Architects back high-density developments

Plans to turn the Long Mile Road into a high-rise residential and commercial area and to demolish two-storey houses in the city centre in favour of high-density housing have been put to Dublin City Council.

The plans, from architects firm ELM, also suggest the possible reinstatement of domestic rates, abolished 30 years ago, to pay for the future development of the city.

The city council has been prevented from solving the city's housing and traffic problems because of the "ridiculous and timid" legislation imposed by the Government, ELM managing director Hugh Elliot said.

Many parts of the city had fallen into decline while outlying areas were congested by residential sprawl because the Government had failed properly to fund the council and to give council management the power to develop the city, he said.

"It's not just this Government, but successive governments. Since they abolished domestic rates in 1977 the local authorities have had to go cap in hand to the government all the time."

Even when the council management and planners proposed high-density schemes to tackle urban sprawl, they were subject to the approval of elected representative, he said. "The city council came up with the Ballsbridge scheme and the local councillors voted it down. They're not planners, or architects, they're only looking after their own vested interests." Vested interests also resulted in small two-storey houses clogging up the city centre where there should be high-density development to give the maximum number of people the benefit of living in the centre.

"The common good always seems to be lost in favour of keeping small-scale interests happy . . . the Greens in Government and a Green Minister for the Environment have a unique opportunity to turn this around decisively." Plans to have a directly elected mayor for Dublin should be brought forward from 2011 to the next local elections in 2009, Mr Elliot said, and the local authority should be made more financially independent.

Senior planner with Dublin City Council Kieran Rose, who met the architects yesterday, said high-density development would benefit people living in the city.

"The council already has several plans similar to the ones put forward today, such as a new boulevard entrance to the city at the Long Mile Road, as well as other areas they mentioned, such as Ballsbridge and Phibsborough."

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said that local authorities were given planning guidelines with specific objectives for more compact urban development.