Dublin City Council green light 1,131-unit Clonliffe scheme
Gordon Deegan
Dublin City Council has granted planning permission to the Irish arm of property giant, Hines to construct a €646 million large-scale apartment scheme on the grounds of the former Holy Cross College in Drumcondra.
In the planning permission, the Council has given the green light to Hines partner fund, CWTC Multi-Family ICAV to construct a 1,131 unit scheme that includes a 13-storey apartment block for the site at Holy Cross College, Clonliffe Rd, Drumcondra, Dublin 3.
The planning permission comes four years after Hines lodged its original plan for 1,614 apartment units under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) framework to An Bord Pleanála.
An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to the SHD - which included an 18 storey tower - but the planning permission was quashed by the High Court after a challenge was brought by Foxrock resident, Fionnuala Sherwin.
Now in response to the revised plan, the Council planning report recommending that planning permission be granted strongly endorses the scheme.
The planning report states that “the site provides a significant opportunity to provide high quality residential development at a sustainable density within walking distance of a key urban village in the city and the Planning Authority fully supports the residential development of this site”.
As part of the 53 page report into the scheme, the Council states that “the proposed development would unlikely result in an unacceptable negative impact on the amenities of the surrounding area”.
Underlining the scale of the scheme, the developer has been ordered to pay a planning development contribution of €8.39 million to the Council towards the cost of public infrastructure.
As part of the planning application, Hines put an indicative price tag of €64.57 million on 113 apartments and studios it is planning to sell for social housing to Dublin City Council.
The range in indicative prices range from €717,843 for the two bed four-person units, €569,892 for one bedroom units and €360,266 for studios.
If no appeal is lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), Hines and the Council can then enter talks on a final price for the units.
Opposition to the current scheme was muted with only three local residents calling for an outright planning refusal to the scheme.
This was in contrast to the 120 submissions made on the original built to rent scheme that included one objection from Sinn Fein party leader, Mary Lou McDonald TD who stated that if planning is approved, it will only further exacerbate the housing crisis.
