ABP’s decision to approve Drumcondra SHD criticised by local TD

The decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a Strategic Housing Development on the grounds of Holy Cross seminary in Drumcondra is deeply concerning, according to Social Democrats Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon.

“The scale of this development, nearly 1,600 units, is unprecedented,” said Deputy Gannon.

“These apartments will never be available to buy.

“Like approximately 70 percent of the housing units in Dublin that have been granted planning permission since 2018, they will be build-to-rent,” he said.

“Young people and families, who have hopes of buying an apartment and putting down roots in the community, will be unable to do that at Holy Cross.

“Instead, the accommodation will be disproportionately cramped studio and one-bed rental accommodation.

“In fact, 70 percent of the units will be one-bed or smaller.”

Deputy Gannon criticised the size of the majority of the units saying that “given the government has repeatedly insisted that working-from-home will become more of a norm post pandemic, how can it make sense for 70 percent of the units, in one of the biggest developments to proceed in Dublin, to be so small?

“Dublin City Council itself described this development as “alarming’ and “unbalanced” due to the unit mix contained within it.

“Its refusal to grant planning permission prompted the appeal to An Bord Pleanála by the developer, which has now succeeded.

“The granting of permission to this enormous development proves the city development is no longer worth the paper it is written on.

“In its decision, the board conceded the height and density breached the development plan but said that was overruled by ministerial order.

“Clearly, the granting of this permission, in the face of so many objections and in contravention of the development plan, has serious implications for development in the rest of the city.

“It means that even those SHDs which clearly breach the city development plan, are likely to be given the green light.

“The SHD process, which the government itself has said is not working to deliver homes, was due to be phased out as early as this autumn.

“Regrettably, that deadline was postponed to 2022, for reasons that have never been explained by the government.

“If we have learned one thing since SHDs were introduced, it is that they do not deliver homes. What they deliver is bumper profits for developers and investment funds.”