Residents on Quarry Road in Cabra had raised objections to the proposed apartment blocks, with some believing they would cause a loss of daylight “that would affect the mental health of people with seasonal affective disorder”.
Patrick Goslin and Sons Ltd sought planning permission from Dublin City Council for the demolition of all the buildings at 52 and 54 Quarry Road and the redevelopment of the site to provide 64 apartments across three separate apartment blocks. This would include two studios, 28 one-bed and 34 two-bed apartments. There would also be a commercial premises.
The planning application said there would only be five car-parking spaces and 138 places for bikes.
In October last year, Dublin City Council refused permission due to concerns about the lack of parking, amenities in the area and the impact it would have on an adjoining apartment block.
It said the proposed development “would cause serious injury to the residential amenities” of people living in the Homestead Court apartments through the “unreasonable loss of daylight/sunlight”.
There were also concerns raised that the lack of spaces would lead to illegal parking on footpaths, creating obstructions for pedestrians and cyclists. The five car spaces would include two electric vehicles, two car-sharing services and one disabled parking bay.
A total of 16 observations were submitted in response to the planning application. Locals said the development would cause a “reduced visibility of the sky, loss of privacy, noise disturbance and increased dust and dirt”.
They also believed it would lead to increased anti-social behaviour due to a lack of facilities, jobs and services in the area.
The Homestead Bar said the development would overlook its smoking area and “disrupt the business”. In response, an appeal was issued to An Bord Pleanála by Patrick Goslin and Sons.
The company argued that apartment guidelines and national policy state car parking is to be minimised, substantially reduced or wholly eliminated in certain circumstances. Suitable locations include places within a 15-minute walk of a city centre or 10 minutes from a Dart, commuter rail or Luas.
“The site is within a nine-minute walk of Cabra Luas,” the appeal said.
It also rejected arguments about the effect on daylight and the neighbouring public house.
In a decision published earlier this month, An Bord Pleanála ruled that the proposed development “would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard or obstruction of road users” due to the lack of parking facilities.
When an inspector called to the site on a Monday afternoon, the surrounding streets were very “intensively parked” and several vehicles were partly or entirely on a pavement.
“It would be reasonable to assume that this would be further exacerbated in the evenings when most people return from work, as well as during those times when the bingo hall is operating,” the inspector’s report said.
