Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for 618 apartments at the former Chivers factory at Coolock in north Dublin despite concerns expressed by the parent company of Cadbury chocolate.
The council granted a seven-year planning permission to London-based Platinum Lands Ltd for the Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) plans for the site on Coolock Drive.
The applicants had lodged plans for 621 units last November in four 10-storey blocks.
Cadbury parent Mondelez Europe, had raised a concern over rodent migration from the construction site to its chocolate production plant “of national significance”.
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At the Coolock plant, Cadbury produces some of its best known brands including Twirl, Flake, Boost and Dairy Milk.
In a submission to the council, planning consultants Cunnane Stratton Reynolds for Mondelez Europe under the heading of “Rodent and pest concerns”, told the council “it is a significant concern that there will be a rodent migration on to our client’s site during the demolition and construction phase”.
The submission added that “this is particularly a concern for a food-processing facility of national significance and standing”.
The consultants warned this should be a significant component in the requested Construction Demolition Waste Management Plan (CDWMP) for the application.
Cadbury Ireland has had a presence in the State since 1933, and the Coolock factory has been operational since 1956.
Cunnane Stratton Reynolds stated that the facility operates 24/7 and that“in the event that planning permission is granted, the operation of our client’s factory must not be compromised by any future residents of the scheme on noise pollution grounds”.
The council has ordered the applicants to adhere to a number of Environmental Health Section Division requirements in the grant of permission.
These include that the results of the noise and vibration monitoring carried out during the demolition and construction phase shall be made available to this unit on request and that all site works must follow best practices for managing air and noise emissions to prevent nuisance to neighbouring occupants.
The council has also included a condition that the development shall be operated and managed to ensure that emissions such as malodour, dust, fumes or other deleterious materials do not give reasonable cause for annoyance to any person in any residence, adjoining unit or public place in the vicinity.
