THE DUBLIN Docklands Authority is seeking to remove an old maritime crane from the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) to facilitate the development of the U2 Tower, a local environment group has claimed.
The authority has applied to Dublin City Council for the crane, believed to have been built on Sir John Rogerson's Quay at the start of the last century, from the RPS. However, councillors last night voted to postpone the application on the grounds that the crane had "gone missing".
Although the crane is on the current RPS, it was removed from the quayside sometime in the last 10 years. A report from senior council planner Patricia Hyde to councillors said the crane was removed "some considerable time ago". However, the planning department does not know who removed it.
The planning department recommended to councillors yesterday that they delete the crane from record. However, councillors voted to defer any decision so legal advice could be taken on whether deletion from the RPS would prevent legal action being taken against whoever removed the crane without permission.
"This crane was part of the history of the docks and was an important symbol of our industrial past," Labour councillor Kevin Humphreys said.
"We need to ask the Docklands Authority and Dublin Port who removed it, and we can put in a freedom of information request if needs be, but we should not consider taking it off before we have clarification of the legal position," Mr Humphreys said.
Damien Cassidy of the Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown Environment Group said the Docklands Authority needed the crane taken off the RPS in order to facilitate the construction of the U2 Tower at Britain Quay and the bridge over the river Dodder.
The Docklands Authority was not available for comment last night.
