Dublin northside residents oppose 10-storey unit with 133 apartments
Gordon Deegan
Residents in Dublin 3 are opposing plans for a new 133 apartment unit ten storey high Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) for the Richmond Rd on a site close to the Tolka River.
Earlier this year, a subsidiary, Malkey Ltd of Roscommon native, Michal Cox’s UK based home builder, Hollybrook Homes lodged plans for the LRD on the site of the former Leydens Wholesalers & Distributors, Richmond Road, Dublin 3.
The new scheme - comprising three blocks made up of 65 one bed apartments and 68 two bed apartments - represents Phase 2 of an overall development where a Hollybrook Homes connected firm has a proposed Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme for 183 'build to rent' units currently before An Bord Pleanala.
Planning consultants for the LRD before the City Council, Thornton O’Connor state that proposed development “represents a significant investment in a strategically located site, which is eminently suitable for a mixed-use development comprising artist studios, a creche, a gym, retail floorspace and 133 residential units”.
Patricia Thornton has told the council that this is further supported by the site’s proximity to public transport, employment, services and facilities.
Ms Thornton has stated “the proposed development will aid in regenerating the surrounding area, creating an active street frontage and contributing to employment in the vicinity”.
However, in response to the scheme, the Residents of the Richmond Area state that it is their “strong belief that this development is totally unsuitable for this site and will ruin the character of Richmond Road, as the proposed construction is excessive in scale overlooking existing residential properties and significantly reducing light and privacy”.
In an objection signed by more than 30 residents, it states that the first phase of the development comprising a built-to-rent scheme “is only to drive large developer profits and will have a very negative impact on immediate neighbourhood as well as the existing community in the Richmond Road area”.
Raising traffic concerns over the proposal, the residents state that “the large scale of this development will also have a huge impact on the traffic, congestion and personal safety to the existing residents due to ongoing poor condition of the very narrow Richmond Road”.
They state that the road is at a crawl, beyond traffic capacity during morning and evening rush hours, with no scope for improvement and outside of peak hours represent a real danger to pedestrians and cyclists due to cars driving at fast speed on a dangerous road.
Cllr Karl Stanley of the Social Democrats has told the council that he views the proposed development "as being an overdevelopment of the site".
He said that lowering the height of the two taller blocks and an increase the amount of open space in the proposal “would help it fit better with the historical character and amenity value of the area”.
