Locals fight to make Player Wills factory a protected structure

An Bord Pleanala’s decision on the proposed development for the Player Wills factory site in Dublin 8 is due on April 15.

This date is important to Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty as it means the time Dublin City Council has to list the old cigarette factory as a protected structure is dwindling.

Built in 1935 by British tobacco company W.D. and H.O. Wills, the factory was operational up until 2005.

“It was a massive employer in area,” says Moriarty, a councillor for the south west inner city.

“It was a purpose-built factory and similar factories, especially in England have been given protected status and are being well maintained,” he says.

US property developer Hines is proposing to construct 492 apartments and 240 co-living beds in blocks of up to 19 storeys on the site – a project locals are saying is wholly inappropriate for the area.

One of the avenues residents and politicians are pursuing in an effort to get the development rejected, is to list the factory as a protected structure.

“The original motion was tabled in November 2018 by my predecessor Rebecca Moynihan,” says Moriarty.

“A report by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage said that yes, the factory is a significant building – in terms of culture and heritage – and deserves to be protected.”

At the time, Minister for Culture and Heritage Josepha Madigan TD wrote to the council asking for the building to be listed too, he says.

Original plans released by Hines last year showed that the developer intended to fully demolish the building.

It then agreed to retain the front façade before deciding to keep the full factory building in situ.

A spokesperson for Hines says that the “the very significant decision was reached to retain, restore and reimagine the Player Wills building.

“This new direction taken with the Player Wills phase has come about entirely as a result of the positive and constructive engagement that has come from the community dialogue in Dublin 8 over the past two years.

Moriarty says that interest in listing the building as a protected structure waned when it was revealed that the building would be preserved.

However, this changed in spring last year when Hines announced its plans to increase the height of the apartment blocks at the nearby Bailey Gibson site from eight to 16 storeys.

“This caused a breakdown in trust between the community and the developers,” says Moriarty.

“This meant that we couldn’t trust Hines to maintain the Player Wills building.

“We couldn’t take the developer at its word.”

Hines says that it “has engaged extensively with the local community and community organisation and listened carefully to the contributions made, and following careful consideration took the decision to alter its plans in response to issues raised.

“A series of open days had been held on site at the old factory building site in 2019 and 2020. Over 1000 people attended across both separate events.”

At this year’s February area committee Moriarty proposed once again to list the building on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS).

However, Hines is challenging the claim and council management is currently deliberating on how to proceed.

Moriarty says that once “initiation” of protecting a structure begins, the building is essentially regarded as being listed on the RPS.

There is then an eight-week period of public consultation before the council votes on whether to list the structure.

If a building is listed on the RPS, the owner of the building must maintain it and planning permission must be submitted if any changes are proposed.

Moriarty is urging council management to begin the initiation process as soon as possible, so An Bord Pleanala will consider its protected status in its planning decision.

“I think there are some people in the area that think the RPS would be a silver bullet, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

“If it’s listed, An Bord Pleanala would have to consider it’s protected status in its decision but does not automatically mean the development would be rejected.”

Mark Stedman, a local resident and member of the Dublin 8 Resident’s Association says he is not convinced that the listing of the Player Wills factory would impact the planning authority’s decision.

“For the Bailey Gibson development, there were 180 objections submitted to An Bord Pleanala.

“The 140-page inspector’s report recommended that ABP refuse permission to Hines but approval was granted.

“No changes at all were recommended which we were really taken aback by.”

An Bord Pleanala granted Hines permission to develop 416 residential units on the Bailey Gibson site in September.

Stedman and fellow residents have filed for a judicial review of the development after launching a series of fundraising initiatives.

“We are continuously fundraising via GoFundMe, hosting quiz nights, virtual horse racing nights etc,” he says.

“Every street is helping with the fundraising.”

Stedman says that the residents’ objections to the development is not NIMBYism and have valid concerns about the project.

“The entire thing is build-to-let, and the rents that they’re looking at getting are huge – so it doesn’t do anything to solve the long-term housing problem.,” he says.

Stedman says that the height of the blocks – 11 and 16 storeys tall – will “loom” over the two-storey houses below and says that there is a lack of long-term thinking.

“We want to see the site developed, but just not this way.

“We want people to be able to put down roots and build community,” he says.

On Thursday, March 25, Hines is running an online presentation and Q&A event for the local community.

It says that the forum “will aim to inform members of the community in greater detail of the vision for this site and will allow the public to put questions to the project team.”

Decision on the Player Wills application is due while the judicial review of the Bailey Gibson development is being heard.

Stedman says that if the Player Wills development is approved the campaign would “have to take another case” and fundraise once more.

“We just want our voices to be heard – that’s all we want,” he says.

 

The online forum will take place at 6pm, on Thursday, March 25 on Zoom. To submit a question, you can contact info@hinesopenday-d8.com.

Zoom ID: 930 7117 8883