Plans to be submitted for 340 apartments in Drimnagh

Plans for 340 apartments at a west Dublin industrial estate, one of the largest apartment schemes proposed since the property crash, are to be submitted to Dublin City Council this week.

Crekav Landbank Investments Limited, the company behind the controversial housing development proposed for lands adjoining St Anne’s Park in Raheny, plans to build eight blocks of apartments up to five storeys in height at the Carriglea Industrial Estate between Drimnagh and Bluebell.

The apartments proposed for the scheme would be larger than the current standards required under the Dublin City Development plan – size standards which Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly plans to reduce from next year.

One bedroom apartments would range from 55sq m to almost 60sq m, two beds would be up to 95sq m and three beds from 100sq m-136sq m.

The company fronted by 30-year-old Greg Kavanagh, the self-described "Ronaldo of the property market" last month applied to build 107 houses and 274 apartments on the former playing fields of St Paul's College secondary school beside St Anne's Park.

Objections

The application met with widespread local opposition with a social media campaign called I Love St Anne’s set up to encourage people to lodge objections to the scheme, arguing that the lands should be kept for recreational use.

Several hundred objections to the plans were lodged with the council including one from Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin who said the development could disturb Brent Geese. But earlier this month the council declared the application invalid after it emerged the applicants had got the name of their company wrong on the plans lodged.

The application was made in the name of Crekav Landbank Developments Ltd, which the council pointed out is not registered with the Companies Registration Office. "As the applicant stated is not considered a legal entity . . . the application is therefore considered invalid," said the council.

The St Paul’s application has since been resubmitted by Crekav Landbank Investments Limited, but will not be determined by the council until next year.