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Developers are facing severe restrictions on the construction
of high-rise buildings in Dublin city following the introduction
of the new Dublin City Development Plan next year.
City councillors last week agreed to ban the construction
of buildings above 28m (92ft) - about half the height of Liberty
Hall - unless a statutory plan - called a Local Area Plan
(LAP) - was drafted for the area in question. Such a plan
could take several years to develop.
This would block the construction of any further high-rise
or even medium-rise buildings in areas previously earmarked
by the council for tall buildings - such as the Docklands,
Heuston and Connolly stations and George’s Quay.
The LAP, which functions as a development plan specific to
a particular area, would have to specify maximum building
heights allowed. Until a local area plan was approved, all
developments would have to remain low rise. Councillors last
week agreed to define low rise as up to six storeys in relation
to residential buildings and seven storeys for office buildings
or a maximum height of less than 28m.
The development of LAPs has been a fraught process within
the council. Attempts were made over several years to introduce
a LAP for Ballsbridge, but the plan fell apart when agreement
could not be reached on whether to allow a 'landmark'
tall building.
The amendment to the draft development plan in relation to
the development of LAPs was agreed last week as a compromise
motion. Several councillors had wanted caps on height and
some motions would have seen high rise defined as under 30m.
However, the agreed amendment - by effectively deferring
any decision on maximum heights - makes the city development
plan worthless as a guide to developers as to where applications
for tall buildings would be considered.
The draft plan will be released for a further round of consultation
before being formally agreed by councillors later this year.
City manager John Tierney, in his report to councillors on
the plan, had warned putting restrictive caps on heights would
have “severe repercussions for the city’s competitiveness”.
Source - The Irish Times
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