be located in town centres.
Waste management facilities must be located in appropriate locations, and proposers must show how residual liquid and solid waste will be disposed of.
Too many nursing homes were proposed for rural locations outside of town centres.
Lawyers were delaying the process by engaging in "courtroom histrionics" during planning hearings.
"There is concern that some lawyers participating in hearings are engaging in courtroom histrionics which may be good for the odd headline but have no place in a planning hearing," Mr O'Connor said.
"While not denying that lawyers can make a valuable input to hearings, this conduct tends to prolong hearings unduly, distract from the real purpose of the hearing and can also hinder the inspector in getting to the root of the planning and environmental issues involved and reporting the facts to the board." The Bar Council and Law Society said it would not be appropriate to comment.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanala has also accused lawyers of engaging in "courtroom histrionics" which delay planning hearings.
Speaking at the launch of the board's 2007 annual report, chairman John O'Connor said local authorities needed to maximise the return on expensive infrastructural investment.
"Indiscriminate and excessive zonings" many of which were "completely out of line" with national guidelines need to be curtailed, he said.
Local authorities which failed to act faced the likelihood of the planning appeals board overturning permission decisions, which could lead to compensation claims from developers.
The comments come after Environment Minister John Gormley earlier this year ordered local authorities in Monaghan, Mayo and Waterford to amend their development plans because they were not in line with national planning policies.
Councillors have criticised the move but yesterday Mr O'Connor warned that much development was not being carried out in an "orderly" manner.
"In dealing with planning appeals the board is constantly coming across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, and lighting," he said.
He added there was a high likelihood that "possible consequent compensation liabilities" would increase, warning councillors to expend less effort "on responding to special pleading for unsuitably located lands".
He also said development must take place where money has been invested in water treatment plants, public transport, roads and schools.
Shopping centres should be located in town centres.
Waste management facilities must be located in appropriate locations, and proposers must show how residual liquid and solid waste will be disposed of.
Too many nursing homes were proposed for rural locations outside of town centres.
Lawyers were delaying the process by engaging in "courtroom histrionics" during planning hearings.
"There is concern that some lawyers participating in hearings are engaging in courtroom histrionics which may be good for the odd headline but have no place in a planning hearing," Mr O'Connor said.
"While not denying that lawyers can make a valuable input to hearings, this conduct tends to prolong hearings unduly, distract from the real purpose of the hearing and can also hinder the inspector in getting to the root of the planning and environmental issues involved and reporting the facts to the board." The Bar Council and Law Society said it would not be appropriate to comment.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Shell to Sea criticises forum as 'talking shop'
THE Government has directly intervened in the Corrib Gas dispute for the first time -- by setting up what critics say is a "talking shop".
It comes after more than six years of bitter protests in north Mayo, which have divided the local community, led to the jailing of five Rossport men for 94 days and resulted in an €11m bill for garda overtime.
Yesterday, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan and Community Minister Eamon O Cuiv said their community forum next month was designed to find a "way forward" so that vitally needed gas supplies could be brought ashore.
Mr Ryan said it would give the State greater energy security, help bring down gas prices and bring in €1.7bn in corporation taxes over the project's estimated 15-20 year lifespan.
The forum, chaired by former Department of Justice secretary general Joe Brosnan, will include representatives of government departments and will be open to both pro and anti-Corrib Gas field groups.
Although it will discuss ways of bringing more benefits to the north Mayo area, no specific extra funding has been committed by the Government or Shell. And the forum will be separate from the planning process, so the Corrib Gas field project can go ahead even if it fails to reach agreement.
Mr O Cuiv said he hoped the forum would help to heal the divisions in north Mayo.
But the announcement of the forum has already provoked a protest from the Shell to Sea group, which has led the opposition to the Corrib Gas field project.
Micheal O Seighin, who was one of the Rossport Five, said he feared it would be just a "talking shop".
Shell said it would participate wholeheartedly in the forum's work.
Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
It comes after more than six years of bitter protests in north Mayo, which have divided the local community, led to the jailing of five Rossport men for 94 days and resulted in an €11m bill for garda overtime.
Yesterday, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan and Community Minister Eamon O Cuiv said their community forum next month was designed to find a "way forward" so that vitally needed gas supplies could be brought ashore.
Mr Ryan said it would give the State greater energy security, help bring down gas prices and bring in €1.7bn in corporation taxes over the project's estimated 15-20 year lifespan.
The forum, chaired by former Department of Justice secretary general Joe Brosnan, will include representatives of government departments and will be open to both pro and anti-Corrib Gas field groups.
Although it will discuss ways of bringing more benefits to the north Mayo area, no specific extra funding has been committed by the Government or Shell. And the forum will be separate from the planning process, so the Corrib Gas field project can go ahead even if it fails to reach agreement.
Mr O Cuiv said he hoped the forum would help to heal the divisions in north Mayo.
But the announcement of the forum has already provoked a protest from the Shell to Sea group, which has led the opposition to the Corrib Gas field project.
Micheal O Seighin, who was one of the Rossport Five, said he feared it would be just a "talking shop".
Shell said it would participate wholeheartedly in the forum's work.
Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Compost plant granted by An Bord Pleanála
A NEW compost production plant which could create up to 30 jobs in north Tipperary has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála.
Acorn Recycling Ltd hopes to have the plant up-and-running by late 2009. It is a subsidiary of the Thurles-based environment company, Arlo Group.
The plant, which will process organised-base material at a seven-acre site, will be the largest of its kind in the country.
The state-of-the-art facility will be developed close to Ballybeg — near a Bord na Móna factory.
The company has spent the last two years preparing all the necessary environmental impact studies and submissions to North Tipperary County Council as part of a comprehensive planning process.
The site is surrounded by 60 acres of willow plantation.
The agri-environmental business will create in the region of 30 jobs for local operators, tradesmen, farmers and transport / logistics, with a yearly spend in the region of €6 million.
Rónán Beasley, managing director of Acorn Recycling, said: “We are extremely pleased to be given the go-ahead in relation to our composting facility and believe that it will bring significant benefits to the local community and neighbouring counties.
“I would like to thank the local community, North Tipperary County Council and our local elected representatives for their continuous support which has been essential.”
The facility, he said, will be in operation by October 2009.
The proposed facility will be located 3km from the new M8 and will be an essential piece of infrastructure enabling the region to meet its recycling objectives.
The organic based material will be processed into a high-quality product
Meanwhile, the Arlo Group has recently appointed Dungarvan-based Benny McCarthy as group financial director. The Co Waterford man is a commerce graduate of UCC. He previously worked as a commercial lending manager for Ulster Bank in Cork and was finance director of Flancare Group in Clonmel since 1999.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Acorn Recycling Ltd hopes to have the plant up-and-running by late 2009. It is a subsidiary of the Thurles-based environment company, Arlo Group.
The plant, which will process organised-base material at a seven-acre site, will be the largest of its kind in the country.
The state-of-the-art facility will be developed close to Ballybeg — near a Bord na Móna factory.
The company has spent the last two years preparing all the necessary environmental impact studies and submissions to North Tipperary County Council as part of a comprehensive planning process.
The site is surrounded by 60 acres of willow plantation.
The agri-environmental business will create in the region of 30 jobs for local operators, tradesmen, farmers and transport / logistics, with a yearly spend in the region of €6 million.
Rónán Beasley, managing director of Acorn Recycling, said: “We are extremely pleased to be given the go-ahead in relation to our composting facility and believe that it will bring significant benefits to the local community and neighbouring counties.
“I would like to thank the local community, North Tipperary County Council and our local elected representatives for their continuous support which has been essential.”
The facility, he said, will be in operation by October 2009.
The proposed facility will be located 3km from the new M8 and will be an essential piece of infrastructure enabling the region to meet its recycling objectives.
The organic based material will be processed into a high-quality product
Meanwhile, the Arlo Group has recently appointed Dungarvan-based Benny McCarthy as group financial director. The Co Waterford man is a commerce graduate of UCC. He previously worked as a commercial lending manager for Ulster Bank in Cork and was finance director of Flancare Group in Clonmel since 1999.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Councils zoning too far from services, say planners
LOCAL councils should not zone land for development which does not have access to public transport and services, the chair of the planning appeals board has warned.
Launching An Bord Pleanála’s 2007 annual report, John O’Connor said the board constantly comes across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, lighting and with no prospect of public transport. Many of the proposals are dependant on long-distance commuting by private transport.
“The idea that every place must get development, no matter how thinly spread, was never sustainable, but will be distinctly less sustainable in the future — either in the environmental or the economic sense.
“Major public investment in railways, roads, water supplies, waste water treatment and education facilities, must dictate where future development should be located.
“Development is necessary to ensure these investments yield best returns but these investments cannot be replicated everywhere and this must be reflected in development plan zonings,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the board also had concerns about the frequency with which decisions by local authorities do not reflect policies in their own development plans.
“The board can often be seen as a stronger defender of the development plan than the local authority who adopted it,” he said.
The board has also noted the inappropriate locations of some nursing home developments being appealed to it.
“Invariably, these have been refused by the board as it is considered that such facilities are best located within existing settlements where public services are available and where the occupants have some degree of access to shops and other amenities, or can walk up the street and encounter members of the local community,” Mr O’Connor said.
An Bord Pleanála has a backlog of about 1,000 cases before it and admitted that only one-in-four appeals received this year will be dealt with in the statutory time objective of 18 weeks.
At the end of last month, the board had 2,780 cases on hand, 250 less than the peak number of active files it had in March 2007.
It handled a record 6,700 cases last year but the 4,806 new cases it received in the first 10 months of 2008 is down 16% on the same period last year, although only 4% less than up to the end of October 2006.
The number of appeals relating to applications for 30 or more houses has fallen from 403 in the first three-quarters of 2007 year to just 297 in the same period this year.
Just under a third of local authority decisions appealed to An Bord Pleanála were reversed in 2007, while 29% of appeals by applicants who were refused permission were successful.
Fewer cases in which third parties appealed grants of permission by a council resulted in refusal by An Bord Pleanála, down to 37% from 43% in 2007.
The board said water resources are another constraint which must be considered in planning future development strategy and the long-term economic and environmental costs of pumping water or sewage over long distances will have to be factored into planning decisions.
* www.pleanala.ie
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Launching An Bord Pleanála’s 2007 annual report, John O’Connor said the board constantly comes across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, lighting and with no prospect of public transport. Many of the proposals are dependant on long-distance commuting by private transport.
“The idea that every place must get development, no matter how thinly spread, was never sustainable, but will be distinctly less sustainable in the future — either in the environmental or the economic sense.
“Major public investment in railways, roads, water supplies, waste water treatment and education facilities, must dictate where future development should be located.
“Development is necessary to ensure these investments yield best returns but these investments cannot be replicated everywhere and this must be reflected in development plan zonings,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the board also had concerns about the frequency with which decisions by local authorities do not reflect policies in their own development plans.
“The board can often be seen as a stronger defender of the development plan than the local authority who adopted it,” he said.
The board has also noted the inappropriate locations of some nursing home developments being appealed to it.
“Invariably, these have been refused by the board as it is considered that such facilities are best located within existing settlements where public services are available and where the occupants have some degree of access to shops and other amenities, or can walk up the street and encounter members of the local community,” Mr O’Connor said.
An Bord Pleanála has a backlog of about 1,000 cases before it and admitted that only one-in-four appeals received this year will be dealt with in the statutory time objective of 18 weeks.
At the end of last month, the board had 2,780 cases on hand, 250 less than the peak number of active files it had in March 2007.
It handled a record 6,700 cases last year but the 4,806 new cases it received in the first 10 months of 2008 is down 16% on the same period last year, although only 4% less than up to the end of October 2006.
The number of appeals relating to applications for 30 or more houses has fallen from 403 in the first three-quarters of 2007 year to just 297 in the same period this year.
Just under a third of local authority decisions appealed to An Bord Pleanála were reversed in 2007, while 29% of appeals by applicants who were refused permission were successful.
Fewer cases in which third parties appealed grants of permission by a council resulted in refusal by An Bord Pleanála, down to 37% from 43% in 2007.
The board said water resources are another constraint which must be considered in planning future development strategy and the long-term economic and environmental costs of pumping water or sewage over long distances will have to be factored into planning decisions.
* www.pleanala.ie
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Incinerator hearing may be 'inappropriate'
AN BORD Pleanála has said it may be "futile, inappropriate and wasteful of resources" to continue with an oral hearing into plans by College Proteins in Meath for an 8-megawatt biomass incinerator and ash landfill.
Last month a board inspector adjourned the hearing on its seventh day of evidence after it emerged that one of the fields the company had included as part of the development site did not belong to it.
The land in question was just over five acres and was earmarked as part of the landfill.
College Proteins has applied under the Strategic Infrastructure Act to the board for permission for the development on its existing site in Nobber, where it operates a rendering factory.
The letter said the board is of the preliminary view that the "appropriate procedure" would be to either refuse to deal with the application because it considers it to be inadequate and incomplete or to refuse to grant permission because of the company's lack of "adequate legal interest" in the site.
A spokesman for the board confirmed that the letter had been issued to the parties concerned, including those who had made observations to the board.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Last month a board inspector adjourned the hearing on its seventh day of evidence after it emerged that one of the fields the company had included as part of the development site did not belong to it.
The land in question was just over five acres and was earmarked as part of the landfill.
College Proteins has applied under the Strategic Infrastructure Act to the board for permission for the development on its existing site in Nobber, where it operates a rendering factory.
The letter said the board is of the preliminary view that the "appropriate procedure" would be to either refuse to deal with the application because it considers it to be inadequate and incomplete or to refuse to grant permission because of the company's lack of "adequate legal interest" in the site.
A spokesman for the board confirmed that the letter had been issued to the parties concerned, including those who had made observations to the board.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
'Undoubted mistakes' admitted
"UNDOUBTED MISTAKES" have been made with the Corrib gas project, including a failure to consult adequately with the local community at the outset, Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan has conceded. Had such consultation taken place at the outset, the project would not have reached the current stage of "chaotic development", he has said.
A "window of opportunity" has allowed the Government to step in and this is "not an initiative for its own sake", he told The Irish Times.
His Cabinet colleague, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív has also admitted to "mistakes", and has said that the new forum initiative aims to "obviate the need for deployment of gardaí in north Mayo".
The bill for Garda overtime to police the project has reached €11 million.
Late last month former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday criticised the "ugly" methods used by gardaí to control Corrib gas protesters.
Mr Ryan has confirmed that he met US pipeline expert Richard Kuprewicz in Dublin last month. Mr Kuprewicz, a pipeline accident investigator, is author of a critical report on the Corrib gas onshore pipeline for the former Centre for Public Inquiry.
Mr Ryan says he was "heartened" by Mr Kuprewicz's comments in relation to the value of dialogue, but says he cannot comment on the pipeline expert's recent advice on relocating the Corrib gas refinery.
In a report for Afri, the justice and peace organisation, this month Mr Kuprewicz said that Glinsk on the north Mayo coastline was a "vastly superior location option" on "health, safety and environmental" grounds than the existing location at Bellanaboy.
He said that "serious questions should be raised as to why this site was not evaluated when identifying site alternatives for possible consideration from the Corrib gas field". Shell EP Ireland has said that Glinsk is "not an option".
The Government will not revisit existing consents and permissions given to the project, Mr Ryan emphasised this week - although his own Green Party passed a motion last June stating that relocation of the Corrib gas refinery was the "only way to resolve the Corrib gas issue".
Mr Ryan says that he met this with a counter motion, agreed at national council level on September 27th last, which "encourages the Minister to continue to pursue a policy of open dialogue with all parties concerned".
The motion was tabled at national council level two days before Mr Ryan and Mr Ó Cuív travelled to Ballina to meet Mayo groups on the Corrib issue - the first such initiative since Government mediator Peter Cassells was appointed by former energy minister Noel Dempsey, with a limited mandate.
"I have been intimately aware and involved in the development of this project for many years," Mr Ryan said. However, he says his safety concerns were allayed by the Advantica safety review of the onshore pipeline, commissioned by Mr Dempsey.
"Now my position and that of the Government is that this project is good for Ireland," he said. North Mayo has significant energy potential beyond this project, he said.
"We've completed a study to build grid energy connection to the sea west of Belmullet. Also, there is huge wind energy potential. In my deliberations on this, it is clear that all sides never sat down together, the Government needed to intervene to provide leadership and facilitate healing and the benefits to the local community needed to be considered," Mr Ryan said.
The forum initiative is "worth a chance", Mr Ó Cuív said. "From a community point of view, it's an effort to bring the Government closer to the people in this situation. This is an effort to say we do care about everyday issues and life for the people who live here."
"Eamon Ryan brings a huge contribution to this - everyone would trust his bona fides and his credibility," Mr Ó Cuív added. The forum would "not be semi-detached", and would report regularly to the two Ministers, he emphasised.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
A "window of opportunity" has allowed the Government to step in and this is "not an initiative for its own sake", he told The Irish Times.
His Cabinet colleague, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív has also admitted to "mistakes", and has said that the new forum initiative aims to "obviate the need for deployment of gardaí in north Mayo".
The bill for Garda overtime to police the project has reached €11 million.
Late last month former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday criticised the "ugly" methods used by gardaí to control Corrib gas protesters.
Mr Ryan has confirmed that he met US pipeline expert Richard Kuprewicz in Dublin last month. Mr Kuprewicz, a pipeline accident investigator, is author of a critical report on the Corrib gas onshore pipeline for the former Centre for Public Inquiry.
Mr Ryan says he was "heartened" by Mr Kuprewicz's comments in relation to the value of dialogue, but says he cannot comment on the pipeline expert's recent advice on relocating the Corrib gas refinery.
In a report for Afri, the justice and peace organisation, this month Mr Kuprewicz said that Glinsk on the north Mayo coastline was a "vastly superior location option" on "health, safety and environmental" grounds than the existing location at Bellanaboy.
He said that "serious questions should be raised as to why this site was not evaluated when identifying site alternatives for possible consideration from the Corrib gas field". Shell EP Ireland has said that Glinsk is "not an option".
The Government will not revisit existing consents and permissions given to the project, Mr Ryan emphasised this week - although his own Green Party passed a motion last June stating that relocation of the Corrib gas refinery was the "only way to resolve the Corrib gas issue".
Mr Ryan says that he met this with a counter motion, agreed at national council level on September 27th last, which "encourages the Minister to continue to pursue a policy of open dialogue with all parties concerned".
The motion was tabled at national council level two days before Mr Ryan and Mr Ó Cuív travelled to Ballina to meet Mayo groups on the Corrib issue - the first such initiative since Government mediator Peter Cassells was appointed by former energy minister Noel Dempsey, with a limited mandate.
"I have been intimately aware and involved in the development of this project for many years," Mr Ryan said. However, he says his safety concerns were allayed by the Advantica safety review of the onshore pipeline, commissioned by Mr Dempsey.
"Now my position and that of the Government is that this project is good for Ireland," he said. North Mayo has significant energy potential beyond this project, he said.
"We've completed a study to build grid energy connection to the sea west of Belmullet. Also, there is huge wind energy potential. In my deliberations on this, it is clear that all sides never sat down together, the Government needed to intervene to provide leadership and facilitate healing and the benefits to the local community needed to be considered," Mr Ryan said.
The forum initiative is "worth a chance", Mr Ó Cuív said. "From a community point of view, it's an effort to bring the Government closer to the people in this situation. This is an effort to say we do care about everyday issues and life for the people who live here."
"Eamon Ryan brings a huge contribution to this - everyone would trust his bona fides and his credibility," Mr Ó Cuív added. The forum would "not be semi-detached", and would report regularly to the two Ministers, he emphasised.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
New forum on Corrib gas project set up
A NEW Government-backed initiative on the Corrib gas project expects to begin hearings "within the month", according to the two Ministers involved.
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív have appointed retired senior civil servant Joe Brosnan to chair a community forum, which has been given no specific time limit.
Mr Brosnan, who has said he will do his best to be an "honest broker", is a Kerry-born qualified barrister and former Department of Justice secretary general. He was chef de cabinet to former EU commissioner Pádraig Flynn from 1993 to 1999.
He is a former director-general of the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin, of which he is currently a vice-chairman. He was chair of a number of Law Society of Ireland taskforces, and is a member of the Independent Monitoring Commission for Northern Ireland.
The initiative follows discussions held by the two Ministers with groups in north Mayo in late September. It represents the first Government intervention since the appointment of former Irish Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Peter Cassells as a mediator in late 2005.
Shell EP Ireland, Corrib gas lead developer, has welcomed the move, while several north Mayo community groups have given it a cautious response.
Shell said that as "developers of the most significant infrastructural project ever undertaken in the Erris region, we look forward to participating wholeheartedly in the forum's work".
Pobal Chill Chomáin, the Erris community group which has filed complaints to the OECD and the European Commission on the project and is backing a compromise refinery location, said it appeared that "some effort is being made by Government to recognise that there are grave difficulties with the Corrib project to date".
John Monaghan, spokesman for Pobal Chill Chomáin, said: "Dialogue is vital, and there is a potential for a solution and a potential to perpetuate the mistakes. We'll need to see the terms of reference."
Shell to Sea spokeswoman Maura Harrington said that the group would "reflect and consult nationwide". She said that in 2004, she had called for an open forum that would include independent, internationally recognised witnesses and journalists.
Green Party Galway councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin, who travelled with Pobal Chill Chomáin to Norway to discuss the issue with Corrib gas partner Statoil, said he believed the "two Eamons" had the capacity to resolve the conflict.
Significantly, the Government forum will not revisit any consents or planning permissions already granted by the State, and it stops short of an independent review of the optimum development concept originally sought by leading community interests.
Speaking at Government Buildings yesterday, the two Ministers said Mr Brosnan would "engage with all relevant local community and interest groups from all sides", and Shell and "representatives of its local workforce" would be "invited to participate".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív have appointed retired senior civil servant Joe Brosnan to chair a community forum, which has been given no specific time limit.
Mr Brosnan, who has said he will do his best to be an "honest broker", is a Kerry-born qualified barrister and former Department of Justice secretary general. He was chef de cabinet to former EU commissioner Pádraig Flynn from 1993 to 1999.
He is a former director-general of the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin, of which he is currently a vice-chairman. He was chair of a number of Law Society of Ireland taskforces, and is a member of the Independent Monitoring Commission for Northern Ireland.
The initiative follows discussions held by the two Ministers with groups in north Mayo in late September. It represents the first Government intervention since the appointment of former Irish Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Peter Cassells as a mediator in late 2005.
Shell EP Ireland, Corrib gas lead developer, has welcomed the move, while several north Mayo community groups have given it a cautious response.
Shell said that as "developers of the most significant infrastructural project ever undertaken in the Erris region, we look forward to participating wholeheartedly in the forum's work".
Pobal Chill Chomáin, the Erris community group which has filed complaints to the OECD and the European Commission on the project and is backing a compromise refinery location, said it appeared that "some effort is being made by Government to recognise that there are grave difficulties with the Corrib project to date".
John Monaghan, spokesman for Pobal Chill Chomáin, said: "Dialogue is vital, and there is a potential for a solution and a potential to perpetuate the mistakes. We'll need to see the terms of reference."
Shell to Sea spokeswoman Maura Harrington said that the group would "reflect and consult nationwide". She said that in 2004, she had called for an open forum that would include independent, internationally recognised witnesses and journalists.
Green Party Galway councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin, who travelled with Pobal Chill Chomáin to Norway to discuss the issue with Corrib gas partner Statoil, said he believed the "two Eamons" had the capacity to resolve the conflict.
Significantly, the Government forum will not revisit any consents or planning permissions already granted by the State, and it stops short of an independent review of the optimum development concept originally sought by leading community interests.
Speaking at Government Buildings yesterday, the two Ministers said Mr Brosnan would "engage with all relevant local community and interest groups from all sides", and Shell and "representatives of its local workforce" would be "invited to participate".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Renovated RHA building a real work of art
PATRICK MURPHY, director of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), remembers breaking into its gallery on Dublin's Ely Place in the early 1980s when the building was a concrete hulk "just to look at the spaces inside because they were so great".
Property tycoon Matt Gallagher had agreed to build a new gallery for the RHA before his untimely death in 1974, but his son, Patrick Gallagher, an even bigger tycoon until his empire collapsed in 1982, used it as a storage area for building equipment.
It wasn't until 1988 that the building - designed by Raymond McGrath, principal architect at the Office of Public Works - was finally opened as the RHA Gallagher Gallery, having been finished by Arthur Gibney, a leading member of the academy.
It never worked, however. The main entrance was at its southern end, which didn't make much sense due to its location on a cul-de-sac and the use of a forecourt for car parking, so a more convenient entrance was created on the street frontage.
As a result, the internal circulation was confused. The principal gallery on the first floor was punctured by the main staircase, there was no clear route through the secondary galleries, no disabled access and no studio space where artists could work.
Six years ago, the RHA set up a committee chaired by Ron Bolger, principal of Ely Capital, to consider options to improve the academy's premises, including the possibility of demolishing it and starting again. On Mr Bolger's initiative, architects Henry J Lyons Partners were engaged to flesh out ideas such as adding a second main gallery on top of the existing one, but this option was ruled out at it would have cost some €29 million.
The RHA decided to renovate the building at a cost of €7.8 million. Much of this had to be raised from private sponsors as the Department of Arts put up only €1.25 million.
Its dull, brick-clad frontage to Ely Place has been given a makeover in Portuguese limestone and a new sign, with the gallery's name in stone, is set in a horizontal slit against a strip of green glass.
The recessed ground floor has been brought out nearly flush with the facade to make room for an attractive cafe - to be operated by the nearby Unicorn restaurant - and a specialist art bookshop by Noble and Beggarman.
Inside, there is a generous foyer with a concrete-framed reception desk. The old staircase is gone, replaced by a new one in a double- height atrium at the rear, also faced in limestone with a glass balustrade and stainless steel rails. Apart from the close-up view of a grim office block occupied by the Office of Public Works, this is a very attractive space overlooked by an internal window from the much-needed studios and teaching spaces that have been added to the rear roof of the building.
In the top-lit main gallery, there is no sign of the old staircase opening in its vast timber floor because the "patch" is invisible. It leads to the lesser galleries at this level, which are air-conditioned, and back to the ground floor via a second staircase.
"Although in static terms the galleries have not changed, in dynamic terms, they work in an entirely different way," said architect Des McMahon, an academy member who designed the acclaimed Hugh Lane extension.
"It was a most bizarre building in which spaces bled into each other," said project architect Finghín Curraoin. "What you see here is surgery: taking out pieces of structure such as the old staircase and stitching elements together to make it all work better."
The RHA, whose 2009 exhibition opens next Monday, must still raise a further €2 million to pay for the project. "It's not the greatest of times to be looking for money, but we believe that we've already accomplished a great deal," Mr Murphy said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Property tycoon Matt Gallagher had agreed to build a new gallery for the RHA before his untimely death in 1974, but his son, Patrick Gallagher, an even bigger tycoon until his empire collapsed in 1982, used it as a storage area for building equipment.
It wasn't until 1988 that the building - designed by Raymond McGrath, principal architect at the Office of Public Works - was finally opened as the RHA Gallagher Gallery, having been finished by Arthur Gibney, a leading member of the academy.
It never worked, however. The main entrance was at its southern end, which didn't make much sense due to its location on a cul-de-sac and the use of a forecourt for car parking, so a more convenient entrance was created on the street frontage.
As a result, the internal circulation was confused. The principal gallery on the first floor was punctured by the main staircase, there was no clear route through the secondary galleries, no disabled access and no studio space where artists could work.
Six years ago, the RHA set up a committee chaired by Ron Bolger, principal of Ely Capital, to consider options to improve the academy's premises, including the possibility of demolishing it and starting again. On Mr Bolger's initiative, architects Henry J Lyons Partners were engaged to flesh out ideas such as adding a second main gallery on top of the existing one, but this option was ruled out at it would have cost some €29 million.
The RHA decided to renovate the building at a cost of €7.8 million. Much of this had to be raised from private sponsors as the Department of Arts put up only €1.25 million.
Its dull, brick-clad frontage to Ely Place has been given a makeover in Portuguese limestone and a new sign, with the gallery's name in stone, is set in a horizontal slit against a strip of green glass.
The recessed ground floor has been brought out nearly flush with the facade to make room for an attractive cafe - to be operated by the nearby Unicorn restaurant - and a specialist art bookshop by Noble and Beggarman.
Inside, there is a generous foyer with a concrete-framed reception desk. The old staircase is gone, replaced by a new one in a double- height atrium at the rear, also faced in limestone with a glass balustrade and stainless steel rails. Apart from the close-up view of a grim office block occupied by the Office of Public Works, this is a very attractive space overlooked by an internal window from the much-needed studios and teaching spaces that have been added to the rear roof of the building.
In the top-lit main gallery, there is no sign of the old staircase opening in its vast timber floor because the "patch" is invisible. It leads to the lesser galleries at this level, which are air-conditioned, and back to the ground floor via a second staircase.
"Although in static terms the galleries have not changed, in dynamic terms, they work in an entirely different way," said architect Des McMahon, an academy member who designed the acclaimed Hugh Lane extension.
"It was a most bizarre building in which spaces bled into each other," said project architect Finghín Curraoin. "What you see here is surgery: taking out pieces of structure such as the old staircase and stitching elements together to make it all work better."
The RHA, whose 2009 exhibition opens next Monday, must still raise a further €2 million to pay for the project. "It's not the greatest of times to be looking for money, but we believe that we've already accomplished a great deal," Mr Murphy said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
'Excessive zonings' must be reversed
LOCAL AUTHORITIES will have to undo some of the "indiscriminate and excessive zonings" of land that are "now completely out of line with current imperatives", according to the chairman of An Bord Pleanála.
Speaking at the launch of its annual report yesterday, John O'Connor identified these imperatives as the economic downturn, climate change, energy costs, maximising return on infrastructural investment and avoiding "unnecessary sprawl" into agricultural land.
Referring to goings-on involving councillors zoning more and more land against planning advice, he said the appeals board would continue to refuse permission if the zonings were in conflict with national policies or regional planning guidelines.
In such cases local authorities could face massive compensation claims from developers. This should be taken into account by councillors when they rezoned land in response to "special pleadings by landowners and other vested interests".
"The idea that every place must get development, no matter how thinly spread, was never sustainable, but will be distinctly less sustainable in the future," he said. Local authorities needed to realise that investments in infrastructure "cannot be replicated everywhere".
In dealing with planning appeals, Mr O'Connor said the board "is constantly coming across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, lighting and with no prospect of public transport".
Welcoming the recent publication by the Minister for the Environment of draft planning guidelines on flood risk management, he said the board hoped that these would lead to fewer appeals against permissions granted in floodplains. Water resources were another constraint that had to be taken into account, he said. Already, some urban areas were having difficulties in sourcing drinking water and finding suitable water bodies in which to discharge treated sewage.
"This will mean tough decisions directing development to areas that don't have such constraints . . . The long-term economic and environmental costs of pumping water or sewage over long distances will have to be factored into planning."
Mr O'Connor said the board also had concerns about the number of decisions on individual schemes that did not reflect planning policies. The appeals board was often "a stronger defender of the development plan than the local authority who adopted it".
"This has serious implications for the credibility of the whole system . . . If councils are not seen to respect their own plans, developers and the general public are less likely to do so," he said. This applied, in particular, to local authorities approving out-of-town shopping centres even in defiance of their development plans. But despite some "patchy decisions", the 2000 retail planning guidelines had "served us well".
"There is an onus on planning authorities to protect town centres from being denuded of their retail function, to preserve the capacity of major road junctions, to ensure the local availability of retail services [and] to reduce reliance on private transport."
Mr O'Connor added that "there is a risk that the long-term price to the community of permitting huge megastores . . . outside our towns and cities could be much greater than any short-term gain in terms of grocery prices".
On the growing number of applications for nursing homes, he said some were being proposed for "singularly inappropriate" locations, notably "isolated greenfield sites remote from towns or villages, shops or services of any description". The proportion of local authority decisions reversed by the board in 2007 remained steady at 32 per cent.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Speaking at the launch of its annual report yesterday, John O'Connor identified these imperatives as the economic downturn, climate change, energy costs, maximising return on infrastructural investment and avoiding "unnecessary sprawl" into agricultural land.
Referring to goings-on involving councillors zoning more and more land against planning advice, he said the appeals board would continue to refuse permission if the zonings were in conflict with national policies or regional planning guidelines.
In such cases local authorities could face massive compensation claims from developers. This should be taken into account by councillors when they rezoned land in response to "special pleadings by landowners and other vested interests".
"The idea that every place must get development, no matter how thinly spread, was never sustainable, but will be distinctly less sustainable in the future," he said. Local authorities needed to realise that investments in infrastructure "cannot be replicated everywhere".
In dealing with planning appeals, Mr O'Connor said the board "is constantly coming across zoned sites that are too far removed from developed areas, too remote from public facilities such as piped services, footpaths, lighting and with no prospect of public transport".
Welcoming the recent publication by the Minister for the Environment of draft planning guidelines on flood risk management, he said the board hoped that these would lead to fewer appeals against permissions granted in floodplains. Water resources were another constraint that had to be taken into account, he said. Already, some urban areas were having difficulties in sourcing drinking water and finding suitable water bodies in which to discharge treated sewage.
"This will mean tough decisions directing development to areas that don't have such constraints . . . The long-term economic and environmental costs of pumping water or sewage over long distances will have to be factored into planning."
Mr O'Connor said the board also had concerns about the number of decisions on individual schemes that did not reflect planning policies. The appeals board was often "a stronger defender of the development plan than the local authority who adopted it".
"This has serious implications for the credibility of the whole system . . . If councils are not seen to respect their own plans, developers and the general public are less likely to do so," he said. This applied, in particular, to local authorities approving out-of-town shopping centres even in defiance of their development plans. But despite some "patchy decisions", the 2000 retail planning guidelines had "served us well".
"There is an onus on planning authorities to protect town centres from being denuded of their retail function, to preserve the capacity of major road junctions, to ensure the local availability of retail services [and] to reduce reliance on private transport."
Mr O'Connor added that "there is a risk that the long-term price to the community of permitting huge megastores . . . outside our towns and cities could be much greater than any short-term gain in terms of grocery prices".
On the growing number of applications for nursing homes, he said some were being proposed for "singularly inappropriate" locations, notably "isolated greenfield sites remote from towns or villages, shops or services of any description". The proportion of local authority decisions reversed by the board in 2007 remained steady at 32 per cent.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Bord rejects Liam Carroll's plan to replace D8 apartments with offices
AN BORD Pleanála has rejected a proposal by developer Liam Carroll of Zoe Developments to demolish a late-1990s apartment block and replace it with a six-storey office building on the corner of Island Street and Watling Street in Dublin 8.
Carroll built the New Maltings block of 47 apartments in 1998 and retained ownership, renting them out.
The block, which is mostly four-storey but has a fifth storey element at one corner, was built in the same complex as another earlier five-block apartment development called The Maltings, also developed by Carroll.
An Bord Pleanála ruled that the demolition of the apartments to build an office block would introduce "incompatible land use" and would overlook adjacent semi private open space for residents.
This overturns a Dublin City Council decision in April to approve the demolition saying the apartments provide "a very poor residential amenity with small units" and said it has "a significant number of north-facing apartments and poor private open space and storage facilities".
In an appeal to the board, a resident of The Maltings said the proposal runs counter to the objectives of Section 23 tax relief and that knocking an apartment block would set a precedent for other Section 23 developments "to consider a more commercially attractive office or retail use, to the potential detriment of residential communities". Section 23 reliefs on the apartments ran out in July.
The resident pointed to the Dublin City development plan which says that it is council policy to discourage the demolition of habitable houses "unless the streetscape, environmental and amenity considerations are satisfied and there is a net increase in the number of dwellings provided".
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said that due to the restricted size of the site, the six-storey development would be "visually intrusive" and would impact on the amenity of adjoining residents and would result in overdevelopment of the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Carroll built the New Maltings block of 47 apartments in 1998 and retained ownership, renting them out.
The block, which is mostly four-storey but has a fifth storey element at one corner, was built in the same complex as another earlier five-block apartment development called The Maltings, also developed by Carroll.
An Bord Pleanála ruled that the demolition of the apartments to build an office block would introduce "incompatible land use" and would overlook adjacent semi private open space for residents.
This overturns a Dublin City Council decision in April to approve the demolition saying the apartments provide "a very poor residential amenity with small units" and said it has "a significant number of north-facing apartments and poor private open space and storage facilities".
In an appeal to the board, a resident of The Maltings said the proposal runs counter to the objectives of Section 23 tax relief and that knocking an apartment block would set a precedent for other Section 23 developments "to consider a more commercially attractive office or retail use, to the potential detriment of residential communities". Section 23 reliefs on the apartments ran out in July.
The resident pointed to the Dublin City development plan which says that it is council policy to discourage the demolition of habitable houses "unless the streetscape, environmental and amenity considerations are satisfied and there is a net increase in the number of dwellings provided".
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said that due to the restricted size of the site, the six-storey development would be "visually intrusive" and would impact on the amenity of adjoining residents and would result in overdevelopment of the site.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tower near Hopstore rejected
AN BORD Pleanála has refused permission for a controversial scheme with a 12-storey tower beside the Guinness Hopstore in Dublin 8 because it doesn't respect views from the Gravity Bar "a significant tourist attraction".
Developer Frank Flynn was granted permission in March by Dublin City Council for 81 apartments in four blocks at the corner of Bellevue and School streets.
An Taisce appealed this saying it recognised the need for Digital Hub office space but that the proposal failed to address the board's reasons for refusal in October 2007 "in relation to tall elements, lack of provision of civic/public space and the relationship of the scheme to the surrounding area".
Part of the plan by Flynn's company, Linham Ltd, is for a 12-storey tower on the corner of Bellevue and School streets. It also included an 11-storey tower on School Street, a central nine-storey block, a six-storey block along Bellevue Street and a six-storey building parallel to School Street. The scheme would involve the demolition of St Catherine's School and part of a shed attached to the Hopstore. Retail space of 2,536sq m (27,297sq ft) and office space of 3,334sq m (35,887sq ft) will also be provided.
The board said its main concern was the location of the proposal, directly east of the Guinness Storehouse and Gravity Bar viewing platform.
In October 2007 the board rejected a similar scheme for 82 apartments, offices and retail space because the height would not respect the character of the area. At the time, it said that the scheme would have a negative impact on the residential amenity of the area and the Hopstore.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Developer Frank Flynn was granted permission in March by Dublin City Council for 81 apartments in four blocks at the corner of Bellevue and School streets.
An Taisce appealed this saying it recognised the need for Digital Hub office space but that the proposal failed to address the board's reasons for refusal in October 2007 "in relation to tall elements, lack of provision of civic/public space and the relationship of the scheme to the surrounding area".
Part of the plan by Flynn's company, Linham Ltd, is for a 12-storey tower on the corner of Bellevue and School streets. It also included an 11-storey tower on School Street, a central nine-storey block, a six-storey block along Bellevue Street and a six-storey building parallel to School Street. The scheme would involve the demolition of St Catherine's School and part of a shed attached to the Hopstore. Retail space of 2,536sq m (27,297sq ft) and office space of 3,334sq m (35,887sq ft) will also be provided.
The board said its main concern was the location of the proposal, directly east of the Guinness Storehouse and Gravity Bar viewing platform.
In October 2007 the board rejected a similar scheme for 82 apartments, offices and retail space because the height would not respect the character of the area. At the time, it said that the scheme would have a negative impact on the residential amenity of the area and the Hopstore.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Architects under pressure
When people are in trouble they tend to turn to someone with experience of a problem and so when a builder who has spent 48 years in the business, Kevin Kelly, spoke about the downturn in his acceptance speech for the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Bank of Ireland Opus Awards, assembled architects were all ears.
The downturn was not a surprise, he said: None of us expected the boom to continue but we were surprised at the suddenness, said the former MD of John Sisk and Son and chairman of Treasury Holdings.
Typically the building sector saw two to three years of growth followed by two to three fallow years, he said. The difference this time, then, was that the boom lasted for 15 years. "I think the good times will never come back to that degree," said Kelly. He implored the Government to follow through with the National Development Plan by borrowing. Many architects would agree, in a week in which staff cuts continued with one practice laying off 40 people. The cuts have now moved on from younger recruits and are now hitting the 30-somethings with mortgages and children.
The RIAI is being proactive in helping members - for instance in giving advice on how to set up a small practice - and is continuing its remit to promote architecture, not least through designating 2009 as the "Year of Architecture".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The downturn was not a surprise, he said: None of us expected the boom to continue but we were surprised at the suddenness, said the former MD of John Sisk and Son and chairman of Treasury Holdings.
Typically the building sector saw two to three years of growth followed by two to three fallow years, he said. The difference this time, then, was that the boom lasted for 15 years. "I think the good times will never come back to that degree," said Kelly. He implored the Government to follow through with the National Development Plan by borrowing. Many architects would agree, in a week in which staff cuts continued with one practice laying off 40 people. The cuts have now moved on from younger recruits and are now hitting the 30-somethings with mortgages and children.
The RIAI is being proactive in helping members - for instance in giving advice on how to set up a small practice - and is continuing its remit to promote architecture, not least through designating 2009 as the "Year of Architecture".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Geothermal energy could provide 15% of Dublin's heat
AS MUCH as 15 per cent of Dublin's hot water and heating could be provided by geothermal energy within the next five to seven years.
Early results of testing at Newcastle in southwest Dublin showed 10,000 homes in that area could benefit from a geothermal system extracting heat from 4,000m to 5,000m below ground.
Until now mainly shallow geothermal energy, available at depths of up to 150m, has been used in Ireland. This has been successful for one-off houses and single developments.
Speaking at the Geothermal Association of Ireland's annual conference in Kilkenny yesterday, geothermal contractor Pádraig Hanley said the Newcastle tests were exceeding expectations and indications were that similar systems across Dublin could be providing up to 15 per cent of the city's requirement for hot water and heat in five to seven years.
Hopes were also high that the energy may also be used to generate electricity.
The method of securing geothermal energy involves hot water being pumped to the earth's surface and circulated through a district heating system to each home or business within the locality. The water is then returned to the ground through another bore hole.
Mr Hanley said the final phase of test results from the Newcastle experiment would not be available until the end of this month. However, he said when available theywould "not only provide definitive information on the scale of the geothermal resource at Newcastle" but also enable estimates of the geothermal potential of the entire Dublin area.
Mr Hanley called on the Government "to expedite the legislation that is urgently needed to enable us to proceed to the next stage and the development of a geothermal plant. The sooner the legislation is in place, the sooner we can begin to roll out this cheaper, constant renewable source of energy to consumers".
News of the testing was welcomed by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan, who said the Government would "iron out" any difficulties in the way of renewable energy. He said geothermal energy "offers huge potential for Ireland to minimise our massive fossil fuel bill, where we unnecessarily send money abroad for energy we should be developing at home".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Early results of testing at Newcastle in southwest Dublin showed 10,000 homes in that area could benefit from a geothermal system extracting heat from 4,000m to 5,000m below ground.
Until now mainly shallow geothermal energy, available at depths of up to 150m, has been used in Ireland. This has been successful for one-off houses and single developments.
Speaking at the Geothermal Association of Ireland's annual conference in Kilkenny yesterday, geothermal contractor Pádraig Hanley said the Newcastle tests were exceeding expectations and indications were that similar systems across Dublin could be providing up to 15 per cent of the city's requirement for hot water and heat in five to seven years.
Hopes were also high that the energy may also be used to generate electricity.
The method of securing geothermal energy involves hot water being pumped to the earth's surface and circulated through a district heating system to each home or business within the locality. The water is then returned to the ground through another bore hole.
Mr Hanley said the final phase of test results from the Newcastle experiment would not be available until the end of this month. However, he said when available theywould "not only provide definitive information on the scale of the geothermal resource at Newcastle" but also enable estimates of the geothermal potential of the entire Dublin area.
Mr Hanley called on the Government "to expedite the legislation that is urgently needed to enable us to proceed to the next stage and the development of a geothermal plant. The sooner the legislation is in place, the sooner we can begin to roll out this cheaper, constant renewable source of energy to consumers".
News of the testing was welcomed by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan, who said the Government would "iron out" any difficulties in the way of renewable energy. He said geothermal energy "offers huge potential for Ireland to minimise our massive fossil fuel bill, where we unnecessarily send money abroad for energy we should be developing at home".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Row over joint ventures between developers
TWO of Ireland's leading developers have settled an acrimonious dispute over their joint property empire, once conservatively valued at up to €105m.
Yesterday, the High Court heard that the relationship between solicitor Ivor Fitzpatrick and retail tycoon Paddy McKillen, who built up substantial property assets here and in the UK, "sundered" after they ventured into non-property business together in Vietnam.
The case, which was set to last for four weeks, was finally resolved after mediation efforts led by developer Paschal Taggart and former Attorney General Dermot Gleeson, the High Court heard yesterday.
Talks
Lawyers for the two men retired for last-minute talks yesterday morning after some details of a confidential agreement reached between the parties in December 2006 were revealed to the court, and after it was confirmed to Mr Justice John MacMenamin that the High Court had jurisdiction to make a winding up order.
The case partly opened earlier yesterday, with counsel for Mr Fitzpatrick outlining several allegations by the solicitor about the handling by Mr McKillen and his company, Fountain Properties, and relating to various interests of a group of companies called Canton Caseys Ltd. Half an hour into yesterday's Commercial Court proceedings, which were expected to take four weeks, the case was adjourned for talks. In the afternoon, counsel for Mr Fitzpatrick said the case was settled and all claims and counter-claims had been resolved.
Dearbhail McDonald and Tim Healy
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Yesterday, the High Court heard that the relationship between solicitor Ivor Fitzpatrick and retail tycoon Paddy McKillen, who built up substantial property assets here and in the UK, "sundered" after they ventured into non-property business together in Vietnam.
The case, which was set to last for four weeks, was finally resolved after mediation efforts led by developer Paschal Taggart and former Attorney General Dermot Gleeson, the High Court heard yesterday.
Talks
Lawyers for the two men retired for last-minute talks yesterday morning after some details of a confidential agreement reached between the parties in December 2006 were revealed to the court, and after it was confirmed to Mr Justice John MacMenamin that the High Court had jurisdiction to make a winding up order.
The case partly opened earlier yesterday, with counsel for Mr Fitzpatrick outlining several allegations by the solicitor about the handling by Mr McKillen and his company, Fountain Properties, and relating to various interests of a group of companies called Canton Caseys Ltd. Half an hour into yesterday's Commercial Court proceedings, which were expected to take four weeks, the case was adjourned for talks. In the afternoon, counsel for Mr Fitzpatrick said the case was settled and all claims and counter-claims had been resolved.
Dearbhail McDonald and Tim Healy
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
City council pursues developers over failure to pay development contributions
DEVELOPERS OF 70 separate building schemes are facing legal action from Dublin City Council for their failure to pay development contributions levied as a condition of planning permission.
City manager John Tierney has told the Department of the Environment's local government auditor that the council has served 20 enforcement orders and sent 50 warning letters to developers who had failed to pay up.
Mr Tierney was responding to the auditor's report on the council's accounts for 2007. Principal auditor Richard Murphy found the council lacked a proper accounting system for dealing with development contributions.
Mr Murphy's report highlighted the money spent in relation to the five social housing regeneration schemes which Bernard McNamara was to build under Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the council. The council lost approximately €5 million following the collapse of the deals earlier this year, Mr Murphy found.
Developers of residential or commercial schemes, as a condition of planning permission, must pay a levy towards council costs of providing water, roads and sewerage for their developments. Levies are €13,908 per unit for residential projects and €132 per sq m for commercial or industrial schemes.
Mr Tierney told the auditor that the council is pursuing outstanding debts, and a new accounting system would be in use by the end of the year.
Mr Murphy said it remained unclear what the outcome of the PPP projects would be. He would review the council's progress on the matter in next year's audit.
Mr Tierney said council management has sought legal advice on how to avoid "over-exposure to one bidder" in the future.
With a cut of almost seven per cent in local government fund allocation to the council for 2009, development levies will become a crucial source of funding.
Ensuring developers paid up was essential, Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
City manager John Tierney has told the Department of the Environment's local government auditor that the council has served 20 enforcement orders and sent 50 warning letters to developers who had failed to pay up.
Mr Tierney was responding to the auditor's report on the council's accounts for 2007. Principal auditor Richard Murphy found the council lacked a proper accounting system for dealing with development contributions.
Mr Murphy's report highlighted the money spent in relation to the five social housing regeneration schemes which Bernard McNamara was to build under Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the council. The council lost approximately €5 million following the collapse of the deals earlier this year, Mr Murphy found.
Developers of residential or commercial schemes, as a condition of planning permission, must pay a levy towards council costs of providing water, roads and sewerage for their developments. Levies are €13,908 per unit for residential projects and €132 per sq m for commercial or industrial schemes.
Mr Tierney told the auditor that the council is pursuing outstanding debts, and a new accounting system would be in use by the end of the year.
Mr Murphy said it remained unclear what the outcome of the PPP projects would be. He would review the council's progress on the matter in next year's audit.
Mr Tierney said council management has sought legal advice on how to avoid "over-exposure to one bidder" in the future.
With a cut of almost seven per cent in local government fund allocation to the council for 2009, development levies will become a crucial source of funding.
Ensuring developers paid up was essential, Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Carlton site plan revised by developer
PLANS TO redevelop the Carlton cinema site on Dublin's O'Connell Street have been substantially revised by Chartered Land to meet concerns expressed by city council planners - particularly about a "park in the sky".
Responding to a request last June for further information on the €1.25 billion scheme, which would cover an area of more than five acres, the development company has reduced the overall height of several buildings and reorientated the proposed park.
As originally envisaged, this sloping park would have faced northeast on top of a building with a height of 50m. But under the revised plan, the building's height has been reduced to 35m and the park reorientated to face south.
There has been a corresponding reduction in the height at the corner of Henry and Moore streets, from an 11-storey tower to a four-storey building comparable in scale with Debenham's, although it would project outwards. In addition, a residential block on Parnell Street has been reduced in height from nine storeys to seven to address concerns raised by the planners and others about its potentially obtrusive impact on views from the Rotunda Hospital and Parnell Square.
High-level restaurants are to be relocated to ground level on the O'Connell Street and Moore Street frontages of the site. The number of restaurants proposed for Moore Street has been doubled with the aim of turning it into a "food destination" area.
But the principal revision by Dublin Central Architects - a partnership formed by BKD, Donnelly Turpin and McGarry Ní Eanaigh - involves turning around the rooftop park and providing a "grand civic staircase" (supplemented by lifts) leading up to it from Moore Street.
The apartment building on which it would be laid out has been reduced to a maximum height of eight storeys, so as to protect sightlines from O'Connell Street and preserve the existing parapet lines of buildings along the west side of the street. The proposed staircase would rise from a new public space at the rear of four buildings on Moore Street, which were designated as a national monument because of their link with the 1916 Rising. The character of this street would also be "reinforced".
Another significant change involves the splayed opening on to O'Connell Street which, at 35m, was regarded by the planners as too wide. Under the revised plan, it would be fronted by a "screen" of thin, paired columns topped by a flat canopy.
Michael McGarry of Dublin Central Architects said this contemporary portico was designed to maintain the continuity of the "wall" and was on a scale "echoing the great civic gestures, such as the GPO, that are part of the unique character of O'Connell Street". Dominic Deeny, chief executive of Chartered Land, said the latest plans "take full cognisance" of Dublin City Council's request for additional information and respect the council's development plan and its future intentions on density and height.
"We have also taken the opportunity to address many of the observations made by third parties. I believe we have been able to preserve the integrity of our overall plan, while looking at how we are treating the historic nature of the overall site."
It includes a total of 12 protected structures, including the art deco facade of the former Carlton cinema, which would be relocated 40m north of its current position to create a new public space off O'Connell Street that would be open day and night. The revised plans also see the preservation and restoration of the facades of numbers 43-45 O'Connell Street as well as the full conservation and restoration of number 42, which is the only original Georgian house on the street to survive intact.
Although parts of the site have been derelict for nearly 30 years, Mr Deeny said Chartered Land was "committed to delivering this scheme which will create a vibrant new urban quarter on O'Connell Street and reinstate it as the city's premier thoroughfare".
Subject to planning permission being granted, the scheme - called "Dublin Central" - would incorporate two new streets and three new squares under a "rainscreen" canopy as well as 69 apartments, 17 restaurants and more than 100 new retail outlets.
Chartered Land, controlled by low-profile developer Joe O'Reilly, is one of Ireland's leading commercial property firms. Its portfolio includes shopping centres in Dundrum and Swords and a half-share in the Ilac Centre on Moore Street.
It also developed the new five-storey block of offices and shops beside the Gaiety Theatre on South King Street and is building the 2,000-seat Grand Canal Theatre in Docklands and two adjoining office blocks, all designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Responding to a request last June for further information on the €1.25 billion scheme, which would cover an area of more than five acres, the development company has reduced the overall height of several buildings and reorientated the proposed park.
As originally envisaged, this sloping park would have faced northeast on top of a building with a height of 50m. But under the revised plan, the building's height has been reduced to 35m and the park reorientated to face south.
There has been a corresponding reduction in the height at the corner of Henry and Moore streets, from an 11-storey tower to a four-storey building comparable in scale with Debenham's, although it would project outwards. In addition, a residential block on Parnell Street has been reduced in height from nine storeys to seven to address concerns raised by the planners and others about its potentially obtrusive impact on views from the Rotunda Hospital and Parnell Square.
High-level restaurants are to be relocated to ground level on the O'Connell Street and Moore Street frontages of the site. The number of restaurants proposed for Moore Street has been doubled with the aim of turning it into a "food destination" area.
But the principal revision by Dublin Central Architects - a partnership formed by BKD, Donnelly Turpin and McGarry Ní Eanaigh - involves turning around the rooftop park and providing a "grand civic staircase" (supplemented by lifts) leading up to it from Moore Street.
The apartment building on which it would be laid out has been reduced to a maximum height of eight storeys, so as to protect sightlines from O'Connell Street and preserve the existing parapet lines of buildings along the west side of the street. The proposed staircase would rise from a new public space at the rear of four buildings on Moore Street, which were designated as a national monument because of their link with the 1916 Rising. The character of this street would also be "reinforced".
Another significant change involves the splayed opening on to O'Connell Street which, at 35m, was regarded by the planners as too wide. Under the revised plan, it would be fronted by a "screen" of thin, paired columns topped by a flat canopy.
Michael McGarry of Dublin Central Architects said this contemporary portico was designed to maintain the continuity of the "wall" and was on a scale "echoing the great civic gestures, such as the GPO, that are part of the unique character of O'Connell Street". Dominic Deeny, chief executive of Chartered Land, said the latest plans "take full cognisance" of Dublin City Council's request for additional information and respect the council's development plan and its future intentions on density and height.
"We have also taken the opportunity to address many of the observations made by third parties. I believe we have been able to preserve the integrity of our overall plan, while looking at how we are treating the historic nature of the overall site."
It includes a total of 12 protected structures, including the art deco facade of the former Carlton cinema, which would be relocated 40m north of its current position to create a new public space off O'Connell Street that would be open day and night. The revised plans also see the preservation and restoration of the facades of numbers 43-45 O'Connell Street as well as the full conservation and restoration of number 42, which is the only original Georgian house on the street to survive intact.
Although parts of the site have been derelict for nearly 30 years, Mr Deeny said Chartered Land was "committed to delivering this scheme which will create a vibrant new urban quarter on O'Connell Street and reinstate it as the city's premier thoroughfare".
Subject to planning permission being granted, the scheme - called "Dublin Central" - would incorporate two new streets and three new squares under a "rainscreen" canopy as well as 69 apartments, 17 restaurants and more than 100 new retail outlets.
Chartered Land, controlled by low-profile developer Joe O'Reilly, is one of Ireland's leading commercial property firms. Its portfolio includes shopping centres in Dundrum and Swords and a half-share in the Ilac Centre on Moore Street.
It also developed the new five-storey block of offices and shops beside the Gaiety Theatre on South King Street and is building the 2,000-seat Grand Canal Theatre in Docklands and two adjoining office blocks, all designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Limerick shopping centre plans refused
LIMERICK suffered another blow on the jobs front yesterday as it emerged that planning permission has been refused for a huge retail project with the potential to employ more than 800.
A plan to extend Coonagh Cross Shopping Centre at Ennis Road by more than 17,000 square metres has been knocked as the city faces up to 800 job losses at Dell and Flextronics.
Refusing planning, Limerick City Council said the proposed development would contravene the Limerick city centre strategy and create a traffic hazard.
Sean O’Sullivan of Chieftain Construction who have built the centre said: “We are dead in the water without this extension. We cannot lease or open the current built facility without positive planning for the West Mall. The retailers won’t operate in the as-built centre as it isn’t viable and does not have the critical mass to make it viable. No additional investment will be allowed by our banks and no jobs will be created without positive planning for the West Mall. That is a €150 million investment and development on the northside of Limerick permanently shelved.”
Chieftain estimate that 800 permanent jobs would have been created at Coonagh Cross and a further 1,000 would have been indirectly employed, had the project been given the go-ahead.
Cllr Kevin Kiely said he was at a loss as to why planning was refused for the West Mall extension.
He said: “We don’t halve a facility like the Crescent or Parkway shopping centres on the northside of the city. Because there’s only one tenant out there at the moment, Tesco, not as many people are going there as you’d like, but the owners were in negotiation with a second anchor tenant. They can’t offer them the same deal now that planning permission has been refused.
“I understand the council want to protect the city centre retailers, but developments like the Opera Centre and Arthur’s Quay are four or five years down the road.
“This is a greenfield site with parking and would have served somewhere in the region of 18,000 people.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
A plan to extend Coonagh Cross Shopping Centre at Ennis Road by more than 17,000 square metres has been knocked as the city faces up to 800 job losses at Dell and Flextronics.
Refusing planning, Limerick City Council said the proposed development would contravene the Limerick city centre strategy and create a traffic hazard.
Sean O’Sullivan of Chieftain Construction who have built the centre said: “We are dead in the water without this extension. We cannot lease or open the current built facility without positive planning for the West Mall. The retailers won’t operate in the as-built centre as it isn’t viable and does not have the critical mass to make it viable. No additional investment will be allowed by our banks and no jobs will be created without positive planning for the West Mall. That is a €150 million investment and development on the northside of Limerick permanently shelved.”
Chieftain estimate that 800 permanent jobs would have been created at Coonagh Cross and a further 1,000 would have been indirectly employed, had the project been given the go-ahead.
Cllr Kevin Kiely said he was at a loss as to why planning was refused for the West Mall extension.
He said: “We don’t halve a facility like the Crescent or Parkway shopping centres on the northside of the city. Because there’s only one tenant out there at the moment, Tesco, not as many people are going there as you’d like, but the owners were in negotiation with a second anchor tenant. They can’t offer them the same deal now that planning permission has been refused.
“I understand the council want to protect the city centre retailers, but developments like the Opera Centre and Arthur’s Quay are four or five years down the road.
“This is a greenfield site with parking and would have served somewhere in the region of 18,000 people.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Work begins on pedestrian bridge
Work has begun on a €1 million pedestrian bridge designed on the concept of a fishing rod. The bridge, planned to cross the river Moy in Ballina, Co Mayo, at the Ridgepool beat, has been funded by the Social and Economic Fund and is part of a plan to market Ballina as the salmon capital of Ireland.
The North Western Regional Fisheries Board had initially objected to the bridge on the grounds that casting fishing lines could endanger the public.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The North Western Regional Fisheries Board had initially objected to the bridge on the grounds that casting fishing lines could endanger the public.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Apartment balcony refusal upheld
AN BORD Pleanála has turned down plans to introduce balconies to a three-storey hotel apartment complex alongside the Killarney National Park, Co Kerry.
Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin had submitted that balconies had been allowed in several other hotel and guesthouse complexes in the area.
The 16 glass-fronted balconies were to be introduced to an annexe of private residential apartments, part of the Muckross Park Hotel complex, one of Killarney's oldest and most historic hotels.
Formerly part of the original Herbert estate, dating to the late 18th century, Muckross Park is a five-star hotel and spa and the precise area is zoned secondary special amenity. The apartments are separate from the hotel on the Mangerton road and are alongside the Blue Pool wood of the Killarney National Park.
An Taisce had submitted to the council the balcony feature was "a non-traditional feature" and was not desirable in a rural area.
Silvermire Ltd - Mr Cullen and Ms Lavin - appealed Kerry County Council's decision to refuse permission, saying they would have little visual impact and were necessary to improve private open space and a sit-out area for residents.
They referred to similar balconies at the nearby Lake Hotel, overlooking a prime special amenity area, a higher amenity zoning, of Lough Leane. They attached photographs of other guesthouses and hotels in the area with balconies or outside decking.
The council had felt property nearby would be devalued by the balconies and they were not part of the built heritage of the area.
An Bord Pleanála said their introduction would be "visually obtrusive and out of character with the area".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin had submitted that balconies had been allowed in several other hotel and guesthouse complexes in the area.
The 16 glass-fronted balconies were to be introduced to an annexe of private residential apartments, part of the Muckross Park Hotel complex, one of Killarney's oldest and most historic hotels.
Formerly part of the original Herbert estate, dating to the late 18th century, Muckross Park is a five-star hotel and spa and the precise area is zoned secondary special amenity. The apartments are separate from the hotel on the Mangerton road and are alongside the Blue Pool wood of the Killarney National Park.
An Taisce had submitted to the council the balcony feature was "a non-traditional feature" and was not desirable in a rural area.
Silvermire Ltd - Mr Cullen and Ms Lavin - appealed Kerry County Council's decision to refuse permission, saying they would have little visual impact and were necessary to improve private open space and a sit-out area for residents.
They referred to similar balconies at the nearby Lake Hotel, overlooking a prime special amenity area, a higher amenity zoning, of Lough Leane. They attached photographs of other guesthouses and hotels in the area with balconies or outside decking.
The council had felt property nearby would be devalued by the balconies and they were not part of the built heritage of the area.
An Bord Pleanála said their introduction would be "visually obtrusive and out of character with the area".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Drogheda stadium developer's bid for rezoning is setback
THE MEATH county manager has not recommended any change in the zoning of lands that developer Bill Doyle says he needs zoned for housing so he can fund the building of Drogheda United's proposed new stadium.
The draft plan for southern Drogheda, given to councillors yesterday afternoon, instead has the bulk of the land zoned for open space and identified for use as a regional park.
In a submission to the council, Mr Doyle, Drogheda United and other land owners asked for the lands at Bryanstown to be zoned for housing. Without this, Mr Doyle says the stadium is not financially viable, as the resultant house sales had been intended to fund the €35 million, 10,000-seat stadium and a retail park.
There has been controversy over the decision instead to zone lands near Mill Road in Drogheda for residential and other uses.
These lands were identified in a plan adopted by Louth, Meath and Drogheda local authorities last year as a strategic land reserve, and therefore were not to be developed for a number of years.
The Department of the Environment, in a strongly worded submission to the council on the draft plan, said: "It is not clear why the lands in the Mill Road/Marsh Road area is being zoned for residential and other purposes.
"The Planning Strategy for the Greater Drogheda Area (2007) designates this land as a strategic land reserve and it is not envisaged that it would be developed within any of the four phases identified in the planning strategy."
The report by Tom Dowling, the county manager, acknowledges that the planning strategy "primarily identifies the Bryanstown area for future expansion of the southern environs.
"However, in respect of identifying additional lands for residential development, the county development plan clearly places equal emphasis on the lands at Bryanstown and Mill Road."
While the strategy was a "key consideration", Mr Dowling said the council must "have regard" to the county development plan.
The submission by Mr Doyle and Drogheda United referred to an earlier framework plan which had earmarked the bulk of the lands in question for residential use. The councillors have six weeks to consider the draft plan before adopting it, either with or without any amendments.
The county manager, meanwhile, has taken on board a request from a group of landowners, including Shannon Homes, for a new road to be built that would link a new major road in Mill Road to Drogheda train station.
The submission was made by Boyne Grove Fruit Farms Ltd, Murphy Group and Shannon Homes (Drogheda) Ltd, and relates to lands they own - the majority in the Mill Road area.
In it, the group asks for the draft plan to be amended to include as a policy "the provision of a vehicular link and new eastern gateway" to the station.
Mr Dowling's report recommends the land-use zoning be amended "by including a specific objective to provide for a new minor distributor road from the proposed major distributor road in the Mill Road area to the McBride train station".
A similar request was made by developer Pat Neville, who said it would alleviate traffic congestion.
Last week, Cllr Brian Fitzgerald called for an official other than the county manager to consider the submissions, after Mr Dowling confirmed he had met Mr Doyle.
Mr Dowling said the submissions were examined by the consultants commissioned to prepare the plan. That was part of his role to advance economic development in the county, and he did meet individuals and groups interested in carrying out major investment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The draft plan for southern Drogheda, given to councillors yesterday afternoon, instead has the bulk of the land zoned for open space and identified for use as a regional park.
In a submission to the council, Mr Doyle, Drogheda United and other land owners asked for the lands at Bryanstown to be zoned for housing. Without this, Mr Doyle says the stadium is not financially viable, as the resultant house sales had been intended to fund the €35 million, 10,000-seat stadium and a retail park.
There has been controversy over the decision instead to zone lands near Mill Road in Drogheda for residential and other uses.
These lands were identified in a plan adopted by Louth, Meath and Drogheda local authorities last year as a strategic land reserve, and therefore were not to be developed for a number of years.
The Department of the Environment, in a strongly worded submission to the council on the draft plan, said: "It is not clear why the lands in the Mill Road/Marsh Road area is being zoned for residential and other purposes.
"The Planning Strategy for the Greater Drogheda Area (2007) designates this land as a strategic land reserve and it is not envisaged that it would be developed within any of the four phases identified in the planning strategy."
The report by Tom Dowling, the county manager, acknowledges that the planning strategy "primarily identifies the Bryanstown area for future expansion of the southern environs.
"However, in respect of identifying additional lands for residential development, the county development plan clearly places equal emphasis on the lands at Bryanstown and Mill Road."
While the strategy was a "key consideration", Mr Dowling said the council must "have regard" to the county development plan.
The submission by Mr Doyle and Drogheda United referred to an earlier framework plan which had earmarked the bulk of the lands in question for residential use. The councillors have six weeks to consider the draft plan before adopting it, either with or without any amendments.
The county manager, meanwhile, has taken on board a request from a group of landowners, including Shannon Homes, for a new road to be built that would link a new major road in Mill Road to Drogheda train station.
The submission was made by Boyne Grove Fruit Farms Ltd, Murphy Group and Shannon Homes (Drogheda) Ltd, and relates to lands they own - the majority in the Mill Road area.
In it, the group asks for the draft plan to be amended to include as a policy "the provision of a vehicular link and new eastern gateway" to the station.
Mr Dowling's report recommends the land-use zoning be amended "by including a specific objective to provide for a new minor distributor road from the proposed major distributor road in the Mill Road area to the McBride train station".
A similar request was made by developer Pat Neville, who said it would alleviate traffic congestion.
Last week, Cllr Brian Fitzgerald called for an official other than the county manager to consider the submissions, after Mr Dowling confirmed he had met Mr Doyle.
Mr Dowling said the submissions were examined by the consultants commissioned to prepare the plan. That was part of his role to advance economic development in the county, and he did meet individuals and groups interested in carrying out major investment.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Anti-infill plan for Dublin Bay endorsed
DUBLIN CITY councillors have endorsed council management's opposition to Dublin Port Company's plan to infill 21 hectares of Dublin Bay to expand its operations.
A critical report by assistant city manager Michael Stubbs was backed by councillors at their monthly meeting in Dublin City Hall last night. It will now be submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne told the meeting the proposed development would make the sustainability of the bay unmanageable. "It flies against our climate strategy," she said.
Cllr Deirdre Heaney (FF) said she was against the port company's application to An Bord Pleanála to reclaim the land on the grounds the application was "premature". Two Government reports on the matter were pending, she said. The option to relocate port operations to Bremore in north Co Dublin was "very, very viable".
Cllr Bronwen Maher (G) said the plan to infill could cause extra flooding around the city, while Cllr Gerry Breen (FG) said: "We ignore the advice of the Environmental Protection Agency at our peril." Meanwhile, Cllr Dermot Lacey (Lab) said the bay was "too precious" to allow "piecemeal" development to take place.
However, Cllr Dr Bill Tormey (FG) said he supported the port company's plan. He claimed the proposal to move port operations to Bremore was "in the never-never land" and a "fortune" had already been spent on the tunnel.
Councillors who are members of the Dublin Port Company board were obliged to declare their membership and withdraw from the meeting last night. They are Cllr Paddy Bourke (Lab), Cllr Tom Stafford (FF) and Cllr Kevin Humphreys (Lab).
In a statement issued yesterday, the port company insisted a 21-hectare expansion would "provide much needed additional capacity at Dublin Port which is of strategic importance to the Irish economy and Ireland's capital city". The company said the provision of deeper berths would enable the port to cater for larger vessels.
Dublin Port Company said it had completed an extensive planning application, which had been submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
A critical report by assistant city manager Michael Stubbs was backed by councillors at their monthly meeting in Dublin City Hall last night. It will now be submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne told the meeting the proposed development would make the sustainability of the bay unmanageable. "It flies against our climate strategy," she said.
Cllr Deirdre Heaney (FF) said she was against the port company's application to An Bord Pleanála to reclaim the land on the grounds the application was "premature". Two Government reports on the matter were pending, she said. The option to relocate port operations to Bremore in north Co Dublin was "very, very viable".
Cllr Bronwen Maher (G) said the plan to infill could cause extra flooding around the city, while Cllr Gerry Breen (FG) said: "We ignore the advice of the Environmental Protection Agency at our peril." Meanwhile, Cllr Dermot Lacey (Lab) said the bay was "too precious" to allow "piecemeal" development to take place.
However, Cllr Dr Bill Tormey (FG) said he supported the port company's plan. He claimed the proposal to move port operations to Bremore was "in the never-never land" and a "fortune" had already been spent on the tunnel.
Councillors who are members of the Dublin Port Company board were obliged to declare their membership and withdraw from the meeting last night. They are Cllr Paddy Bourke (Lab), Cllr Tom Stafford (FF) and Cllr Kevin Humphreys (Lab).
In a statement issued yesterday, the port company insisted a 21-hectare expansion would "provide much needed additional capacity at Dublin Port which is of strategic importance to the Irish economy and Ireland's capital city". The company said the provision of deeper berths would enable the port to cater for larger vessels.
Dublin Port Company said it had completed an extensive planning application, which had been submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dick Roche refused to object to Clarence Hotel plans
FORMER MINISTER for the environment Dick Roche rejected a strong recommendation from his department's heritage officers that it should object to plans for the redevelopment of Dublin's Clarence Hotel.
Documents released to The Irish Times show that Mr Roche decided that the department should not recommend a refusal by Dublin City Council, on the basis that the scheme by Foster + Partners would "represent a significant addition" to the city's architecture.
In a handwritten note, he said: "As a layman, the architectural proposals seem to me to have great merit" - even though they would involve demolishing all but the Wellington Quay facades of the hotel and adjoining buildings, all of which are protected structures.
A new eight-storey hotel containing 140 bedrooms - topped by an elliptical flying saucer-style roof - would rise up behind the retained façades. Only some elements of the interior would be salvaged, principally the Clarence's oak-panelled Octagon Bar.
Mr Roche dismissed the recommendation that an objection should be made on the basis that the proposed development would adversely affect historic buildings and views along the Liffey Quays, writing: "Surely what the dept is suggesting is a formula for stasis."
In an e-mail dated February 28th, 2007, Marc Ritchie of the department's architectural advisory unit wrote that "every aspect of the application is wrong" and he did not believe there was "any way in which the impact of the proposed design can be mitigated".
Documentation submitted by the Clarence Hotel Partnership (Bono and the Edge of U2 along with developer Paddy McKillen and financier Derek Quinlan) contained a "substantial amount of padding and waffle" about a "great new design" that would in time be seen as "iconic".
However Mr Ritchie warned Anne Marie Caulfield of the department's planning division that if a commercial development of the type proposed was granted on this basis, "it would provide a carte blanche for developers to demolish any protected structure" in the city.
His draft letter of objection described the proposal as "completely unacceptable in that it shows scant regard for the special interest of the individual protected structures on the site and utterly fails to recognise the historic and visual importance" of their setting.
"The application is for a development which is totally at odds with good conservation practice and will result in a new building that will completely overwhelm the surviving fragments of the protected structures and have a domineering presence" on the Liffey quays.
However, Mr Richie was forced to tone down this strong language in subsequent drafts - all of which still recommended refusal - after discussions with Ms Caulfield and Mary Moylan, then assistant secretary in charge of the department's planning division.
As the deadline for lodging an objection came and went, and the draft was further amended to the point where it became almost anodyne, Mr Ritchie sent an e-mail saying: "I am not able to stand over the report on the proposed Clarence Hotel redevelopment as redrafted" . He added: "I am disappointed that my report and recommendations as issued to DAU [development applications unit] and the minister's office on March 1st will not be issued and that so many of its recommendations and comments have been removed."
Three days after the deadline had passed, Mr Ritchie expressed concern about "the continuing delay by the department in submitting its recommendations to Dublin City Council". Colleague Freddie O'Dwyer agreed that this "should be done as a matter of urgency".
By then, the case had gone to the minister's office and according to a March 8th memo from his policy co-ordinator, Feargal Ó Coigligh, Mr Roche "carefully considered" the proposed development and decided that the department should not recommend a refusal.
"He accepts that the minimal intervention philosophy [in the department's architectural heritage guidelines] should be adhered to except in exceptional circumstances but that this high-quality, landmark proposal meets the criteria for departing from that view."
Just over a year later, when the department was requested by An Bord Pleanála to give its view, the architectural heritage unit was finally permitted to express its objections in a seven-page letter.
By then, John Gormley had taken over from Dick Roche. He approved the letter and also permitted Mr Ritchie to attend the oral hearing.
Last July, however, An Bord Pleanála granted permission.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Documents released to The Irish Times show that Mr Roche decided that the department should not recommend a refusal by Dublin City Council, on the basis that the scheme by Foster + Partners would "represent a significant addition" to the city's architecture.
In a handwritten note, he said: "As a layman, the architectural proposals seem to me to have great merit" - even though they would involve demolishing all but the Wellington Quay facades of the hotel and adjoining buildings, all of which are protected structures.
A new eight-storey hotel containing 140 bedrooms - topped by an elliptical flying saucer-style roof - would rise up behind the retained façades. Only some elements of the interior would be salvaged, principally the Clarence's oak-panelled Octagon Bar.
Mr Roche dismissed the recommendation that an objection should be made on the basis that the proposed development would adversely affect historic buildings and views along the Liffey Quays, writing: "Surely what the dept is suggesting is a formula for stasis."
In an e-mail dated February 28th, 2007, Marc Ritchie of the department's architectural advisory unit wrote that "every aspect of the application is wrong" and he did not believe there was "any way in which the impact of the proposed design can be mitigated".
Documentation submitted by the Clarence Hotel Partnership (Bono and the Edge of U2 along with developer Paddy McKillen and financier Derek Quinlan) contained a "substantial amount of padding and waffle" about a "great new design" that would in time be seen as "iconic".
However Mr Ritchie warned Anne Marie Caulfield of the department's planning division that if a commercial development of the type proposed was granted on this basis, "it would provide a carte blanche for developers to demolish any protected structure" in the city.
His draft letter of objection described the proposal as "completely unacceptable in that it shows scant regard for the special interest of the individual protected structures on the site and utterly fails to recognise the historic and visual importance" of their setting.
"The application is for a development which is totally at odds with good conservation practice and will result in a new building that will completely overwhelm the surviving fragments of the protected structures and have a domineering presence" on the Liffey quays.
However, Mr Richie was forced to tone down this strong language in subsequent drafts - all of which still recommended refusal - after discussions with Ms Caulfield and Mary Moylan, then assistant secretary in charge of the department's planning division.
As the deadline for lodging an objection came and went, and the draft was further amended to the point where it became almost anodyne, Mr Ritchie sent an e-mail saying: "I am not able to stand over the report on the proposed Clarence Hotel redevelopment as redrafted" . He added: "I am disappointed that my report and recommendations as issued to DAU [development applications unit] and the minister's office on March 1st will not be issued and that so many of its recommendations and comments have been removed."
Three days after the deadline had passed, Mr Ritchie expressed concern about "the continuing delay by the department in submitting its recommendations to Dublin City Council". Colleague Freddie O'Dwyer agreed that this "should be done as a matter of urgency".
By then, the case had gone to the minister's office and according to a March 8th memo from his policy co-ordinator, Feargal Ó Coigligh, Mr Roche "carefully considered" the proposed development and decided that the department should not recommend a refusal.
"He accepts that the minimal intervention philosophy [in the department's architectural heritage guidelines] should be adhered to except in exceptional circumstances but that this high-quality, landmark proposal meets the criteria for departing from that view."
Just over a year later, when the department was requested by An Bord Pleanála to give its view, the architectural heritage unit was finally permitted to express its objections in a seven-page letter.
By then, John Gormley had taken over from Dick Roche. He approved the letter and also permitted Mr Ritchie to attend the oral hearing.
Last July, however, An Bord Pleanála granted permission.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 3 November 2008
Hopes north Cork dig could reveal settlement dating to iron age
ONE of the potentially most exciting archaeological excavations ever undertaken in Co Cork is set to start early next year.
A site near Twopothouse, north of Mallow, is believed to be home to a wide variety of artifacts dating from the iron age up to medieval times.
Cork County Council has sought tenders for a large excavation and postponed a €3 million road realignment project to facilitate the dig. Council spokesman Aidan Weir said the local authority will delay work removing bends on the Twopothouse-Doneraile road to facilitate the project.
When preliminary work started in the area last March, archaeologists discovered what they believe to be the remains of a large medieval village.
Test trenches revealed corn-dying kilns, pottery and iron weaponry.
A bead made in Africa was also discovered at the site, which is believed to have prehistoric remnants.
Local historians are convinced the remains of a fort, church and houses exist in the area.
County archaeologist Catryn Power said the dig is potentially as exciting as when UCC Professor William O’Brien discovered what is believed to have been Cork’s first capital, near Innishannon.
The huge ringfort he discovered was estimated to be more than 3,200 years old.
“Archaeologists will be looking at a settlement which dates from prehistoric times up to possibly the 16th century. It is possible that an early Christian monastery existed in the Twopothouse area,” said Ms Power.
Nobody knows why the sizeable settlement ceased to exist in the 16th century, but archaeologists will be trying to find evidence of what happened.
“It could have been deserted for economic reasons, disease, or due to attack. The inhabitants may even have just have disbanded the settlement and become amalgamated with the Anglo-Norman families in the area, such as the Roches and the Synons,” said Ms Power.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
A site near Twopothouse, north of Mallow, is believed to be home to a wide variety of artifacts dating from the iron age up to medieval times.
Cork County Council has sought tenders for a large excavation and postponed a €3 million road realignment project to facilitate the dig. Council spokesman Aidan Weir said the local authority will delay work removing bends on the Twopothouse-Doneraile road to facilitate the project.
When preliminary work started in the area last March, archaeologists discovered what they believe to be the remains of a large medieval village.
Test trenches revealed corn-dying kilns, pottery and iron weaponry.
A bead made in Africa was also discovered at the site, which is believed to have prehistoric remnants.
Local historians are convinced the remains of a fort, church and houses exist in the area.
County archaeologist Catryn Power said the dig is potentially as exciting as when UCC Professor William O’Brien discovered what is believed to have been Cork’s first capital, near Innishannon.
The huge ringfort he discovered was estimated to be more than 3,200 years old.
“Archaeologists will be looking at a settlement which dates from prehistoric times up to possibly the 16th century. It is possible that an early Christian monastery existed in the Twopothouse area,” said Ms Power.
Nobody knows why the sizeable settlement ceased to exist in the 16th century, but archaeologists will be trying to find evidence of what happened.
“It could have been deserted for economic reasons, disease, or due to attack. The inhabitants may even have just have disbanded the settlement and become amalgamated with the Anglo-Norman families in the area, such as the Roches and the Synons,” said Ms Power.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
High rise plans for stations continue
IARNROD Eireann is to press ahead with plans to develop high-rise buildings at Connolly and Tara Street stations in Dublin, despite the economic downturn.
The company is to seek planning permission for buildings over 60 metres tall later this year, and in 2009, after Dublin City Council indicated that both sites were suitable for high-rise development.
Last week, An Bord Pleanala ruled that plans to redevelop Tara Street station, one of the country's busiest transport centres, were classed as strategic infrastructure, which meant they could be fast-tracked through the planning process.
Now the company plans to invest €125m building a 14-storey office tower above the tracks on the 0.3-acre site.
It is also developing a masterplan for Connolly Station which will see the air rights -- or the empty space above the tracks -- developed as offices and new homes. "It is our intention to lodge a planning application for Tara Street before the end of this year," a company spokesman said yesterday. "We're finalising the overall plan for Connolly, and we would intend to apply (for permission) next year."
Major increases in customer numbers have seen throughput in Tara Street grow to 10 million passengers a year, and further growth is expected as Transport 21 projects -- including the underground DART tunnel -- come on stream.
The Tara Street plan is being updated to take account of the growth in passenger numbers, and Iarnrod Eireann has already been granted permission for a 60.8-metre, 14-storey office tower above the station.
The permission included approval for a new 12-metre-high, €20m station concourse with 13,000 square metres of office accommodation above.
The main focus of the new design will be to provide an improved concourse area that will cater for up to 14,500 passengers per hour at peak times.
In addition, it is hoped that the revised design will provide for a similar area of office accommodation above in a landmark tower feature.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The company is to seek planning permission for buildings over 60 metres tall later this year, and in 2009, after Dublin City Council indicated that both sites were suitable for high-rise development.
Last week, An Bord Pleanala ruled that plans to redevelop Tara Street station, one of the country's busiest transport centres, were classed as strategic infrastructure, which meant they could be fast-tracked through the planning process.
Now the company plans to invest €125m building a 14-storey office tower above the tracks on the 0.3-acre site.
It is also developing a masterplan for Connolly Station which will see the air rights -- or the empty space above the tracks -- developed as offices and new homes. "It is our intention to lodge a planning application for Tara Street before the end of this year," a company spokesman said yesterday. "We're finalising the overall plan for Connolly, and we would intend to apply (for permission) next year."
Major increases in customer numbers have seen throughput in Tara Street grow to 10 million passengers a year, and further growth is expected as Transport 21 projects -- including the underground DART tunnel -- come on stream.
The Tara Street plan is being updated to take account of the growth in passenger numbers, and Iarnrod Eireann has already been granted permission for a 60.8-metre, 14-storey office tower above the station.
The permission included approval for a new 12-metre-high, €20m station concourse with 13,000 square metres of office accommodation above.
The main focus of the new design will be to provide an improved concourse area that will cater for up to 14,500 passengers per hour at peak times.
In addition, it is hoped that the revised design will provide for a similar area of office accommodation above in a landmark tower feature.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Artificial lake to supply Dublin's water?
An artificial Midlands lake district with the capability to store four months' water supply for Dublin is being considered under ambitious new plans.
The measure is among ten proposals put forward to tackle the capital's water shortage, which is expected to hit home in just 3 years' time.
A major report, seen by the Irish Independent, says that water pumped from the River Shannon could be stored in a 300-acre artificial lake created on Derrygreenagh Bog, close to Rochfortbridge.
It could become a major tourist attraction for the Midlands with boating, angling and water sports facilities.
The proposals come as city engineers say the capital's water supply is on a 'knife-edge' with the booming population placing extreme strain on existing supplies.
If investment is postponed, there will be water shortages by 2011, and by 2016 there will be a need for permanent water rationing, it warns.
Under the the plans before Dublin City Council, water would be extracted from the Shannon during times of flooding, resulting in little or no impact on water levels in the river.
The storage of water in the bogs is being strongly considered because it would allow excess water to be stored, and help prevent flooding during the winter months.
Other proposals being considered include desalination of sea water, extracting groundwater from Fingal and Kildare before treatment, and using the River Barrow to 'top up' existing supplies.
Up to 80pc of the drinking water required for the local authority areas covered by Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow comes from the River Liffey, with the remainder from Co Wicklow's Poulaphouca reservoir, and the rivers Dodder and Vartry, and some from groundwater sources.
By 2016, existing sources will not have the capability to cater for the city's needs. But the city's population is expected to increase by 500,000 by 2031.
Capacity
According to city engineer Tom Leahy: "Supply and demand is on a knife-edge. Other cities have 10-25pc spare capacity, Dublin has none. A heavy frost can result in the old cast-iron mains losing 5pc capacity overnight.
"With planned improvements, by 2011 we will have 1pc spare capacity."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The measure is among ten proposals put forward to tackle the capital's water shortage, which is expected to hit home in just 3 years' time.
A major report, seen by the Irish Independent, says that water pumped from the River Shannon could be stored in a 300-acre artificial lake created on Derrygreenagh Bog, close to Rochfortbridge.
It could become a major tourist attraction for the Midlands with boating, angling and water sports facilities.
The proposals come as city engineers say the capital's water supply is on a 'knife-edge' with the booming population placing extreme strain on existing supplies.
If investment is postponed, there will be water shortages by 2011, and by 2016 there will be a need for permanent water rationing, it warns.
Under the the plans before Dublin City Council, water would be extracted from the Shannon during times of flooding, resulting in little or no impact on water levels in the river.
The storage of water in the bogs is being strongly considered because it would allow excess water to be stored, and help prevent flooding during the winter months.
Other proposals being considered include desalination of sea water, extracting groundwater from Fingal and Kildare before treatment, and using the River Barrow to 'top up' existing supplies.
Up to 80pc of the drinking water required for the local authority areas covered by Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow comes from the River Liffey, with the remainder from Co Wicklow's Poulaphouca reservoir, and the rivers Dodder and Vartry, and some from groundwater sources.
By 2016, existing sources will not have the capability to cater for the city's needs. But the city's population is expected to increase by 500,000 by 2031.
Capacity
According to city engineer Tom Leahy: "Supply and demand is on a knife-edge. Other cities have 10-25pc spare capacity, Dublin has none. A heavy frost can result in the old cast-iron mains losing 5pc capacity overnight.
"With planned improvements, by 2011 we will have 1pc spare capacity."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Off-shore islands to ne powered by renewables
Offshore islands could be entirely powered by wind and wave energy in the future, it was claimed today.
The Government is to fund a feasibility study to investigate whether electricity, heat and transport needs can be be supplied by renewables.
A 12-month pilot project, which is jointly commissioned by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), is to focus on Inis Mor, Inis Meain and Inis Oirr.
The initiative will also investigate how the technologies may be extended to other offshore islands.
The Aran Islands currently rely largely on the mainland for their energy supply as electricity is supplied via undersea cables. Fuels for transport and heat must be delivered by ferry.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, who visits Inis Meain today with Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív to open a new environmentally sustainable harbour, said: “The development of an integrated wind and ocean-powered energy system could make the islands self-sufficient in terms of energy supply, would create jobs, boost tourism and could even provide models for improved use of natural resources for the whole island of Ireland.”
The Government-commissioned study will review current energy usage on the Aran Islands and estimate the accessible wind, wave and tidal resources.
It will also look at developing potential models of wind and ocean energy to produce green power at minimal cost.
The employment opportunities of each model and how they could be replicated to other offshore islands will also be studied.
“This is a huge, proactive step forward for the islands,” said Mr O Cuiv.
“This study, I believe, will be of significant interest to countries and communities across the world.
“Ireland has one of the strongest wind and ocean energy resources in Europe and we need to examine all the possible ways of making the best use of sustainable resources.
“A self-sustainable energy system would be of enormous benefit to the economy on the Aran Islands and could, indeed, provide an exemplary model for use around the country and beyond.”
Mr Ryan said Ireland’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels means that the state sends billions of euro out of the country unnecessarily.
“We also make ourselves more vulnerable to world events and volatile prices,” he said.
“Why send money and industry abroad when we can produce at home? Ireland and the Aran Islands are rich in the natural renewable resources of wind and ocean power.
“The islands can lead the way by producing their energy locally and securing the jobs of the future.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
The Government is to fund a feasibility study to investigate whether electricity, heat and transport needs can be be supplied by renewables.
A 12-month pilot project, which is jointly commissioned by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), is to focus on Inis Mor, Inis Meain and Inis Oirr.
The initiative will also investigate how the technologies may be extended to other offshore islands.
The Aran Islands currently rely largely on the mainland for their energy supply as electricity is supplied via undersea cables. Fuels for transport and heat must be delivered by ferry.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, who visits Inis Meain today with Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív to open a new environmentally sustainable harbour, said: “The development of an integrated wind and ocean-powered energy system could make the islands self-sufficient in terms of energy supply, would create jobs, boost tourism and could even provide models for improved use of natural resources for the whole island of Ireland.”
The Government-commissioned study will review current energy usage on the Aran Islands and estimate the accessible wind, wave and tidal resources.
It will also look at developing potential models of wind and ocean energy to produce green power at minimal cost.
The employment opportunities of each model and how they could be replicated to other offshore islands will also be studied.
“This is a huge, proactive step forward for the islands,” said Mr O Cuiv.
“This study, I believe, will be of significant interest to countries and communities across the world.
“Ireland has one of the strongest wind and ocean energy resources in Europe and we need to examine all the possible ways of making the best use of sustainable resources.
“A self-sustainable energy system would be of enormous benefit to the economy on the Aran Islands and could, indeed, provide an exemplary model for use around the country and beyond.”
Mr Ryan said Ireland’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels means that the state sends billions of euro out of the country unnecessarily.
“We also make ourselves more vulnerable to world events and volatile prices,” he said.
“Why send money and industry abroad when we can produce at home? Ireland and the Aran Islands are rich in the natural renewable resources of wind and ocean power.
“The islands can lead the way by producing their energy locally and securing the jobs of the future.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Dublin Docklands Development Authority had no choice but to defer U2 Tower plan
The decision to delay the U2 Tower development was really the only solution available to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA).
Last week it announced it has suspended negotiations on the development for up to 12 months to allow the property and financial markets to improve, although things are likely to be worse in the property markets by then.
As reported in this newspaper two weeks ago, the talks came close to collapse over the issue of a deposit. The Geranger consortium, which was selected as the provisional preferred bidder to design, construct and finance the U2 Tower and Britain Quay Building late last year, wanted the deposit to be refundable; the DDDA did not.
Geranger is made up of U2, Paddy McKillen and Seán Mulryan's Ballymore. Its Norman Foster-designed tower won the competition to develop the building despite the fact that its bid was below at least two others.
The suspension of negotiations means it will now be nine years at least since the project was mooted before it goes ahead. It also leaves open the possibility that it will have to be redesigned to cater for changed economic circumstances. The design that won the competition has already been altered, sources said.
Construction on the tower was due to begin this year and be completed by 2011 but now there is no knowing when ground will be broken.
Meanwhile, the DDDA has appointed Grant Thornton as its "organisational management consultants" following a tender process that commenced in June. The authority said it needed "to streamline its processes to ensure that its planning practices and protocols are characterised by maximum efficiency, best practices in stakeholder management, customer care and the utilisation of optimum technical processes" because it was significantly expanding its planning process "in both geographical area and the quantum of its operations". It follows the DDDA's decision to become involved in the future development of the South Wharf site at Ringsend. Grant Thornton will assess its current processes and procedures and then make recommendations.
The appointment is timely as the commercial court recently ruled that the DDDA acted outside its powers in granting "fast-track" permission for a €200m development on Dublin's north quays. Developer Seán Dunne had challenged the decision to grant Liam Carroll planning permission on the former Brooks Thomas site at North Wall Quay. The Spencer Dock Development Company has taken a similar case.
The DDDA told the commercial court two weeks ago it is not appealing the court decision but it remains to be seen if it includes the buildings under construction by Carroll in its new master plan.
"Feedback is being evaluated following the recent public consultation and amen- dments will be made before the final draft master plan is submitted to the minister for approval," said a DDDA spokeswoman.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Last week it announced it has suspended negotiations on the development for up to 12 months to allow the property and financial markets to improve, although things are likely to be worse in the property markets by then.
As reported in this newspaper two weeks ago, the talks came close to collapse over the issue of a deposit. The Geranger consortium, which was selected as the provisional preferred bidder to design, construct and finance the U2 Tower and Britain Quay Building late last year, wanted the deposit to be refundable; the DDDA did not.
Geranger is made up of U2, Paddy McKillen and Seán Mulryan's Ballymore. Its Norman Foster-designed tower won the competition to develop the building despite the fact that its bid was below at least two others.
The suspension of negotiations means it will now be nine years at least since the project was mooted before it goes ahead. It also leaves open the possibility that it will have to be redesigned to cater for changed economic circumstances. The design that won the competition has already been altered, sources said.
Construction on the tower was due to begin this year and be completed by 2011 but now there is no knowing when ground will be broken.
Meanwhile, the DDDA has appointed Grant Thornton as its "organisational management consultants" following a tender process that commenced in June. The authority said it needed "to streamline its processes to ensure that its planning practices and protocols are characterised by maximum efficiency, best practices in stakeholder management, customer care and the utilisation of optimum technical processes" because it was significantly expanding its planning process "in both geographical area and the quantum of its operations". It follows the DDDA's decision to become involved in the future development of the South Wharf site at Ringsend. Grant Thornton will assess its current processes and procedures and then make recommendations.
The appointment is timely as the commercial court recently ruled that the DDDA acted outside its powers in granting "fast-track" permission for a €200m development on Dublin's north quays. Developer Seán Dunne had challenged the decision to grant Liam Carroll planning permission on the former Brooks Thomas site at North Wall Quay. The Spencer Dock Development Company has taken a similar case.
The DDDA told the commercial court two weeks ago it is not appealing the court decision but it remains to be seen if it includes the buildings under construction by Carroll in its new master plan.
"Feedback is being evaluated following the recent public consultation and amen- dments will be made before the final draft master plan is submitted to the minister for approval," said a DDDA spokeswoman.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
O'Reilly using building licence to buy Moore St site
Dublin City Council is using a building licence agreement to sell developer Joe O'Reilly a building at 24-25 Moore Street for €12m.
Building licences have been used by some developers to avoid paying stamp duty upfront and legislation was brought in against them but a commencement order was never signed.
"Local Authority disposals of major development or urban renewal sites have traditionally been by means of building licence, agreement to lease and then grant of long term lease. In some instances, as in the present case, an option to purchase the fee is made available following the full completion of the entire development," said Declan Wallace, executive manager in Dublin City Council's economic development unit.
"The primary objective … is to ensure that development of the site, if ultimately approved by the planning authority or an Bord Pleanala, is completed in an efficient and timely manner. Title is transferred only when the development reaches a certain stage, for example to eaves level. In the circumstances pertaining, and particularly in the current difficult climate for developers, it would be wholly inappropriate to transfer title at an early stage in the process prior to certain building targets being achieved. Taxation liabilities and issues are dealt with as they arise, in accordance with the relevant legislation applying at that time."
Chartered Land said it had no comment
The building will form part of O'Reilly's €1.25bn Dublin Central scheme for which he is currently seeking planning permission using his company Chartered Land. The scheme includes plans for 110 shops, 17 restaurants and 108 residential units.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Building licences have been used by some developers to avoid paying stamp duty upfront and legislation was brought in against them but a commencement order was never signed.
"Local Authority disposals of major development or urban renewal sites have traditionally been by means of building licence, agreement to lease and then grant of long term lease. In some instances, as in the present case, an option to purchase the fee is made available following the full completion of the entire development," said Declan Wallace, executive manager in Dublin City Council's economic development unit.
"The primary objective … is to ensure that development of the site, if ultimately approved by the planning authority or an Bord Pleanala, is completed in an efficient and timely manner. Title is transferred only when the development reaches a certain stage, for example to eaves level. In the circumstances pertaining, and particularly in the current difficult climate for developers, it would be wholly inappropriate to transfer title at an early stage in the process prior to certain building targets being achieved. Taxation liabilities and issues are dealt with as they arise, in accordance with the relevant legislation applying at that time."
Chartered Land said it had no comment
The building will form part of O'Reilly's €1.25bn Dublin Central scheme for which he is currently seeking planning permission using his company Chartered Land. The scheme includes plans for 110 shops, 17 restaurants and 108 residential units.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Google office extension refusal a blow to Carroll
Property developer Liam Carroll has suffered a significant blow with planners blocking a major expansion of the building he owns which houses the Irish headquarters of Google.
Carroll has been told he cannot extend the Google office block in Dublin 4 by 5,000 square metres. An Bord Pleanala ruled against the extension last week.
"I am not convinced that there is an overriding need for an extension of the office building or that the extension will cater for all, future or proposed expansion of Google in the area and consider that future office requirements can be satisfactorily catered for by the existing and proposed office developments in the immediate area of the existing offices," wrote planner Jenny Kelly.
Carroll, who has been selling off stakes he held in a number of companies, has been told by the appeals board that the proposed extension "would seriously injure the residential and visual amenities of the area, would depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."
A report by Reid Associates for Carroll had claimed that Google was looking to double its workforce to 3,000 employees. However, Google did not supply any documentation supporting that claim.
Carroll has been told he cannot extend the Google office block in Dublin 4 by 5,000 square metres. An Bord Pleanala ruled against the extension last week.
"I am not convinced that there is an overriding need for an extension of the office building or that the extension will cater for all, future or proposed expansion of Google in the area and consider that future office requirements can be satisfactorily catered for by the existing and proposed office developments in the immediate area of the existing offices," wrote planner Jenny Kelly.
Carroll, who has been selling off stakes he held in a number of companies, has been told by the appeals board that the proposed extension "would seriously injure the residential and visual amenities of the area, would depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."
A report by Reid Associates for Carroll had claimed that Google was looking to double its workforce to 3,000 employees. However, Google did not supply any documentation supporting that claim.