Park Development's plan to demolish Marian Hall on Milltown Road and build six apartment blocks ranging from four to eight stories on a site bounded by Mount St Annes housing development in Milltown, Dublin 6 has met with local opposition. Edel Morgan reports.
Five appeals have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála in response to planning permission granted by Dublin City Council, although a further two appeals were declared invalid.
Park Developments, which has built the Mount St Anne's scheme, is looking to build 217 apartments, a childcare facility, gym and fitness centre, two retail units, a replacement parish hall and a health centre on the 3.5 acre site.
The developer is also looking to create a pedestrian access to the Luas line through Mount St Anne's housing estate and create an integrated open space between the two housing estates.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul, which has property called St Brocs adjoining Park Development's site, has appealed on the grounds that there is inadequate car-parking provision for delivery vehicles which they believe will lead to car-parking on the lane that provides access to its car-park.
It also contends that overlooking from the north-east elevation of one of the blocks would be "detrimental to amenity of the occupants of St Brocs".
Milltown Residents Association believes the proposed development will worsen existing traffic problems on Milltown Road during peak times and says one of the blocks will "totally overshadow houses forming Geraldine Terrace" and the Catholic church and should be reduced from five stories to three. It also commented that the apartment blocks proposed are too bulky and high and their density is excessive.
The residents of Mount St Anne's said the proposal relies on the private facilities of Mount St Anne's, including public access to the Luas and that neither residents nor the management company have been consulted.
Other concerns include overdevelopment of the site and excessive scale. It says the six proposed blocks "are comparatively massive and also rectangular, compared to the curved and organic nature of the existing development". Another appellant said that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required and should have been part of the applicant's submission.
Michael Cotter's Park Developments paid the Sisters of Mercy €11.43 million for 18 acres in 1995 and in 1999 paid a further €10.16 million for a further 3.5 acres.
