Monday 2 February 2009

Council planners face grilling on Dunne plan

DUBLIN City councillors will tonight demand an explanation from city bosses as to why most of Sean Dunne's controversial €1.5bn development in Dublin 4 was approved by planners last year, only to be thrown out by An Bord Pleanala.

Fine Gael will table an emergency motion at the monthly council meeting where officials will be asked to justify why it felt the project was appropriate for Ballsbridge and why it ignored planning guidelines in the city development plan.

Last Friday the planning appeals board held that the 10-block development on the former Jury's Berkeley Court site would amount to "gross overdevelopment".

Ballsbridge residents called for the council to be investigated over its handling of the proposal as it refused permission for the 37-storey tower and one office block, but did approve most of the €1.5bn project.

Last night Fine Gael group leader Cllr Gerry Breen said the decision questioned the professionalism of the council and management team.

Irish Independent

www.buckplanning.ie

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