Locals up in arms over building heights

RESIDENTS
living near Sandyford Industrial Estate have criticised Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
County Council for reversing a previous recommendation to restrict the height
of new buildings as outlined in a framework plan for the area.

In
April councillors voted to limit the number of levels permissible in new
buildings on Blackthorn Avenue, which runs along the perimeter of Sandyford
Industrial Estate, to six storeys.

The
county manager agreed to limit the heights at two sites in the area to six
storeys given their

“likely negative impact on residential amenity

?.

However,
in his latest report on the proposed material alterations to the Sandyford
Urban Framework Plan, the manager reversed the earlier recommendation.

Instead,
he has recommended a maximum allowable height in the area of up to eight
storeys.

He
said that a building height of six storeys,

“with the allowance for an element
of the building to be one to two storeys higher

?, would not have a negative
impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring properties.

Concerned
local residents, some of whom are already living in the shadow of unfinished
tower blocks of up to 14 storeys, have criticised the move.

The
secretary of Stillorgan District Community Residents’ Alliance (SDCRA), Marie
Turner, called on the council to revert to its original position of a six
storey limit on heights in the area.

“The
county manager reversed what councillors had agreed at the April meeting,

? she
said.

“Residents took part in this process of the framework plan and in April
the manager gave a commitment to the residents, recognising that their homes
had been seriously impacted by the amount of ill thought out development in
Sandyford.

“The
council compromised by saying they wanted to achieve as much density as
possible but were going to try to keep the height down as much as possible.

?

Cllr
Gerry Horkan (FF) also urged the council to rethink their position on the
height issue.

“The
people of Lakelands, Stillorgan Heath and Stillorgan Wood have taken on an
enormous amount of grief and pain from the building of Sandyford Industrial
Estate and are now faced with looking at half built buildings,

? he said.

“They
don’t need any more half built or extremely high buildings towering over their
back gardens.

?

Cllr
Lettie McCarthy (Lab) recently met with around 15 representatives of the
various residents’ associations in the area.

“The
feeling was that the council has let them down,

? she said.

“They engaged with a
public process all the way and the councillors put through motions to represent
what the residents were asking for. They were extremely disappointed that the
manager’s report disregarded their views.

?

A
spokesman for the council insisted that the county manager had been consistent
in his recommendations.

“The
final decision on the variation to the Development Plan, which incorporates the
Sandyford Urban Framework Plan, will not be made until September 12 at the next
council meeting.

?

“The
decision in relation to the variation is a matter for the elected members,

? he
added.