Dublin 4 residents stall plans for student accommodation

Last month, Dublin City Council granted planning permission to a Lioncor subsidiary, 1 Merrion Compound Land Ltd, for the two-block six-storey scheme at Merrion Gates, 169-177 Merrion Road, despite the opposition of local residents, including the Merrion Rd Residents Association.

The permitted Merrion Gates scheme at the former Gowan Motors compound will also have ancillary student support facilities including internal communal amenity space at basement and ground level, student residents’ lounge, co-working space and a multi-purpose gym.

The city council granted planning permission after concluding the proposed student accommodation is well located in terms of access to third level institutions and also in relation to public transport.

The planners concluded that the proposal will not result in an excessive concentration of student accommodation to an extent that would be detrimental to the maintenance of balanced communities or to the established character and residential amenity of the locality.

However, the scheme is now stalled with two separate third party appeals lodged by Amy Smith of Fitzwilliam Lane, Dublin 2 and a second joint appeal lodged by Merrion Rd residents Eamon O’Flynn and David Burlington.

In her appeal, Ms Smith contends the proposed development is out of scale with the existing site. She contends it will result in the “overshadowing of the existing neighbouring properties” and will constitute overdevelopment of the site.

Ms Smith argues that the proposed development “is architecturally out of sync with the immediate surrounding buildings and dwellings”.

“This is a distinct area of Dublin with notable buildings in the immediate vicinity and the density of the proposed development with such proximity to the road will alter the existing streetscape,” she said.

In their joint appeal, Mr O’Flynn and Mr Burlington state that a more modest set of proposals, involving “a more sensitive utilisation of the site can still provide much-needed accommodation” while reducing “the negative impact on the surrounding area”.

The appeal further contends that the scheme is out of character with its surroundings.