A PROPERTY DEVELOPER has secured planning permission to develop a 48-bed apartment block at North Strand in Dublin three years after a planning application was refused following concerns from Irish Rail and local residents. 

Remcoll Capital was refused planning permission for a six-storey, 72-bed apartment block on the former Leech Paper recycling plant at North Strand in 2017 following objections from local residents and Irish Rail which claimed the development would lie too close to railway tracks. 

In its decision at the time, the planning authority “considered that the proposed development [represented] a poor design solution that fails to have regard, in particular, to the proximity of Shamrock Cottages, a residential conservation area”.

The developer submitted a new application in November 2019 to develop 33 one bedroom and eight two-bed apartment units over six storeys at the site – down from the 48 one-bed and 12 two-bed apartments in its 2017 application – which Dublin City Council has approved. 

Irish Rail, prior to the local authority granting permission, had once again expressed concerns around the “proximity of the site to the railway” and said a consultation should be carried out with track engineers before construction could begin. 

Irish Rail had expressed concerns over the proximity of the site to railway tracks.

It also said that should a crane be erected during demolition of the existing building and construction of the new building, the developer should enter into a contract with the Iarnród Éireann, while warning of noise and vibrations from the railway which “has the capacity to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week”.

Dublin City Council noted the concern from Irish Rail in its planner’s report. 

The proposed development ”consists of 33 one-bedroom apartments; eight two-bedroom apartments; private balconies and 567sqm of communal facilities [including] a bulk storage area, meeting rooms, coffee lounge, laundry room & management suites, located on the ground floor with storage for 41 bicycles.

Dublin City Council, in its decision to grant planning permission at the site, said “the scale of the development is acceptable and would not seriously injure amenities the neighbouring properties that surround the application site”.

“The proposed development would provide high-quality residential accommodation as well as active ground floor uses, which is in compliance with the policies and objectives set out in Dublin City Development Plan 2016- 2022.

“Accordingly, it is considered that there are no other material considerations to outweigh a recommendation for grant of approval.”