THE NATIONAL TRUST for Ireland An Taisce wants the public to help fight what it is calling “high-rise” buildings in the middle of Dublin.

Yesterday marked the publication of the Draft Dublin City Development Plan by Dublin City Council (DCC) which will define the future development of the capital.

An Taisce says that the plan’s definition of high-rise and low-rise development is wrong and will damage the city’s centre. Low-rise is defined by Dublin City Council in the draft plan as buildings up to 28 metres, roughly half the height of Liberty Hall.

Previously, that designation began at 15 metres.

In the US, the designation changes at 22.5 metres for fire-safety purposes.

In the capital, buildings are usually around nine metres, with three-storey Georgian houses climbing to about 14 metres.

While the development plan says it will maintain Dublin’s low-rise ethos, An Taisce says that allowing buildings of up to 28 metres would transform the city.

“A significant aspect of Dublin’s undoubted charm is its human scale, character and harmonious relation of building height to street widths – Dublin is compared to Amsterdam and Copenhagen in combining the function of a vibrant capital with the maintenance of historic low rise character.

This charm is very fragile and, unless very carefully treated, can easily be destroyed.

With Dublin suffering both a shortage of office and living space, calls for higher density developments have been made in the past. An Taisce says that those plans would destroy the “intimate charm” of the capital.

They want to see high-rise buildings taken away from the heart of the city and placed in the Docklands and along the Luas Red line.

In the plan, the council says it needs to create “a high quality sustainable city with: densities and heights to create a more compact city”. However, it states that high-rise buildings must “provide a coherent skyline and not disrupt key vistas and views.”

Members of the public are being asked for their opinions on the plan. Public submissions may be made up to 11 December by clicking here.

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