Ballsbridge 37-Storey Towers Too High

Dublin City Council has granted partial approval to Sean Dunne's Mountbrook for the redevelopment of the Jurys/Berkeley Court site, in Ballsbridge, South Dublin.

Permission was not granted, however, for the 37-storey tower and the office block, calling into question the feasibility of the whole redevelopment.

Sean Dunne, Managing Director of Mountbrook has said that the decision will be appealed to An Bord Pleanála as the tower is an integral element of the proposal and office space is an important part of any mixed-use development.

As a result of the planning decision, Mountbrook confirmed that the development will not commence until the two omitted buildings have been granted permission, either through An Bord Pleanála or Dublin City Council in a subsequent planning application.


Planning permission granted for the premium site development includes; 18-storey building fronting on to Shelbourne Road, a 232-bedroom hotel, district shopping centre, 294 family-sized apartments, an embassy building, a cultural centre and a crèche.

But Fine Gael Dublin South East TD Lucinda Creighton has described the decision as questionable and said the entire proposal is flawed.

She said: "Serious questions must now be asked about why Dublin City Council's executive decided to grant planning permission for the bulk of the Jury's development, and why the executive only notified the developer.

"No notice was given to objectors, to city councillors, or to any public representative, let alone the residents of the area. This in itself is highly unusual and may contravene the council's own guidelines.

"Although the proposal for a 37 storey tower has been turned down, I am still of the view that the entire project represents bad planning, contravenes the Dublin City Development Plan, and is contrary to the area's zoning status," she added.

Last month, planning permission was granted for a 15-storey residential tower, three office blocks and other facilities on the adjoining UCD Veterinary College site.

(VB)