Building height restrictions in a new development plan for Ballsbridge, Dublin, which would have ruled out a proposed 32- storey building on the Jurys and Berkeley Court hotel sites, may be "relaxed" if the building is designated a "distinctive landmark" by the council.
The Ballsbridge Local Area Plan, released for public consultation yesterday, will have statutory powers to govern all future development in one of the most exclusive areas of the city, which houses landmarks including the RDS, the US embassy and Lansdowne Road stadium.
It focuses on the "urban village" centre of Ballsbridge around the junction of Pembroke Road, Shelbourne Road and Merrion Road, especially the development opportunities presented by large sites such as the seven-acre Jurys/Berkeley Court site bought by developer Seán Dunne for €380 million last year.
The plan puts forward a strategy for the protection of the natural and built environment, the creation of public open spaces and community facilities, as well as residential, commercial and retail developments and refers to the permissible height of any development.
Three maximum heights, the tallest being eight storeys, have been specified, depending on the height of surrounding buildings and the general setting of the new building.
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