Housing crisis: 500 homes opposed over ‘concerns for geese’
Yet minister orders council in commuter belt to zone land
THE head of the biggest council in the country is opposing the building of 500 homes in Dublin city.
Yet the Government is ordering a county in the commuter belt to zone more housing for development.
Despite the massive housing crisis in the capital, Dublin City Council chief executive Owen Keegan is opposing a planning application for a major development to An Bord Pleanála.
The land on the northside of the city adjoins a major park and building is opposed locally.
Among the primary reasons for Mr Keegan’s opposition is the development in Raheny is its current zoned for institutional use. And there is significant reference in the chief executive’s report to the impact on Brent geese: the lands are regarded as the most important site in Dublin, outside of their natural habitat, for this protected species.
Yet in Kildare, the Department of Housing is telling the council to zone more land.
Meanwhile, a leading bank has kicked off a new round of mortgage wars with cuts to its fixed mortgage rates. Ulster Bank has ramped up pressure on its rivals by reducing its fiveyear fixed rates and by making it easier to qualify for its fouryear rate of 2.6pc.
THE head of Dublin City Council is opposing the building of 500 new homes in the city.
Despite the massive housing shortage in the capital, council chief executive Owen Keegan has recommended that An Bord Pleanála (ABP) refuse the application by Crekav Trading for the project at St Paul’s College in Raheny.
The development, which is adjacent to St Anne’s Park, is now in serious doubt, the Irish Independent can reveal.
The plans have already faced strong opposition from locals who say it would mean the loss of sports pitches used by local clubs.
In his submission to ABP, which is due to make a decision next month, Mr Keegan said the application did not comply with the current zoning of the land for institutional use.
“The proposed development is not considered to be consistent with the Dublin Development Plan 2016-2022 and with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,” he said.
In his chief executive’s report submitted to ABP two weeks ago, one of the key reasons for objecting to the development was the impact it would have on Brent geese.
The St Paul’s lands are regarded as the most important site in the Dublin area, outside of their natural habitat, for this protected species.
The report says: “It has not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the planning authority that the St Paul’s lands can be developed without having an adverse impact on Brent geese due to the loss of habitat.”
Running to 28 pages, the report considered the development’s impact on the environment, traffic and amenity of the area.
It listed almost 180 individual key planning issues raised in observations submitted on the application. These ranged from procedural issues relating to drawings to the ejection of Clontarf FC from the grounds.
Mr Keegan’s report was not opposed in principle to the building of a high density residential development on part of the St Paul’s lands, “subject to the satisfactory resolution of the zoning objective and biodiversity issues”. However, it ultimately calls on ABP to refuse permission for the development.
The report has been hailed as a victory for opponents of the development.
It came after they secured 3,000 signatures on a petition to Mr Keegan to make a submission that reflected the opposition to the plan.
Labour Party senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who has helped spearhead local resistance, said the submission made it very hard for ABP to grant permission. “I’m not surprised that he has done that, but I am encouraged,” he said.
The developer submitted the application under a fast-track planning scheme, which meant it went straight to ABP, rather than through the local council.
“Because of what Owen Keegan has done, it shows that if this application had gone through Dublin City Council, it wouldn’t have got permission,” he said.
Crekav Trading says it intends to replace the pitches on the land with a gym and two outdoor, all-weather pitches.