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Dublin City Council refuses planning permission for ‘Silicon Docks’-style scheme

Flooding concerns and access to site cited as reasons for refusal

An artist's impression of the proposed scheme in Harold's Cross.

Gordon Deegan
Tue Mar 5 2024 - 17:25

Dublin City Council has refused planning permission for an 181-unit apartment development in Harold’s Cross that has been dubbed a “Silicon Docks”-style scheme.

The council refused planning permission to Adroit Company Ltd’s Large-scale Residential Development (LRD) scheme, consisting of four apartment blocks rising between four and seven storeys at Harold’s Cross Road, after the scheme encountered strong local opposition.

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

In its decision, the council pointed out that, as the site is located in the Poddle River Flood Zone B, a “highly vulnerable development such as residential should be avoided”.

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The report also 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 planning permission on the ground of access to the site and that Adroit had failed to show that traffic on the adjacent public road would not be impacted.

“As such, the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard,” the council said.

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

Opening the door to development on the site in the future if the reasons for refusal were addressed, the council planner’s report said the changes put forward would have resulted in a development which, while significantly higher and denser than the surrounding low-density housing, were in line with policies on the intensification of appropriately located but underutilised sites.

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Over 40 submissions were lodged in respect of the scheme by Adroit Company Ltd’s LRD. In his submission, the owner of Mount Jerome crematorium, Alan Massey, said “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 added that “whilst there is an urgent need for housing accommodation in Dublin city, this proposed development is far too high”.

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan is a contributor to The Irish Times

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