THE MANAGER of Dublin City Council is to prepare a report for councillors on how the developer Seán Dunne was granted planning permission by city planners for his site in Ballsbridge.
John Tierney last night agreed to prepare the report in time for next month’s council meeting after councillors passed two emergency motions calling for an independent investigation into the process that led to Mr Dunne being granted permission.
An Bord Pleanála last week overturned the council planners’ decision asserting strongly that the plans contravened the city development plan.
The first of the two motions was proposed by Cllr Dermot Lacey (Labour) and seconded by Cllr Kevin Humphreys (Labour), while the second was proposed by the Fine Gael group and seconded by Cllrs Lacey and Humphreys.
The Labour Party motion called for “an independent investigation into the process that led to the granting of planning permission for the Jury’s/Berekeley Court site in Ballsbridge given the strenuous assertion by An Bord Pleanála that it clearly contravened the city development plan.”
The Fine Gael motion said: “Following An Bord Pleanála’s refusal of high rise development in Ballsbridge, the elected members call for full disclosure from the City Manager of his reasoning for granting permission in spite of the proposal contravening the city development plan.”
Councillors voted to pass the motions without debate and there followed a discussion as to whether Mr Tierney should make a statement. It was agreed he should.
He said it was one thing to criticise the decision of city planners, “but it’s another matter to when their integrity is called into question”.
He agreed to a suggestion by Cllr Bill Tormey (Fine Gael) that he should prepare a report before the next council meeting, which could be fully debated then.
Yesterday Mr Dunne cited a “lack of leadership” in An Bord Pleanála, saying “we had a clear vision for this site”.
Speaking on Newstalk’s Lunchtime with Eamon Keane show, he said: “There is a lack of leadership coming from the planning authorities. Not from Dublin City Council – I would have no criticism of Dublin City Council. They’re trying to implement the development plan as they see fit but they seem to be met with a stone wall with An Bord Pleanála, for example.”
Mr Dunne also said he had been “amazed by the Opposition politicians”. He said: “Some politicians who represent the locality think that I write Fianna Fáil policy. I neither write Fianna Fáil policy nor am a member of Fianna Fáil.”
Mr Dunne was critical of Fine Gael TD for Dublin South East Lucinda Creighton who, according to Mr Keane, had described An Bord Pleanála’s ruling as “a great day for Ireland”.
“If that’s her opinion, it’s a sad reflection on Fine Gael as a party. I would hope it’s not the policy of the leader of Fine Gael but if it is they might come out and confirm it,” he said.
A spokesman for Fine Gael said: “The party doesn’t necessarily comment on individual development proposals as they proceed through the planning process. Deputy Creighton has played a very active and a positive role in relation to this development. She has represented her constituents’ interests with zeal.”
The plans the Poolbeg peninsula in Dublin, unveiled yesterday by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, presented “an appalling vista of boxes”, local residents have said.
The Poolbeg planning scheme will allow for the development of more than 100 acres of former industrial lands, including the 25-acre Irish Glass Bottle site and the former Pigeon House power station. It includes homes for 10,000 people and office space to accommodate 16,000. Most of the residential accommodation will be six to seven storeys, with a maximum height of 15 storeys.
Approval to create the scheme was granted to the authority by the Government in mid-2007. Also known as a Section 25, the scheme gives power to the authority to grant permission for developments without approval from the local authority or An Bord Pleanála. The plan is out for public consultation, and will need to be ratified by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
Damien Cassidy of the Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown Environmental Group said the plan amounted to a “land grab”.