THE LAYOUT OF a street network for a major new suburb of Dublin providing 3,500 homes near the mouth of the River Liffey has been approved by Dublin City Council.

The local authority has granted planning permission for preliminary infrastructural works to facilitate the first phase of the development of the former Irish Glass Bottle site and a smaller adjoining property in Ringsend.

The receivers of Becbay and Fabrizia Developments will develop the basic infrastructure, including streets, public spaces as well as transportation and water services, of a new “city quarter” which will be known as Poolbeg West over a combined area of 15 hectares.

The main element of the project will be the development of a network of new roads including a tree-lined avenue to be called Central Boulevard – the main thoroughfare through the new quarter.

It will extend 425 metres between Seán Moore Road and a new coastal park which will be called “The Promenade”.

The landscaped street will accommodate vehicular traffic including public transport as well as on-street parking and cycling facilities.

A large village green of almost one hectare will be located along the Central Boulevard as well as a public square, while a dog park will be provided at one end of The Promenade.

The preliminary works also provide for the temporary landscaping of a site for a new school.

Water and wastewater services will also be developed as well as infrastructure for a range of utilities including a district heating system.

A joint plan prepared by Becbay and Fabrizia Developments said the coordinated approach of the planning scheme would address the transportation, services, recreational and community infrastructure requirements “to deliver a sustainable community”.

The development has been welcomed by the Irish Glass Bottle Housing Action Group and the Seán Moore Road Residents’ Association, although they have expressed concern about the potential impact that will come with construction work on the project.

They have called for the appointment of a “development czar” to oversee the overall management of the site and the establishment of a liaison committee “to ensure the smooth and successful development of the site”.

Transport

It is estimated the construction phase will generate 198 extra vehicle trips daily on the local road network including 30 during peak traffic hours.

The National Transport Authority has welcomed the development but called on the council to ensure a bus gate was created on Central Boulevard to prioritise bus movement in the area and that access to underground car parks should only be provided along side streets.

Council planners acknowledged that both the Irish Glass Bottle and Fabrizia sites were contaminated and would require remediation works with the overall development being described as “complex”.

The Irish Glass Bottle site has had a chequered history since the bottling plant closed in 2002 and is now partially controlled by Nama.

The property was bought for €412 million in 2006 by Becbay – a consortium that included developer, Bernard McNamara and financier, Derek Quinlan as well as the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, but was valued at only €30 million following the economic downturn.

Among a total of 29 conditions on the grant of planning permission is a requirement that the developer maximises the opportunities to employ local residents particularly in relation to apprenticeships in the construction.

An Bord Pleanála approved the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone last April which provides for the development of 3,500 new housing units for a population of 8,000 in the new suburb.

The board also stipulated that 25% of all residential property to be built in Poolbeg West must be earmarked for social and affordable housing – a total of 875 units.

Approximately 80-85% of the entire area will be developed for housing.

Up to 100,000m² of commercial floor space will be provided, providing employment for around 8,000 workers.

Construction of the basic infrastructure for the development of Poolbeg West is expected to take 12 months to complete.

Another major element of the overall project is a proposed new bridge, limited to public transport vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, over the River Dodder between Britain Quay and York Road.