Rejection of children's hospital plan

Sir, – As a parent, I am devastated; as an architect, I am appalled; as an urbanist, I am incredulous; above all, as a citizen, I am enraged.

When will the common good take precedence over sectoral interests? – Yours, etc,

Sir, – The refusal of the planning application for the new children’s hospital at the Mater site will come as a great shock and disappointment to the many members of the public and the project proposers, who have invested such considerable time, effort and cost. It will not, however, come as much of a surprise to many professional planners, who will see this as the right decision and the only logical, planning outcome. While the location is arguably good from a city-planning perspective, there is an unbridgeable gap between the capacity of the site and the sheer size and scale of the proposed development.

So, what lessons can be learned and how can we progress as quickly as possible with a new proposal? The first must be to include planning concerns, and involve professional planners, at the earliest stage of the project. The second, is to give planning concerns appropriate weight alongside medical, operational and design concerns – after all, the project will ultimately pass through our open development management process. The third is to set about a proper process of site selection – one which is based on a balanced set of criteria and one which can isolate a suitably large site, with good access for patients and visitors and workers (particularly from public transport), with potential to benefit from, and contribute to, the fabric, life and economy of the city.

Finally, it could be argued that proposals of this scale and importance should not emerge in the development management process, prior to an open and consultative, city-wide study as part of a review or variation of the city development plan. This would “frontload” the planning decision- making process, reduce the risk of refusal of the planning application and, very importantly, avoid the squandering of time, effort and money. We must remember that the children’s hospital is not just a hospital but a major and important piece of the fabric, life and economy of our city. – Yours, etc,

PAUL DORAN,

Monastery Walk,

Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

A chara, – Are we seriously expected to believe that nobody in any interested part of the entire public service had a Plan B for a new children’s hospital in case An Bord Pleanála said no? If not, why not? – Is mise,

SEÁN O KIERSEY,

Kill Abbey,

Deansgrange,

Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Sir, – What’s wrong with the old Irish Glass Bottle site at Ringsend? It’s very large, available and close to St Vincent’s Hospital. And access from the west and north of Dublin, and indeed everywhere else in the country, would be easy via the M50, the tunnel and the toll bridge. – Yours, etc,

Sir, – An Bord Pleanála has done the ordinary citizen, from city or countryside, a great service and not just for aesthetic reasons. Before another site is selected (there is no scarcity of half-developed eyesores available), let all those who thought that the Mater site was fine be forced to rush seriously ill children to the Eccles Street area without Garda escort privileges. They will find that access is almost impossible due traffic congestion; parking is a joke and when they eventually return to their cars to add to their worry and misery, they will find the windows on their car smashed. This was our experience on two occasions.

Thank you again Bord Pleanála, increasingly. Politicians don’t seem to be constrained by the rights or needs of ordinary citizens. It is good to see that at least one part of our administrative system has not become corrupted. – Yours, etc,

HUGH DOYLE,

Lagore Road,

Dunshaughlin

Co Meath.