Developer complains of limited permission for Moore Street scheme

UK property giant Hammerson has warned that a limited five-year long planning permission for its €500 million transformation plan for Dublin city centre affects the prospects of the scheme being realised.

In an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against a condition limiting the permission for the first two phases to five years , consultant for Hammerson Stephen Little contends that the permission “adds significantly to uncertainty, cost and viability risk . . . to its prospects of being realised”.

The Hammerson firm, Dublin Central GP Ltd, is seeking a seven-year long permission for the first phases of the redevelopment of a 5½-acre plot stretching from O'Connell Street to Moore Street.

The twin applications include 79 build-to-rent apartments and hotel, retail, restaurant, cafe and cultural uses.

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Mr Little contends that “failure to complete the development within the tight five-year period would bring unnecessary and highly concerning risk to the completion of the project”.

Nine third-party appeals have been lodged against the council permissions. In her own appeals against the council decisions, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said “the unnecessary demolition of the Moore Street streetscape, location of the last battle of the Easter Rising should not be permitted”.

She also said “the permissions will be the death knell for the Moore Street market, first established in 1850”.

‘Failed city development’

She argues that the two planning permissions by the council “will not realise the unique potential of the north inner city” and “will deliver an unsustainable and homogenous failed city development model”.

On behalf of the 17 Moore Street Traders, 16 of whom are women, planning consultant William Doran has estimated that compensation from the developer for the Moore Street traders to be between €34 million to €40 million, to compensate for the removal of the traders during construction works "probably beyond and possibly even forever".

As part of the conditions attached to planning, the council stated that during construction works the developer is requested to ensure protection of the Moore Street Casual Trading Area as far as is practicable and where ongoing trading is no longer possible or construction works necessitate relocation of the casual trading area.