Planners approve €124m apartment scheme on Dublin's Parkgate Street

Gordon Deegan

Developer Joe O’Reilly has secured planning permission for a €124 million apartment scheme at Parkgate Street in Dublin 8.

The development close to Heuston Station will see the construction of two apartment blocks, with one rising to eight storeys and a second rising to 13 storeys.

Dublin City Council granted planning permission after concluding that the scheme is located at an appropriately zoned and serviced redevelopment site close to public transport and forms part of a cluster of taller buildings.

The 24-page planner’s report concluded that “the proposed development would not impact unduly on existing residential amenities and would contribute to the built character of the area and would not detract from the visual amenity of the streetscape within Heuston/Parkgate area”.

Ruirside Developments has already secured planning permission for a 30-storey apartment block and separate eight-storey scheme as part of the same overall cluster.

As part of the new plan, Ruirside Developments Ltd put a price tag of €12.16 million on the sale of 31 apartments to the city council for social housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Act.

The proposed sale works out at an average cost per apartment of €392,342 and the developer can enter talks with the council on a final price if no appeal is lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the grant of permission.

The application site was last occupied by Hickey’s Wholesale Fabrics warehouse and head office, for over 40 years dating back to the 1970s.

As part of the 24 conditions attached to the planning permission, Ruirside Developments must pay €2.27 million in planning contributions to the council towards the provision of public infrastructure.

In a submission, the Montpelier Hill Residents’ Association expressed several concerns over the scheme.

The association told the council that the proposed heights of the blocks “is excessive and unprecedented locally for apartment blocks”.

The residents' association said the apartment blocks would be overdevelopment in a street adjacent to an architectural conservation area.

Secretary of the association Vikki Brennan told the council that “the proposed Blocks B/C will not enhance our local community”.

In a submission, the National Transport Authority (NTA) said they supported the proposed development as it represents the consolidation of residential development into a central location served directly by a mainline and commuter rail station, Luas and a range of existing and proposed bus services.