Sir, – It is positive that the long-incomplete shell known as the “Sentinel” in Sandyford in Dublin finally looks set for completion, given the submission of a new application seeking to build apartments on the site (News, August 7th).
However, this particular scenario should be regarded as a special basis for review by the Department of Housing given, as reported, initial work on the building began all of 16 years ago in 2007.
The monolithic shell has adversely overlooked a great many homes particularly in the Upper Kilmacud Road area to a significantly detrimental extent for residents affected.
Our current system allows such incomplete projects to persist by allowing landowners to submit planning applications on a rolling basis where a previous application has expired without substantive progress made.
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Where construction has materially begun on a given project, a change to regulations or legislation must be considered which could, for example, suggest heavy penalties for work left incomplete for an extended duration.
As well as the severe example of the “Sentinel” tower, even a case of an incomplete two-storey house can upset immediate neighbouring residents to such a property, and it would be unreasonable from their perspective if similarly left substantially idle and unfinished for many years.
There must be no tolerance of this sort of scenario from persisting again on another site in the Stillorgan catchment area again, and even a year of idleness on a large construction site would be considered to be grossly unfair to surrounding residents. – Yours, etc,
Cllr JOHN KENNEDY,
(Fine Gael),
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
County Council Offices,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
