Plans for housing beside St Anne’s Park scaled back

Controversial plans for almost 400 houses and apartments on former religious order lands adjoining St Anne's Park in Raheny, Dublin, have been scaled back by its developers.

Dublin City Council earlier this year raised "grave concerns" over the application by developers Greg Kavanagh and Pat Crean, particularly in relation to the layout of some of the apartments which, it said, had the potential to "create areas of anti-social behaviour".

Close to 300 objections were made against the scheme since it was lodged with the council last November, with residents and most local politicians opposing the development.

The developers, through their company Crekav Landbank Investments Ltd, originally sought permission to build 107 houses and 274 apartments on the former playing fields of St Paul's College. They have now cut 21 houses and four apartments from the scheme and have reconfigured the development, swapping the location of the apartment blocks and houses so that the apartments would be closer to Harmonstown Dart station.

Planted buffer zone

This would also put the apartment blocks, which are up to six storeys, closer to an existing housing estate, The Meadows. A planted buffer zone of just over 50m will separate the estate and the new apartments, the developers said.

The apartments would also be closer than previously to Sybil Hill House, a protected structure, but in this case the buffer will be more than 80m and the apartments will be four storeys tall.

The development will have 30 per cent more public open space than previously and the number of entrances to the park will be increased from two to three.

Mr Crean and Mr Kavanagh, who describes himself as “the Ronaldo of the property market”, last year bought 15 acres of land, part of the playing fields of the school, from the Vincentian Order.

As part of the deal, the developers agreed to provide the school with new sports facilities including a Croke Park-size all-weather floodlit pitch, an all-weather floodlit training pitch and a new multi-use indoor sports centre.

However, the council said it had “grave concerns” about these facilities and their effect on future residents in terms of noise and light pollution. The housing near the pitches will now be duplex apartments.

The council has decided that, because of the significant changes, the public must be given a fresh opportunity to make submissions on the development. Submissions can be made until September 2nd and a decision on the application is expected in November.