Redesign ordered for 970-bedroom student housing complex

Dublin City Council has expressed “serious concerns” over plans for Dublin’s largest off-campus student housing development, a complex of almost 1,000 bedrooms planned for Dublin docklands.

The council has given Nama-appointed receivers William O’Riordan and Declan McDonald of Pricewaterhouse Coopers six months to substantially redesign the scheme proposed for a site beside the 3 Arena at the Point Village in the city’s north docks.

The council said it had serious concerns in relation to the design of the facades of the complex and the amount and quality of open space provided. It also has concerns over the nature, quality and design of the internal living accommodation for the students.

Separately, it notes the plans include some studio apartments, not permitted for off-campus student accommodation schemes under the current Dublin City Development Plan. These units must be omitted in the revised plans, the council said.

Fast-track scheme

The receivers to Wintertide Ltd, a former Treasury Holdings company, last September applied for permission for the 970-bed student development under the council's fast-track planning scheme for the Docklands.

Owners of land in the Docklands Strategic Development Zone can secure construction permission from city planners which cannot be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

Two buildings of up to seven storeys in height were proposed in apartments or “clusters” of three to eight bedrooms, as well as studios that would accommodate 15 per cent of students in the complex.

According to a recent Higher Education Authority report on student accommodation, Dublin universities have a total of 79,000 students but are only in a position to offer on-campus accommodation to approximately 6,000 of these. The report identified a demand for 26,800 beds for students in Dublin, with a current shortfall of 16,000-18,000.

Council planners said they recognised the docklands scheme would contribute towards the “much needed” supply of student housing, but said significant changes were needed before the application could be considered.

“The planning authority has serious concerns regarding the quantum and quality of the open space provision,” it said. It was particularly concerned that the applicants were counting a public street as private open space for the students.

Minimum daylight

Some of the rooms would afford students inadequate minimum levels of daylight, the council said. It was particularly concerned about residential units in the development facing the 3 arena because of the potential for noise and disturbance to students, and said its preference would be for this housing to be replaced by commercial units in the redesigned scheme.

The council had “serious concerns” about the lack of variation in the facades of the building, and in changing the appearance of the scheme the applicants should try to avoid “long unalleviated elevations or bulky monolithic facades”, it said.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly recently announced he would be issuing new planning guidelines to allow the construction of smaller studio-type apartments in "certain managed developments" which would include student complexes. However, these guidelines will not be issued until next January, and studios are not permitted under current planning rules.