Dublin City Council refuses planning for 181-unit ‘Silicon Docks’ style scheme in flood zone

Harold’s Cross residents said the scheme would be an overdevelopment of the site

Gordon Deegan

Dublin City Council has refused planning permission for a new 181-unit apartment scheme for Harold’s Cross in Dublin, that was dubbed a ’Silicon Docks’ style scheme.

The council has refused planning permission for Adroit Company Ltd’s large-scale residential (LRD) scheme that consisted of four apartment blocks rising between four and seven storeys at Harold’s Cross Road. The scheme encountered strong local opposition.

The council refused planning permission due to flooding concerns and access issues.

‘Highly vulnerable developments such as residential should be avoided’

In its decision, it pointed out that the site is located in Poddle River Flood Zone B. The 35-page planner’s report stated that, as the site was located in the flood zone, “highly vulnerable developments such as residential should be avoided”.

The report said the site “is currently undefended, and the flood-risk status will remain until such time as the Poddle flood alleviation scheme is constructed”.

The council also refused to grant planning permission after finding that, due to the reliance on carrying out of works to the access which are outside their control, Adroit Company Ltd had failed to clearly demonstrate that safe access and egress to the proposed development can be provided, so as not to negatively impact on the free flow of traffic on the adjacent public road and within the site.

Planning permission was previously refused for a strategic housing development (SHD) scheme, and in response to the reasons for that refusal, the applicants had proposed a reduction in the building heights, bulk and massing of Blocks A, B and C, as well as design amendments to all of the buildings.

The Dublin City Council planner’s report stated that the changes put forward resulted in a development plan which, while significantly higher and denser than the surrounding low-density housing, was in line with national, regional and city development policies on the intensification of appropriately located underutilised sites.

In his submission, Alan Massey of Gate Lodge, Mount Jerome – owner of the Mount Jerome crematorium – stated that “this proposed development looks like a modern ’Silicon Docks’ development of the Dublin port area that has landed in Harold’s Cross. It is totally out of character with the immediate and surrounding area.”

Mr Massey had contended that the development was also “far too high”.