McDowell objects to tower

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, has urged his Dublin South East constituents to object to a planning application for a €20 million, 25-storey commercial and residential glass tower on Donnybrook main street.

According to a letter circulated to Dublin 4 residents by the Minister, the building would be the scale of Liberty Hall "and would very seriously dominate the skyline of Donnybrook village".

Business tycoon Denis O'Brien's company Partenay Ltd is seeking permission to build the slimline building, consisting mainly of apartments, on the site of the former Bizquip retail outlet on 25-27 Donnybrook Road and 1-3 The Crescent.

"It seems to me that from the point of view of traffic, visual intrusion on the skyline, invasion of privacy of neighbouring houses and general planning considerations this development must be rejected," says the Minister. However, the planning application submitted by Partenay Ltd has been declared invalid by Dublin City Council so objectors will have to wait until a new application is submitted.

The former Bizquip head office at 25-27 Donnybrook Road was sold three years ago for around €3.8 million. It is expected the applicants will point to other high rise structures in the area like Ardoyne House, for a long time the southside's tallest apartment building, and the industrial chimney of a former Magdalen laundry.

The project, being overseen by architects de Blacam and Meagher, will include two basement level car parks, retail/commercial and office space on the ground, first and second floors, a residential gymnasium, roof garden and function room at the fourth floor and 36 apartments and a duplex penthouse apartment. The penthouse unit will be designed in duplex-style and, given its location, is likely to be sold at a huge premium.

Mr O'Brien is not listed as a director of Partenay but it is believed to look after some of his property interests. One of the directors of Partenay is David Sykes who has also been an associate of Mr O'Brien's. Another director is Sandra Ruttle, company secretary at eIsland, O'Brien's consortium which was an unsuccessful bidder for Eircom in 2001. The third director is Ann Foley.