Council rejects affordable housing beside natural heritage area

Councillors in Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown last night rejected a controversial social and affordable housing development in south Dublin beside a natural heritage area (NHA).

The council planned to develop 61 social houses and 70 affordable apartments in five to seven storeys at Blackglen Road in Sandyford, close to the proposed NHA Fitzsimon's Wood.

Some 400 objections were received during its public consultation including from An Taisce, the Hillcrest Residents' Association and Olivia Mitchell TD.

Objectors claimed the proposed development would cut off the "wildlife corridor" to the wood, threaten protected species the Smooth Newt and ultimately destroy the wood.

Environmental consultants Tubridy and Associates, engaged by the council, found that it would be safe to build houses on the grassland "without diminishing local or regional ecological values".

The council debate did not divide along the usual lines, with Labour and Fianna Fáil on opposite sides of the argument.

PD Cllr Mary Mitchell O'Connor remarked that the "Mullingar accord" had broken down.

Labour Cllr Denis O'Callaghan spoke of the desperate need for housing, saying councillors only raised environmental issues when the council wanted to build social and affordable housing.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Gerry Horkan called his comments "outrageous and scurrilous". He said the zoning of the area was wrong and that there should not be any kind of housing built near the wood.

A proposed compromise involving lowering the height of the development was rejected and councillors voted 15 to seven against the scheme.

Also at last night's meeting county manager Owen Keegan withdrew a report on the Monkstown Ring Road following concerns expressed to him by councillors.

The ring road was given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanála despite a recommendation to reject it by its senior planner, Philip Jones. The withdrawn report, seen by The Irish Times, informed councillors of the manager's intention to go ahead with the road. It was highly critical of Mr Jones.