Red Rock Highrise Unsuitable for Neighbourhood Centre say DLRCOCO Planners
Planners at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have recommended that An Bord Pleanala reject a plan for a high-rise development at the site of the former Deerhunter pub on the junction of Sallynoggin Road Lower and Glenageary Avenue.
The community welcomes this recommendation, but remain vigilant. Current planning legislation overrules democratically agreed County Development Plans and allows An Bord Pleanala to give scant regard to the reports of council planners.
The development company involved, Red Rock Glenageary Ltd, has lodged fast-track plans for a build-to-rent development of four blocks ranging in height from four to nine storeys in height, on the site of just 0.6 hectares.
But DLRCOCO planners report says that the “site is located on lands zoned ‘NC’ (Neighbourhood Centre) which seeks to protect, provide for and/or improve mixed use neighbourhood centre facilities’ and “that the large quantum of residential units’ is excessive with regard to NC zoned lands".
The report says that notwithstanding the potential redevelopment benefits of the site “the proposal by reason of its overall scale, would constitute over-development” and that it “fails to have regard to its surrounding context” and “will therefore have a detrimental impact on the character of the surrounding area”.
The report from planners also notes that the proposed development “will significantly compromise the residential amenity of the properties located in its immediate vicinity” by “being visually overbearing, unduly visually prominent and incongruous”.
The report raises concerns about potential residents of the towers saying that “the proposed development would result in a substandard level of residential accommodation for future occupiers”, citing apparent substandard floor to ceiling heights, the fact that just over 50% of the residential units within the scheme are fully dual aspect, and additional concerns about the lack and quality of communal open space, drainage and waste management.
Meanwhile the county council’s Transportation Department has also recommended that An Bord Pleanala reject the scheme citing a number of serious concerns including the “creation of traffic hazards within the proposed development”.
There is also strong local opposition to the plans and a petition of over 1,000 signatures, and more than 80 observations have been lodged to An Bord Pleanala.
Nicola Coleman, a local resident from Sallynoggin who has been coordinating a campaign against the high-rise proposal, says she is not surprised at this.
“Notwithstanding the fact that so many people in our community need a real and appropriate response to the housing crisis, opposition to Red Rock’s high-rise is so strong that families, friends and neighbours chipped in to make joint observations to An Bord Pleanala,” she said,
“The observations are reflective of a community that is not opposed to development, but is opposed to the excessive, overbearing nature of Red Rocks high-rise plans and that it is the ‘build-to-rent’ nature of the development that is a major cause of concern.
“The majority of people do not believe this development represents a viable solution to the housing crisis and that it does not meet the needs of the community – and that this view is expressed in almost every single observation.”
A submission from Greythorn Park Residents Association notes that they “agree with Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland’s recent comments that the over proliferation of Build To Rent developments does not provide high standard, sustainable housing”.
While a submission from Bellevue, Glenageary and Rochestown Residents Association says that “association welcomes all proposals for a suitable and sustainable development of this site”.
A resident from Glenageary Park wrote in their submission that “this area does not need more BTR tiny apartments for very high rents.
“It needs affordable homes to purchase and social homes. Providing medium density, low rise, high quality apartments to purchase will enhance the local area and may provide for older people living in larger houses the opportunity to vacate their house to move into an apartment.”
One family from Sallynoggin wrote that “as a family of 10, totalling five generations, having grown up and lived on Parnell Street for the past 72 years, we disapprove of developers and landlords making large profits on this development.
“Sallynoggin has and always will be a close knit community spanning many generations. We welcome new families with open arms but we do not welcome greedy developers and landlords.
“The businessmen behind this development show no interest in the livelihoods of residents, nor do they wish to inject any financial or positive influence into the neighbourhood. We will live in the shadow of its towering high rise as landlords gain thousands per month on rental income.”
Another resident from Glenageary wrote “This is a family orientated area, and this proposed development is anti-family, anti-community and is looking to ride roughshod over the existing community who have lived in this area for multiple generations and are being put through a huge amount of stress because of this development and the belief that their fears will not be heard,”
Ms Coleman noted that “despite the planning authority’s report chiming with the concerns of local residents, everybody understands the high risk that An Bord Pleanala could give permission for the scheme.
“The investors behind these sorts of development appear focussed on the drive to maximise returns and not the provision of homes.
“And successive Ministers for Housing seem to facilitate this drive by legislating for SPPRs (Strategic Planning Policy Requirements) that supersede local democracy and create the conditions that allow An Bord Pleanala to grant permission for proposals that fly in the face of local democracy and decent standards of accommodation.
“Systemic change is required to address this issue,” she said.
Stop the Highrise Campaign is calling on Red Rock to withdraw its current plans and to engage with the community.
Ms Coleman said that it is possible to “devise a plan for the site that reflects the true meaning of Neighbourhood Centre and one that is genuinely strategic, appropriate and accords with the needs of the community in response to the housing crisis”.
REPORT OF PLANNING AUTHORITY:
https://planningapi.agileapplications.ie/api/application/document/DLR/3461097
LINK TO OBSERVATIONS (click the link and scroll down and move to page 3 to find them)
https://planning.agileapplications.ie/dunlaoghaire/application-details/91863