Planning for a National Conference Centre has been nothing short of a shambles. By relying totally on the private sector and on EU funding to develop and sustain the project, successive governments have abdicated their responsibilities. Yesterday's decision by An Bord Pleanala finally brought some clarity to the situation. The Spencer Dock Development Company has been granted permission to build a Conference and Exhibition Centre, together with parking, bus and taxi set-down and other associated works and services at the junction of the Royal Canal and the River Liffey. But the major portion of the proposed development, involving two large hotels; nine twenty-two storey office blocks; eleven apartment buildings of nineteen storeys and parking for almost 7,000 cars has been refused.
These huge ancillary structures were at the heart of the controversy that surrounded proposals for the Spencer Docks site and has generated anger and resistance within the local community. The developers linked construction of the conference centre with associated high-rise developments and, over the years, ran foul of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, Dublin Corporation, An Bord Pleanala and various other interests. They consistently maintained that all four phases of the development were necessary in order to subsidise the £120m conference centre. In spite of the adverse ruling by An Bord Pleanala, a spokesman for the consortium said yesterday it was still committed to the project, even though their plan has been curtailed.
Further delays can be guaranteed as a result of the decision by An Bord Pleanala to limit permission to the conference centre alone. The three other phases of the development were rejected on the grounds of excessive scale, bulk, mass and height; because they would fail to integrate with existing development patterns in Dublin; would create excessive road congestion and contravene the current development plan. The developments were also regarded as premature, pending a Government decision on a cross-river rail link which is likely to be taken before Christmas.
The feasibility of the largest project ever planned for Dublin has been in question since the European Commission ruled against the granting of special rent and rates reliefs last year. In addition, an EU requirement on the company to complete the conference centre project by the end of the year 2000 led the Government to offer to substitute Exchequer grants of £26m for European structural funding. There are likely to be further demands for Government aid and incentives to make the centre financially viable while the consortium will seek to maximise its profits through intensive commercial development of the remainder of the site.
Ten years ago, the government decided a national conference centre was needed in order to develop tourism and to maximise foreign earnings in off-peak periods. But fiscal circumstances have changed and it is no longer necessary to depend solely on EU funding and the private sector to underwrite the project. In particular, the execution of the plan should not be dependent on unpalatable commercial developments. The Government should address its responsibilities directly and arrange for a conference centre to be built as a stand-alone project either at Spencer Docks or elsewhere in Dublin.