Officials intervene in hospital road dispute

Dublin City Council officials have intervened in a dispute over a hospital road that has been built immediately beside a row of private back gardens beside Beaumont Hospital.

Residents say they were unaware of the planning application as the site notice was half a mile away and that the “loop” road, just partially built, has ruined their quality of life.

Those living in 24 homes in Ardmore Crescent say the value of their properties has also been affected.

The new road carrying trucks and other heavy vehicles in the hospital grounds is about two metres higher than the levels in the gardens of the houses.

Although on the Beaumont campus, it is a HSE-funded project contracted to a third party company and was ultimately given the green light by Dublin City Council planners.

“We hope to get that road removed. We have trucks bearing down on us, buses, noise, invasion of privacy. We can’t use our gardens anymore,” said long-time resident Marian Usher.

Oversight

One of their neighbours attempted to host a barbecue but found it impossible with passing pedestrians looking right down on top of them.

Planners have conceded there was an element of oversight on their part in relation to the proposed height and proximity.

At a meeting of the Dublin City Council north central area committee yesterday, public representatives were told that one of the residents had initiated legal action.

An engineer’s report has been requested to examine how reinforced the road is after its construction in November last year. Council officials hope to meet a design team next month to address potential solutions.

Speaking at the area meeting yesterday, Sinn Féin councillor Larry Toole said he was determined the issue be addressed.

“This road would also be running adjacent to a school with 700 pupils in it and all of the problems that that would entail,” he said. “This whole thing has to be away from the back of people’s homes. It’s not acceptable that it would be left there.”

A spokesman for Beaumont Hospital said last night: “We acknowledge that there is an issue for the residents. We have engaged with them and will continue to do so.

“There are a number of proposals that are options for solutions. We are hopeful that we can arrive at an accommodation.”

In a statement the HSE said it is “aware of the issue and is supporting Beaumont in the discussions with Dublin City Council and the residents in an effort to resolve the issue.”