Planning permission granted for contentious St Anne’s Park apartment block

Padraig Conlon 26 Aug 2020

AN Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission to a controversial housing development consisting of 657 apartments in St Anne’s Park.

Local residents and politicians have campaigned against the development for the past five years due to fears it could affect protected species like Brent geese and curlew around the area.

The plans, which were lodged by Crekav (Marlet Group), are on a set of pitches that were formerly used by St Paul’s College.

The development will include 378 two-bed, 224 one-bed, and 55 three-bed apartments, as well as a range of amenities including meeting rooms, a gym and a 115 space creche with blocks ranging in height from five to nine storeys.

The plans were initially submitted last October under the fast-track Strategic Housing Development system.

An Bord Pleanala initially granted permission for the development in February, despite Dublin City Council recommending they turn it down.

Three groups opposed to the development, Clontarf Residents’ Association, I Love St Anne’s, and Louth Environmental lodged papers in the High Court in May seeking a judicial review of the board’s decision to grant permission for the development.

Before the case was due to be heard ABP decided not to oppose the review on the basis that “the Board failed to conduct an appropriate assessment in accordance with the requirements of the Habitats Directive”, quashing the planning permission.

The case was remitted back to An Bord Pleanala for a another adjudication and now the appeals board has given the go ahead despite a recommendation by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission.

There were 654 objections lodged against the planned development and the objections came from residents associations, sports clubs, environmental groups, local politicians and local residents.

The applicants were seeking a 10-year planning permission but the board has granted a five year planning permission in response to the housing crisis.

Objectors had contended that the scale and density is excessive and that the proposed nine storey blocks are not compatible with the existing two storey dwellings of The Meadows.

The appeals board inspector in the case, Ciara Kellett recommended that planning permission be granted.

Kellett said the “proposal is in accordance with the National Planning Framework objectives to deliver compact growth in urban areas”.

Commenting following yesterday’s decision, The I Love St. Anne’s Campaign said in a statement:

“The I Love St. Anne’s campaign is disappointed at today’s decision from An Bord Pleanála.
“We will review this decision with our legal team to establish if the issues raised at judicial review have been satisfactorily dealt with.
“The St. Paul’s playing fields comprise C15 acres of PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS, INSIDE ST. ANNE’S PARK.
“The park itself was recently named as one of the world’s top 5 parks in the Green Flag People’s Choice awards.
“Indeed, this campaign has collected over 10,000 signatures from Dublin and around the world, opposing this development.
“It is obvious, even from a cursory visit to the proposed site, that building here would have long term, irreversible and potentially catastrophic impacts on St. Anne’s park and the adjacent UNESCO biosphere for which the park is a buffer zone.
“Parents should also be aware that the 5 year building licence will have unforeseen implications for St. Paul’s boys secondary school which sits at the centre of the St. Paul’s lands.”
We’ll have reaction to the decision of An Bord Pleanala in next week’s paper.

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