Jamestown development ‘unacceptable’, say councillors

Plans for a 321-unit build-to-rent development in Finglas has been heavily criticised by local politicians for being entirely “unacceptable” for the area.

The development is situated on a site located in an industrial estate which was rezoned last to accommodate housing.

At the time, some councillors raised concerns that if the rezoning went ahead without a local area plan in place, private developers may take advantage of the 43ha plot of land.

In May of last year, Jamestown Village Ltd applied to An Bord Pleanala for permission to develop 400 build-to-rent homes on the site.

This has since been revised to 321 units.

In February, a planner with Dublin City Council gave a presentation to North West Area councillors detailing the plans.

The development will reach six-storeys in height and will consist of 111 one-bedroom apartments, 211 two-bedroom apartments, a gym, café, creche, office spaces and 193 car parking spaces.

The proposed height of 21 metres contravenes the city’s development plan for the area – which allows just 16 metres in the local community.

However, An Bord Pleanala is not obligated to adhere to the plan and can grant permission for the scheme even if it breaches the guidelines.

City planner Siobhan O’Connor said that the council is currently drawing up a masterplan for the area and will make a submission to the planning authority in the coming months.

An Bord Pleanala’s decision is due to be delivered in May.

Many councillors said that the developer should wait until the masterplan is published before proceeding with the development.

“There is a plan for that whole site so someone going off doing their own thing just doesn’t sit well,” said independent councillor Noeleen Reilly.

Reilly said that build-to-rent housing is a “bad move for the area” and that the housing model is contributing to anti-social behaviour.

Sinn Fein councillor Anthony Connaghan said that three- and four-bedroom units should be included in the plans and the developer should consider the Housing Need and Demand Assessment – a study into what sort of housing is needed in a particular area of the city.

Mary Callaghan, Social Democrats councillor, said the proximity of the development to the road and scale of the scheme was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Local Sinn Fein TD Dessie Ellis told Northside People that the plans are “way, way over the top” and that “local residents are up in arms.”

Ellis says that the site and industrial estate could “be managed” if the local masterplan was approved and published last year.

“Unfortunately, some businesses in the area did not want to be tied into the plan,” he said.

“The developer should not get away with this.

“The industrial estate will be developed,” he said.

“But these willy-nilly applications are not to the benefit of the local community.”