Southside residents to seek judicial review of contentious development

A GROUP of Southside residents are planning to go to the High Court for a judicial review of a decision approving a strategic housing development (SHD) in Carrickmines.

Despite several objections and submissions from residents and councillors, An Bord Pleanala decided in April to grant permission to Bowbeck DAC for a 22 storey, multi-block residential development on a small site of land in Carrickmines.

The development will consist of 482 apartments and the developer has put a price tag of €19.9 million on the 48 apartments it is planning to sell to the council for social housing.

Knockcree Blackberry Hill Residents Associations, a group of local residents, say they were ‘completely ignored’ and now have ‘no choice’ but to take a Judicial Review.

“An Bord Pleanala have rushed this multi-block permission through on a tiny plot of land in Carrickmines because the time period for this kind of senseless, illogical planning is running out,” the group said in a statement.

“Following consultation with an experienced legal team, paid for by local residents, they have advised that we have solid legal grounds and a great chance of overturning this decision if we appeal this through a High Court Judicial Review.

“This is the only option open to us.

“It’s an expensive one, and we need the local community to pull together to help contribute to the costs.

“We only have one shot at stopping this development going ahead so we need to raise the remaining sum of €40,000 to cover our legal costs.

“As a community we refuse to be steamrolled by large external investment banks and non tax paying special interest funds building unaffordable, buy-to-let, profit-driven monstrosities like this one, masquerading as a ‘solution to our housing crisis.”

The residents have set up a Go Fund Me page in the hope, they say, that other residents, associations and clubs in the surrounding areas will support this case.

Dearbhla Meaney, who lives opposite the site, told Southside People that this case could have much bigger implications for the whole city of Dublin.

“In addition to the environmental impact, the pressure this will put on the South Dublin Luas line is unthinkable,” she said.

“The visual impact will be seen from miles around, blocking the view of the mountains and making this eyesore, the first thing anyone traveling to Dublin from southern Ireland will see.

“This is not just a case of residents not wanting something unsightly ‘in their back garden,’ this is a much bigger and more serious issue given its impact and because it sets a precedent for development in this city.

“While the capital city is being developed to breaking point, rural Ireland is on its knees pleading for investment and development.

“Residents need support to stop developers ruining our capital city for multimillion Euro, profit making developments such as these.

“This is not the answer to the Housing Crisis,” she said.