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| Sean Dunne, Managing Director, Mountbrook Group; Joan O�Connor, Project Manager and Ulrik Raysse, Henning Larsen Architects.
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An Bord Pleanála has refused developer Sean Dunne’s application for permission to develop on the Jurys Hotel/Berkeley Court hotel sites saying it would represent "gross overdevelopment" in the area. However, every significant Irish development triggers a huge reaction from NIMBIES (NIMBY - Not-in My-Backyard_Syndrome) and they invariably have a veto on high-rise developments, which results in urban sprawl and the most expensive housing in the world.
Dunne paid €379 million for the Jurys and Berkeley Court hotels sites in Ballsbridge in 2005.
He had sought permission for residential, retail and office development on the seven-acre site of the former Jurys and Berkeley Court hotels.
The landmark of the development was to be a 37-storey tower.
The city council had granted permission for most of Dunne's development last March but refused permission for the 28,000sq m of offices proposed and the 37-storey 136-metre tower. Dunne appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Rejecting the appeal this morning, An Bord Pleanála said: "It is considered that the proposed development, by reason of its scale, massing and height (notwithstanding the high quality of the architectural treatment of the individual buildings), would constitute gross overdevelopment and over-intensification of use of the site, would be highly obtrusive, would seriously injure the visual amenity of the area and would constitute an inappropriate design response to the existing context of the site, making a radical change in the urban form of the area, at odds with the established character of Ballsbridge."
An Bord Pleanála said the plan would have a significant adverse impact on the streetscape and on the setting and amenity of existing buildings in the vicinity. It also said it was not satisfied that the development "would bring about a high quality environment for future occupants."
The board also said proposals to develop a massive underground shopping centre would divert retail investment and activity away from areas designated for such use, including the city centre - - this approach usually is in response to fears of competition from existing retailers and illustrates the Ireland where vested interests can restrict competition.
The planning board said it was not satisfied that the proposed development would bring about a high-quality environment for future occupants in areas including wind turbulence, availability of daylight and penetration of sunlight.
Residents call for investigation of City Council
Ballsbridge residents have called for Dublin City Council to be investigated over its handling of the high rise development proposals.
Eighteen residents groups issued a statement welcoming the decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for proposal, but have questioned why council planning officials were willing to give it the go-ahead.
Although Dublin City Council refused planning permission for the proposed 37-storey tower it did grant permission for a high-density residential and shopping development.
This would have involved six blocks ranging from nine to 18 storeys as well as an underground shopping centre.
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála ruled this was contrary to the city's development plan and inappropriate for the area.
Now local residents want the Minister for the Environment to investigate council planners for what they say was a blatant disregard of proper planning.
The statement added that "inconsistencies in planning decisions and flexibility in relation to the rules have added fuel to the speculation in land prices and have led to incoherent development, both of which have played a significant part in contributing to the current economic crisis."
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| The planned One Berkeley Court Tower
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Finfacts Comment: Calls for the investigation of the planners in an Irish context, would effectively mean that they would end up as prisoners of either developers or NIMBIES - - and the NIMBIES, usually a residents association, invariably opposing a new development, can usually be bought off with some free amenity, It's an Irish version of a shakedown.
In the 1960's two "skyscraper" office developments were built in Ireland - Liberty Hall in Dublin and the County Hall in Cork. Also in the sixties, the building of a series of high rise blocks in Ballymun, North Dublin, were seen as a solution to a public housing crisis.
The experience at Ballymun - public housing for young families with limited or no amenities - where no one had a personal stake in their units, has led to what can be termed "Ballymun Syndrome."
High-rise buildings have become a taboo in Ireland and apart from Ballymun, the process has been aided by a ramschackle/corrupt planning system and the power of Nimbies (Not-in-My-Backyard) with a spectrum of interests.
There is no development today that does not involve payoffs/shakedowns as part of the planning process - whether it is payoffs of individuals or resident associations taking advantage of the planning process to finance a desired enhancement for their areas.
The option shouldn't have been there in 2005 for the JurysDoyle Group to cash in on the property boom through the destruction of two of Dublin's leading hotels. However, the issue again was about high-rise and the time has come to move beyond Ballymun Syndrome.
It's almost forty years since the Cork County Hall was built and now Dublin is forecast to soon have a footprint the same size as Los Angeles with less than a quarter of its population!
