Plans to construct a 14-storey office block scheme on the site of former City Arts Centre at City Quay in Dublin 2 have been stalled.
Three parties – An Taisce; the St Laurence O’Toole Trust and administrator of the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; and City Quay National School – have lodged appeals with An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) against Dublin City Council’s grant of permission last month.
The council granted planning permission to Ventaway Ltd. headed up by developer, David Kennan and Winthrop engineering group founder, Barry English.
In granting planning permission, a council planner’s report concluded that the scheme would “result in the redevelopment of a massively underutilised vacant site in a prominent location within the city centre”.
However, the principal of City Quay National School, Philip Kelly, in the school’s initial objection said that “should the development proceed, it will have a big negative impact on the ability of the school to deliver high-quality education to the pupils in our care”.
The school has 178 children enrolled and Mr Kelly said that the 10-year planning permission sought was “entirely unacceptable and should not be facilitated”.
“It is unnecessary and unreasonable and discards the rights of adjoining occupiers,” he said.
In a separate objection on behalf of St Laurence O’Toole Trust and the administrator of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, planning consultant Declan Brassil said that the scheme “represents a significant overdevelopment of the site”.
Mr Brassil said that the trust owns four properties in the vicinity – 7/8 City Quay; The Presbytery, 9 City Quay; The Church of the Immaculate Heart of May and City Quay National School.
Mr Brassil said the monolithic design and scale of the proposed building would visually overwhelm the adjoining properties.
Dublin city planning officer with An Taisce, Kevin Duff told the council that the proposal “lacks coherent architectural expression, appearing jumbled and consisting of too many parts and elements”.
Mr Duff said: “The problem appears to be that the basic silhouette or profile of the building is excessively massed and monolithic and does not lend itself to successful breakdown.
