Athlone resident lodges appeal over St Stephen's Green shopping centre project
An Athlone man has lodged an objection against the controversial €100m demolition and redevelopment plan for St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre in Dublin.
Moydrum, Athlone, resident Oliver Donoghue submitted the third planning appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála against the decision made by Dublin City Council to grant permission for project at the landmark city centre site.
The council's grant of planning permission for the redevelopment of the shopping centre attracted some criticism because it would result in the removal of the building's distinctive curved facade and glass dome.
In his appeal against the decision, Mr Donoghue argued that "the permitted development constitutes a serious overdevelopment of a highly sensitive and historically significant site" and "materially contravenes the proper planning and sustainable development" of the area.
He stated that the development's scale and density represented "excessive intensification of a constrained inner-city site" and failed to "respond appropriately to the fine-grained historic context" of the premises.
From an aesthetic viewpoint, the appellant said that the height increase "reaching up to eight storeys" would "disrupt the visual skyline of the historic core" and visually compete with "historic structures" and "established landmark buildings".
Mr Donoghue added that the development would impact on the setting of St Stephen's Green, citing the city centre amenity as a "nationally important historic landscape and civic space of exceptional cultural, architectural and social value".
Referencing the intended mixed use as proposed in the development, Donoghue said this was "unbalanced" with an "overconcentration" of office floor space included as part of the centre's refurbishment.
"The limited provision of cultural or civic uses is insufficient to counterbalance the scheme's commercial emphasis," his appeal stated.
Furthermore, Mr Donoghue expressed the view that if the development went ahead it would "set a significant and undesirable precedent for further intensification in the vicinity of St Stephen's Green and the wider historic core".
He stated that the proposal fails to meet standards for proper planning and sustainable development and "does not achieve an appropriate balance between development and conservation".
Mr Donoghue concluded by calling on An Coimisiún Pleanála to "set aside the decision of Dublin City Council" and refuse permission for the proposed development.
The centre's owners, DTDL Ltd, were recently granted planning approval by the local authority for the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre redevelopment. Its planning application had attracted more than 60 submissions, with most opposed to the project.
The plans would involve an increase in the shopping centre's height to eight storeys, a reconfiguration of the retail space, and the addition of office space and cinema screens, as well as a number of hospitality outlets.
Recommending that planning permission be granted, a council planner's report stated that, considered holistically, "the deep retrofit of the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre will result in an improved visitor and retailer experience associated with the centre."
The proposed development would have the capacity to accommodate 3,000 office workers, while the retail floor area at basement, ground and first floor levels would be 19,001 square metres.
Further objections are expected to be lodged with to be lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála before the May 18 closing date for appeals.