Madam, – At a time when many of our regulatory bodies are under fire, may I congratulate An Bord Pleanála on its refusal to permit construction of the proposed 37-storey tower in Ballsbridge.
I'm not sure whether the greater folly was Seán Dunne's, for paying €379 million for seven acres, or that of the bank that saw fit to back such a grossly overpriced deal. Even a Manhattan land purchaser would balk at paying €54 million per acre, a cost that would only ever have been repaid by bubble-price sales of a multi-storey tower. It now seems likely that the largest construction to come from this saga will be Mr Dunne's infamous half- age letter to The Irish Timesof August 24th, 2007). – Yours, etc,
THEO RYAN,
Sitric Place,
Dublin 7.
Madam, – I cannot say I have any sympathy for Seán Dunne. However, the decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse him planning permission for his development raises questions about its even-handedness.
The board said the 37-storey development would be “highly obtrusive and would be at odds with the established character of Ballsbridge”. Yet the same board approved a 32-storey development close to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. The question now is: do the protestations and petitions of the residents of Dublin 4 carry more weight with An Bord Pleanála than the protestations and petitions of the residents of Dublin 8? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’FLANAGAN,
Emmet Road,
Dublin 8.