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Monday, 21 Feb 2022 11:58
Dublin City Council is set to insist on a restrictive zoning for Catholic Church lands.
The Archdiocese has complained that a redefinition of zoning will all but rule out housing on so-called community lands. Theirs is one of 3,300 submissions on the draft plan.
Lands held by the Archdiocese, as well as those held by religious orders, have a Z15 zoning defined as 'community'.
Planning consultant Tom Phillips explains that these lands are now subject to a redefinition, which allows housing only in "highly exceptional circumstances".
Those circumstances would be where it was needed to maintain the function of the institution on the lands.
Mr Phillips said this precludes housing such as housing for older people or low density, and added "even common sense doesn't enter into it".
In a statement, the Archdiocese described this as a "discrimination" and called for future development of any of its sites which become redundant to be considered on its merits.
However, the city council looks set to stick to the rezoning, and points out that the Z15 does allow supported living units where it is related to the primary use of the lands.
Labour Councillor Mary Freehill said she supports the council's position.
"We as a council we want to make sure that this scarce resource, the land that we have in Dublin, is used in the best possible way," she said.
"And that we protect educational services and we protect the health services that exist on these sites."
She said councillors wanted to prevent a reoccurrence of what happened at Holy Cross in Drumcondra, where permission has been granted on former church lands for nearly 1,600 build-to-rent units in blocks up to 18 storeys high.
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Renewed calls to move Dublin Port
Meanwhile, there have been renewed calls for Dublin Port to be moved and its 200 hectares to be used for housing.
The Dublin Port Company has pointed out that a Government-commissioned report ruled out the idea in 2009 and has said on a number of occasions that the value of the land would be a fraction of the cost of moving.
Chief Executive Eamonn O'Reilly has said it would cost €8.3 billion to move - at 2020 prices - and the port land would be worth only €2.6 billion as residential.
There is also the issue of environmental law, which would prohibit the installation of tanks storing 400,000 tonnes of petroleum products on another part of the coastline.
However, Alan Robinson, Chief Executive of the Docklands Business Forum, has renewed call for the port to be moved in a submission to the development plan.
Mr Robinson admits there will be a high net cost to moving the port, but points out that the port is already spending billions on intensifying its use where it is.
He said the money would be better spent on moving, and that the port will probably have to be moved after 2040.
The city's council chief executive's response to the submissions will be debated by councillors in July.