Residents’ Associations call on Minister to reverse ABP planning decisions

Following the resignation of Paul Hyde from An Bord Pleanála, two resident’s associations in south Dublin have called on Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to suspend all planning decisions taken by the former deputy chairperson.

The Monkstown Abbey Road Residents Association and the Baker’s Corner Residents Association are calling specifically for the student accommodation proposal approved for Baker’s Corner in Deansgrange to be rescinded.

They say that the resignation of Hyde “did nothing to restore the public credibility of planning decisions made by him and called for their suspension and rexamination.”

Marc Coleman chairperson of the Monkstown Abbey Road Residents Association said that “this should not be about scapegoating Paul Hyde nor any other individual in An Bord Pleanala but about restoring public confidence in planning by reforming deeply flawed planning legislation”

The call was supported by the Baker’s Corner Residents Association and the two associations are planning a meeting in September to rally support from residents associations in Sallynoggin, Monkstown Road and other areas which have opposed An Bord Pleanala decisions.

“We need to solve the housing crisis and not blame communities for it,” Coleman said.

“While welcome neither the Minister’s actions to improve An Bord Pleanála’s governance, nor any resignation, will ally the anger of communities who have been both shoved aside in decision making and also wrongly blamed for the housing crisis.

“The Minister and Government must accept that community objections to An Bord Pleanala decisions were valid responses to serious flaws in Strategic Housing Development legislation and not a result of so-called ‘Nimbyism.’”

In January, Paul Hyde was the lead signatory on a decision by An Bord Pleanála to permit the demolition of a historic Georgian public house, Baker’s Corner, and the development of 276 student apartments on the site.

The residents’ associations have objected to the decision as have the local fire station and the  nearby Ashbury Nursing Home, which will be overlooked by the development.

Local TDs, councillors and senators also voiced their opposition to the scheme at a meeting held on June 2.

“Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council recently passed a vote of no confidence in An Bord Pleanala and two other nearby developments supported by the board – in Sallynoggin and Monkstown Road – were reversed as a result of local campaigning and judicial review, respectively,” Coleman says.

“If decisions by An Bord Pleanala signed by Mr. Paul Hyde are allowed to stand the Minister’s good work improving the governance of that body risks being wasted and opposition to its decisions will turn into opposition to its continuance.

“We urge the Minister to do a thorough job and we will be collaborating with other resident’s associations around Dublin through the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance (DDPA) to campaign for a reversal of untenable decisions as well as an overhaul of planning,” he said.