THE OPENING of new off-licences in Dublin city is to be severely restricted for the next five years under a new Dublin City Development Plan to be finalised tonight.
City councillors last night voted to prohibit the opening of new off-licences or part off-licences except where there was a “compelling case” for such alcoholic drink retail outlets in a particular area.
Any application for an off-licence will have to include a map of all off-licences already located within a 1km radius of the proposed development. The council had received a submission the introduction of this policy would inhibit or slow down the rollout of Tesco Express convenience stores within the city and would adversely affect competition.
However, councillors last night determined there were already sufficient off-licences to serve most areas for the term of the new development plan, 2011-2017. The plan is also set to place strict limits on the construction of tall buildings in the city until 2017.
The plan, which must under council rules be ratified by midnight tonight, would ban new office buildings of more than seven storeys and apartment blocks of more than six storeys through most of the inner city.
Several councillors were seeking maximum office heights of just five storeys. However, assistant city manager Michael Stubbs said such a move would have “severe repercussions for the city” in terms of investment.
The proposed curbs on height would be even more acute in the suburbs, where residential buildings in most areas would not be permitted above five storeys and office blocks would be restricted to four storeys.
Under the plan, specific zones which had been earmarked for taller buildings would remain low-rise unless an additional Local Area Plan, which would designate the permissible height for individual sites, was agreed.
Just four areas of the city had been approved for high-rise buildings of more than 50m or above 16 storeys of apartments and 12 storeys of offices. These are the Docklands, George’s Quay and the Connolly and Heuston station areas.
A further nine areas were identified as having potential for mid-rise buildings of up to 50m.
These are Phibsboro, Grangegorman, the Digital Hub, the North Fringe, Clonshaugh, Ballymun, Pelletstown, Cherry Orchard/Park West, and the Naas Road.
Although some of these 13 areas already have tall buildings, no further developments above 28m – about half the height of Liberty Hall – could be built until new plans were passed. Currently only Phibsboro and the Digital Hub are covered by local plans.
Business organisations and construction industry representatives have criticised the caps on height.
