Player Wills row sorted; over 1,000 new homes on way for Dublin 8

A protracted legal dispute concerning the old Player Wills and Bailey Gibson factory site in Dublin 8 has come to an end, paving the way for over 1,000 new homes in the area.

An American-based real estate company, Hines, acquired ownership of the former Player Wills cigarette factory in 2018, but faced legal hurdles preventing the development of the sites on South Circular Road following objections from local residents. 

In 2020, plans to construct 732 residential units on the site of the former Player Wills factory site in Dublin 8 were given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála, which followed on from planning permission being granted in 2020 to develop the Bailey Gibson site.

More than 400 homes are to be built on the Baily Gibson site, while The Player Wills development includes four apartment blocks, one reaching 19 storeys in height, and comprising of 492 apartments and 240 shared accommodation or ‘co-living’ units on a site fronting onto South Circular road.

The fabric of the original Player Wills factory will be extended from four to eight storeys in height.

Multiple rounds of talks with the residents’ association, which had been ongoing for some months, reached an agreement early last week which would allow construction to begin on the site.

In a statement, the Dublin 8 Residents’ Association said following “extensive negotiations,” it had “reluctantly agreed to conclude the judicial review proceedings concerning the proposed development of the Bailey Gibson and Player Wills sites”.

It said, “in addition to a community fund, the developer has made concessions addressing community concerns.”

The residents’ association emphasised that “no committee member or individual received any financial settlement as part of this agreement.”

The association said they were “deeply grateful to all those who supported its campaigns,” and expressed thanks to those who had supported campaigns to safeguard the area’s amenities, character, and environment.

The dispute was solved after the developer stated they would contribute to a local community fund.

Hines also assured the Department of Housing that the project would comply with the guidelines laid out under the Project Ireland 2040 plans, where new housing projects are required to meet certain environmental targets and goals during construction.

Local resident and Trinity College lecturer Ronan Lyons said “as a local, it is important to note that this campaign was only by some (with “some” emphasised in bold in the tweet) local residents.”

While expressing frustration at the “three years lost,” he said that 1,700 “badly-needed homes” were now on the way.

Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty said that the details of the community fund “will need to be scrutinised, and Hines must be held accountable for upholding their commitments.”

Speaking to the Irish Times, Moriarty said there was a need for a “thorough examination of the specific community” concerns that were raised during negotiations.

Moriarty said he disagreed with certain aspects of the development, such as co-living and the build-to-rent components. 

Despite these issues, he said that the resolution of the dispute has provided a “sense of certainty” to the local community.

The development follows the announcement earlier this year that St. Teresa’s Garden will be redeveloped into a 15-story apartment block, consisting of 540 social housing and at-cost rental apartments. 

Speaking in 2021, Hines Ireland managing director Gary Corrigan said “we are especially happy to get the endorsement for our proposed approach with the Player Wills building, which will see both the retention and reimagining of the original building and façade which had fallen into disrepair and is in need of major investment to ensure it survives and can once again become the beating heart of Dublin 8.”