KBC Ireland seizes prime Dun Laoghaire site

A prime Dublin site controlled by Richard Murphy, the owner of DVD retailer Chartbusters, has been seized by KBC Ireland. The bank, formerly IIB Bank, took control of the site in Dun Laoghaire last week in an effort to secure a multi-million loan it had advanced to Murphy. The bank appointed Grant Thornton insolvency partner Michael McAteer as receiver over the assets of BW Properties, which is controlled by Murphy and has a 25year leasehold interest on the site. The site is on Rochestown Avenue and was valued at €8 million in 2005. It is currently leased to Joe Duffy Motors.

The car dealership is not affected by the receivership and continues to trade from the premises. BW Properties is ultimately owned by a company Lorstan, which is also controlled by Murphy. Lorstan has freehold title to the site, which it leases to BW Properties.

However, Lorstan has been dissolved, prompting KBC to close in on its trading subsidiary. KBC has charges registered against the assets of both companies, according to filings with the Companies Registration Office. Chartbusters, which has 37 outlets around the country, recently went into examinership after amassing debts of about €20 million.

The examiner, Dublin accountant Neil Hughes, will brief staff in the coming days about his plans for the business. It is expected that more than ten outlets will be shut down immediately, as Hughes seeks to curb costs and turn around the business.

Sunday Business Post

www.buckplanning.ie

Soccer club plan sparks pitch battle with residents

A BATTLE between a soccer club and residents of an affluent suburb in south Co Dublin over proposals for the development of an all-weather pitch has left Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in a legal quandary.

Some residents claim that despite its name, members, officials and supporters of the soccer club "are mainly" from outside Mount Merrion.

Now the local council has received separate threats of court action from residents in Glenabbey Road, Mount Merrion, on the one side and the Mount Merrion Youths Football Club on the other, over the all-weather soccer pitch at Deerpark, Mount Merrion.

The all-weather floodlit soccer pitch is the most contentious part of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council's plan for the 33-acre park. Plans were given the go-ahead by councillors at a Dundrum area committee meeting of the council, last March. Almost immediately individual residents of Glenabbey Road sent solicitor's letters to the council threatening legalaction.

The council then decided it would be wiser to complete a Part 8 public consultation process before proceeding further. But then the football club reacted by threatening legal action unless the plan went ahead.

"We don't want legal action, we just want the pitch to be delivered," said club spokesman Dennis Guilfoyle.

Cllr Gearoid O'Keeffe (Ind) criticised the council's handling of the matter. Local councillors were not properly briefed, he said.

He also defended the soccer club, saying "prominent members" of the club came from the area.

Sunday Independent

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council: A Study of Building Height

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council: A Study of Building Height

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is to seek advice on a strategic approach to building height across the County.

The Green Party say:

The terms of reference for this study appear not to have been brought before the Council for consideration prior to the initiating this study. Given the influence of the DEGW Report ‘Managing Intensification and Change A Strategy for Dublin Building Height’ over significant decisions on considering Planning Applications for taller Buildings in Dublin City it would have benefited to have an input from elected representatives prior to commissioning the Study.

The Study should be brought before the Council in draft form prior to completion. The Council should then consider amending or varying the County Development Plan to reflect the views of the Council on the Study’s recommendations.

The move towards higher density development is welcome, but such development needs to provide clear benefits for the existing population as well as the occupants of the buildings themselves.

There is significant concern amongst the population of the County concerning recent Planning Applications for tall buildings. Many define tall buildings as being structures only one story higher than the existing buildings in that area.

Taller buildings raise significant concerns about infrastructure, particularly transportation. Without a significant investment in public transportation, tall buildings will place significant pressure on the existing environment.

Significantly tall buildings would need to be of exemplary and outstanding design quality to merit consideration. Tall buildings, particularly those with office use can become ‘vertical cul-de-sacs’ that add little to the social fabric of the areas where they are located.

Tall buildings may also present environmental difficulties as they generally intensify wind speeds at ground floor level, and thus present difficulties that are exacerbated for children, older persons, or those with mobility impairments.

Taller buildings should be placed so as not too significantly overshadow or overlook existing buildings. As moves to maximise solar energy through the use of exterior water panels or other devices increases, the placing of taller buildings may reduce the light and potential energy capture of existing or other buildings.

A proposal for significantly taller buildings require carefully consideration in existing residential areas, as such buildings can reduce the amenity value to existing residents.

Any proposal to allow for significantly taller buildings should be considered in conjunction with other Dublin Local Authorities, and a coherent master-plan for any such buildings should be prepared to reflect the views of all communities in the greater Dublin Area.

Taller buildings should only be considered for locations that have excellent availability of public transport and will need to demonstrate that the users will favour public transport, walking or bikes for their mobility requirements.

Any proposal for taller buildings should favour mixed-use development.

The Study may seek to establish minimum and maximum building densities and / or height is particular areas.

Getting the balance right is a challenge for the County. While conceding that many existing settlements are built at low densities (such as the one and two story developments and surface car-park in Stillorgan) there is widespread concern at the emergence of Planning Applications for buildings that are ten stories high or more in such locations.

There is significant scope for increasing building densities through good design, rather than through maximising building heights.