ABP Hearing – Ballsbridge
At the An Bord Pleanala hearing into the proposed developments in Ballsbridge last Thursday (23rd July), I told the Inspector hearing the appeal that the choice before An Bord Pleanála was whether to uphold the integrity of the Development Plan process by refusing permission or to throw out the entire process and allowing unplanned development to proceed unchecked.
I pointed out that, during the adoption of the Development Plan, Councillors had rejected the proposed ‘Prime Urban Centre’ model for Ballsbridge and restated their commitment to seeing a more balanced and integrated plan emerge. I also noted that independent advisors had rejected Ballsbridge as being suitable for high rise and that the majority of Councillors recognized that the area needed a Local Area Plan – but not the one prepared by the planners.
In my view, and that of the Labour Party, the proposed development is inconsistent with the Development Plan because of the extent and location of the office component of the plan, the height of the proposed buildings, and the extent of the retail development. I have and continue to call on An Bord Pleanála to support the views of local residents, local representatives and independent bodies such as An Taisce and refuse permission.
Arising from the reported remarks by the acting Deputry Planning Officer on the following day, I’ve submitted the below letter to The Irish Times:
25th July 2008
The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times.Dear Editor,
The reported remarks (Irish Times 25th July) of the acting deputy Dublin City Planning Officer, Ms Mary Conway at the An Bord Pleanala hearing on the Ballsbridge Tower, cannot go unchallenged.
According to the report Ms Conway said that “there was no desire to compromise” and “the Councillors were not prepared to work with us”. Those remarks are simply untrue. Unfortunately however they do reflect the reality that the Planners and Management of Dublin City Council refused to engage with local Councillors and the local community, to ensure what was best for the area and for Dublin as a whole and that planning would be conducted under the auspices of the City Development Plan.
As a Councillor I tabled well over sixty detailed amendments to the Draft City Development Plan. Along with others I actively engaged with the Planners over a two-year period in creating a Plan that was in the best interest of this City and indeed good planning. Unfortunately the Planners and not the Councillors, then proceeded to ignore that agreed plan.
When the initial discussions on the Ballsbridge Local Area Plan took place and Councilors sought confirmation that it would be brought back to us for consideration before publication it was the City Planning Officer who contemptuosly threw his pen on the desk and said “it would, only, if it had to”. Again it was Councillors seeking to engage proactively against the officials who had their predetermined views and “were not prepared to work with us”.
Following the rejection of the Developers Charter that was the initial Ballsbridge Local Area Plan I worked with local residents who brought together an excellent set of principles and guidelines for a new Area Plan that I then tabled for adoption by the City Council. It was the elected members who then adopted that strategy and it has been the Planners who have subsequently failed to implement it.
Over the years Dublin has suffered through a combination of appalling decisions taken by a small group of Politicians who didn’t care and a system that benefitted the few rather than the many. That was not good enough then and it is not good enough now. As Councillors we have learned that truth – it is time the Planners did likewise.
Yours sincerely,
Councillor Dermot Lacey
