Redevelopment plans for Dundrum Village a ‘shock’ for locals

(Above is a CGI of what the proposed apartment complex in Dundrum village would look like. Picture credit: Dundrum Retail GP DAC/Hammerson)

Dundrum residents have expressed ‘shock and disappointment’ at the plans for Dundrum Village’s redevelopment lodged recently with An Bord Pleanála by Dundrum Retail GP DAC.

This is according to Imagine Dundrum, a not-for-profit, community group of people drawn from the wider Dundrum area.

The group said judging from the responses they received from residents, the redevelopment plans are ‘a shock’ to the local community.

Dundrum Retail GP DAC, who are a subsidiary of the joint owners of Dundrum Shopping Centre, Hammerson the retail developer and Allianz Insurance company, propose is to build a 16-storey apartment block at the site.

The development will consist of 11 blocks across four zones, 335 one-bedroom apartments, 464 two-bedroom units, and 82 three-bedroom apartments.

Imagine Dundrum spokesperson Nick Armstrong said the plans contain several ‘matters of great concern.’

“Key to our vision for Dundrum’s future are two basic principles,” he said.

“First, respect for the scale and character of its historic streetscape, and second, an adequate development response to Dundrum’s status as the second major centre in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County, one which serves a rapidly expanding population.

“Imagine Dundrum opposes the current plans for the development.

“Welcoming the prospect of much needed housing, Imagine Dundrum points out a number of matters of great concern, from their initial reading of the plans:

• The proposal for 5 storey-buildings on Main Street, which fails to respect the historic character, scale and streetscape of the village.
• The intended demolition of historic buildings on Main Street, in spite of the fact that these are designated as an Architectural Conservation Area in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Development Plan 2022-2028.
• The lack of any provision for civic, cultural and community facilities, spaces and services; these facilities are critical to serve those who will come to live in Dundrum Village, along with the huge expansion of the population in the surrounding area.
• The limited provision for retail, entertainment and other essential facilities, as required by the Major Town Centre zoning on the site, and especially the proposed reduction in retail provision on Main Street.
• The overall height and density of the planned development (with 11 apartment blocks, some of 5 storeys on Main Street West, others between 8 and 12 storeys, and with one rising to 16 storeys at the northern end) which are overbearing and wholly out of keeping with the surrounding low-density suburban environment.

“The developer’s vision of Dundrum Village as a community and a built environment is radically different from the vision Imagine Dundrum has developed over the years in consultation with local people”.

Given the very short period for public consultation and submissions, members of the group say they are urgently studying the detail of the Hammerson-Allianz plans and will hold a public meeting tomorrow, April 27th (Taney Parish Centre) at 7.30 pm to discuss them with the community.