Latest news with #TuathHousing
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
‘It's for future generations of kids': Olympic star Kellie Harrington joins locals opposing housing plans on ‘vital' playground
Locals living in Dublin's north inner city, including Olympic champion Kellie Harrington, have been left 'devastated' amid plans to construct housing on a 'vital' playground and sports pitch. A development being undertaken by Dublin City Council and Tuath Housing would see 49 units across three blocks constructed on the Portland Row Maintenance Depot site and a playground and sports area on Aldborough Place. While locals say they are glad to see the depot site used for housing, they are 'devastated' at the loss of the space used for decades for sports, play and community events. As of Friday, plans submitted had amassed 28 objections to the use of the space, including one from two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington. READ MORE Speaking to The Irish Times at the site, nestled away from a busy Portland Row, the 35-year-old recalled playing there as a child and training there with her coach during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'I see people coming here with their grandkids, playing football. If you take that away, we're never getting it back,' she said. Ms Harrington said the proposed plan for the depot site is 'absolutely brilliant', saying social and affordable housing is needed now more than ever. However, 'we all nearly died on the spot' at the sight of plans to build on the amenity on Aldborough Place, she said. 'It's not for me, it's for the future generations of kids that are coming through, I want to make sure they have a safe space to play, to be able to practice their sports and hang out with their friends,' she said, adding: 'I'm not asking for anything unrealistic.' [ Large crowds gather to greet Kellie Harrington as double Olympic champion arrives home to Portland Row Opens in new window ] Ms Harrington, alongside various other locals, maintains hope that the site will be removed from the plans and instead redeveloped for recreational use. 'Winning two Olympic medals, yes it's great, but it will be forgotten about eventually; hopefully, if this is looked after and maintained, it won't be,' she said. According to planning documents, a new multi-use community and cultural space is proposed within the new scheme, which will be accessible to both residents and the wider community. However, Ms Harrington, who lives beside the site, believes it will be oversubscribed, resulting in children having to 'book in'. 'They have met with us a couple of times but they haven't listened,' she said. Catherine Flood, who has lived in the area for 43 years, recalled fond memories of her own children playing at the space. 'That's all they had, and that's all my grandkids have. There's nowhere else, and they want to take this. It's horrendous,' she said. Such spaces are 'almost all but gone', particularly in the north inner city, local Social Democrats councillor Daniel Ennis added. 'Eleven out of ten of my cases as a councillor are housing; it's not a housing crisis, it's a housing disaster at this stage. But at what cost do we put buildings on top of buildings and swallow up all our free space? 'A gun can't be put to our heads in terms of the need for housing. We have a massive need for housing, but we have a massive need for play space,' he said. He added that spaces for play and sport can act as the 'ultimate youth diversion' amid 'high levels of open drug dealing and antisocial behaviour'. [ Derelict Dublin: Too often, it feels like a place designed by people who despise its inhabitants Opens in new window ] Among those objecting to the plans is Elizabeth Cashin, who wrote that she lived through the 1941 North Strand bombing. Her 14 children grew up playing at the site, she said. 'I am making this observation to save the playground for other children,' she wrote, adding: 'Please don't take it away from them.' Dublin City Council and Tuath Housing did not respond to requests for comment.
BreakingNews.ie
14-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Plans for almost 100 new cost rental homes approved in Cork suburb of Blackrock
Plans for almost 100 new homes in the Cork suburb of Blackrock which will be made available on a cost rental basis have been given the green light. An Bord Pleanála upheld last year's decision of Cork City Council to grant planning permission to development firm, Lyonshall, for the construction of 90 residential units on a 0.63-hectare site on Skehard Road. Advertisement The board rejected appeals against the council's ruling by two local families who claimed the proposed development was out of proportion and would visually dominate other homes in its immediate vicinity. They complained that the density and height of the apartment blocks were excessive. The site – which is adjacent to the SuperValu supermarket in Blackrock – is currently occupied by Villa Maria, a vacant two-storey house, which will be demolished as part of the plans. The project is being developed in conjunction with voluntary approved housing association, Tuath Housing, as a cost rental scheme subject to funding approval from the Department of Housing. Advertisement It will comprise 74 apartments in three blocks up to five storeys in height as well as 12 townhouses and four duplex units. Under the cost rental scheme, the rent charged will be a maximum of 35 per cent of a tenant's income. Lyonshall successfully appealed a condition imposed by council planners which directed it to omit one level from the apartment blocks with the loss of 18 units. A planning inspector with An Bord Pleanála had also recommended the omission of one storey with the observation that the acceptability of five-storeys was 'very finely balanced' and would represent 'an abrupt transition in scale.' Advertisement However, the company said the condition was unnecessary and claimed that the reduced number of units would threaten the viability of the development. In response to the appeals, Lyonshall pointed out that the Cork City Development Plan sets height targets for areas across the city. It noted that the development was within the target range for Blackrock and Ballintemple of between three and five storeys. Subject to compliance with a number of planning conditions, the board said the development was acceptable in terms of design, density, unit mix, residential amenity for future residents as well as pedestrian and traffic safety. Advertisement The board also observed that it would promote 'the efficient development of housing on an accessible and sustainable site.' Planning documents submitted by Lyonshall show that Blackrock was the second most preferred location after the city centre among almost 13,500 applicants for social housing in Cork. The company said there was 'a demonstrable need for social and affordable housing at this location' as well as noting that there was an 'overwhelming and urgent demand' for small residential units. Cork City Council has previously rejected plans for a mixed-used development including an Aldi supermarket on the same site by the same developer in 2021 because of its 'visually obtrusive' impact and overshadowing of neighbouring properties. Local Fianna Fáil councillor, Terry Shannon, said he had no objection to the development in principle but claimed its height was 'excessive' and its scale was 'quite overpowering.' Independent councillor, Kieran McCarthy, said he believed the proposal 'packs too much housing into such a small space,' while his Labour colleague, Peter Horgan called for the plans to be reviewed in order to replace the apartment blocks with more duplex-style housing.
