Residents contest Donnybrook student accommodation

A group of Dublin 4 residents are contesting Dublin City Council’s green light for a scaled down student accommodation scheme for Donnybrook.

Last month, the City Council granted planning permission to Red Rock Donnybrook Ltd for a scaled down Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) that comprises 170 bed spaces in 176 rooms.

Red Rock Donnybrook had lodged plans for a 10 storey 225 bed space student accommodation scheme at lands at the Circle K Petrol Station at the junction of Donnybrook Road and Brookvale Road, Donnybrook.

After local opposition to the scheme, the City Council in its grant of permission ordered the omission of two floors reducing the 10 storey height to an eight storey scheme.

Now, two third party appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala against the grant of permission including one by Eglinton Residents Association.

The second appeal has been lodged by David and Valerie Clarke of Ramleh Villas, Milltown Rd, Dublin 6.

In the Eglinton Residents’ Association appeal, its chair, Robin Mandal has told the appeals board that the proposal “would constitute over-development of the site by virtue of its height, scale, bulk and massing at this prominent site”.

Mr Mandal claims that “that this building is indeed a monolithic slab, which takes no cognisance of its surroundings”.

He states that “Even at a reduced height of eight storeys, it is overbearing”.

Mr Mandal has told An Bord Pleanala that “the removal of two floors reduces the impact marginally but does not substantially address the negative visual impact”.

In their appeal, the Clarkes contend that the development “is inappropriate and totally at variance with the scale of Donnybrook village”.

The Clarks state that whilst the City Council planners have removed two floors, “we consider that the resultant eight storey building would still result in an unacceptably negative impact in this location”.

The Clarkes state that the prominent corner junction in a relatively confined unusually shaped site does not justify a bookend and greater sensitivity is required.

The Clarkes contend that the proposed development represents over development of the site and will result in a most unsatisfactory monolithic building, totally out of character with the scale of Donnybrook village.

They state: “We wish to highlight that we did not object to the other developments in Donnybrook and have consistently sought a more appropriate architecture for this site.”

The Clarkes submit that a five storey proposal could be inserted into the site and “it respects the scale of Donnybrook village for future generations to enjoy”.

A decision is expected in October.

Reporting by Gordon Deegan