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Phibsborough Shopping Centre SHD

Green light given for Phibsborough 297 unit shared co-living plan

An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission despite objection from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.

AN BORD PLEANALA has given the green light to contentious plans for a 297 unit shared co-living scheme on the site of Phibsborough shopping centre.

The appeals board has granted planning permission despite Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD arguing that to grant planning permission for the scheme would be “intolerable”.

The objection by McDonald was one of just under 20 that were lodged with An Bord Pleanala against the scheme on Dublin’s northside by the owners of the Phibsborough shopping centre, MM Capital.

The developers lodged their ‘fast track’ plans for the redevelopment of the 1960s shopping complex and in its place to construct the seven storey development with An Bord Pleanala on 11 December last.

This was 11 days before Minister for Housing Daragh O’Brien TD (FF) signed into law on 22 December the ban on further shared co-living schemes.

In November, Minister O’Brien announced his intention to introduce the ban.

MM Capital already has planning permission for a €50 million student accommodation scheme at the site and the new replacement shared co-living scheme will increase the permitted building height by two metres and increase in floorspace by 1,079 sq.m to 12,235sq.m.

In her objection, McDonald stated that “co-living developments are driven by investors seeking to exploit the high demand for housing and apartments in our urban centres”.

She argued that “as a consequence, these developments drive up the cost of that land making standard residential development in Dublin even more unaffordable. On that basis granting permission to this development is neither coherent nor sustainable”.

McDonald was one of a number of local politicians to object to the scheme with the Green Party’s Neasa Hourigan TD also objecting.

The Dublin Association of An Taisce along with a number of local residents associations also raised concerns over the plan.

In granting permission, the appeals board has reduced the number of shared co-living units from 321 to 297 units.

The board inserted this condition “in the interests of providing a satisfactory standard of residential amenity for occupants of the development”.

Recommending that planning be granted, Board inspector in the case Una O’Neill stated that she was satisfied that “in terms of location and need, there is adequate justification for the provision of co-living/shared accommodation at this location and will provide for an adequate level of residential amenity”.

O’Neill also stated that shared co-living accommodation “should not be viewed as being provided to the detriment of family housing provision or social housing”.

She stated that shared co-living accommodation “is recognised as fulfilling a distinct housing need under planning policy”.

O’Neill stated that she did not agree with concerns raised that shared co-living “is incapable of supporting working from home”.

The board granted planning permission after planners from Dublin City Council also recommended that planning permission be granted.

However a number of Dublin City councillors had expressed their strong opposition against the plan.

The board granted planning after finding that the scheme would provide an acceptable form of residential amenity for future occupants and would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development.

A spokesman for Phibsborough Shopping Centre welcomed the An Bord Pleanala decision.

Today, the spokesman stated that the decision together with Dublin City Council’s recent grant approval for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park “will see the regeneration of this significant landmark site into a contemporary, inspiring and an exciting destination for locals, sports fans, visitors and shoppers”.

He stated: “This positive outcome sees the culmination of five years of engagement, consultation, and design to transform Phibsborough Shopping Centre into a key destination.

The spokesman stated: “Co-living is currently an incredibly popular accommodation choice for young professionals in multiple large U.S. and European cities due to its design and community focus.”

He added: “There is a portion of the rental market whose needs are met perfectly by the community and convenience that co-living offers, where purpose built infrastructure and vast amenity space, which is unique to these types of buildings, creates a highly friendly and social environment.”

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    Mute Dean
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    Apr 14th 2021, 6:59 PM

    100% private landlord builds? And all co-living?

    No home-ownership option, no affordable option, no social-renting option.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:07 PM

    @Dean: yes and would not exist without them creating it and providing a service

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    Mute Sean Fallon
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:08 PM

    @Dean: Time to start protesting…

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    Mute Phil Quinn
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    Apr 15th 2021, 1:27 AM

    @Sean Fallon: protest against what? no one is asking you to live there

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Apr 14th 2021, 6:48 PM

    Actually seems like a good idea. The current building is an eyesore. The current housing stock there caters for the people there and there is a new college just opening around the corner. Co living is not for everyone but has it’s place

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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:08 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: it’s really student or single persons accommodation. I don’t think a family would move in while their housemates are partying, sharing kitchen and living room

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:10 PM

    @Niall Donnelly: yes true but that is fine. Most housing in Dublin is for families

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Apr 18th 2021, 4:14 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: the overwhelming majority of developments built in the surrounding area over the past years have been build to rent student/co-sharing/studio apartments. Families, couples or anyone wanting to put down roots are being pushed out as the small number of units targeted at owner occupiers are at the high end and totally out of reach of the average earner. After years of neglect Phibsborough was once again developing into a strong community but because of a lack of any real planning developers are being allowed shape how the future of the area will look. Instead of having a vibrant mix of residents, it’ll be a neighbourhood of transients with no commitment or care about the community

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    Mute Eoin Scanlon
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:08 PM

    We need units to sort supply. SF objecting to every development in Dublin, is it to purposefully constrain supply?

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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:11 PM

    @Eoin Scanlon: there’s nearly 900 build to rent properties being planned and built in Dublin 9 alone. Are you blaming that on SF also?

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    Mute Noel_Random
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:23 PM

    @Niall Donnelly: er, no. I think he was pointing out that they protest at all developments. The 900 you reference may be the “ones that got away”.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:36 PM

    So much for them been banned!

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    Mute Trish O'Keeffe
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    Apr 14th 2021, 9:23 PM

    Tenements

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    Mute Essor
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    Apr 15th 2021, 12:50 PM

    @Trish O’Keeffe: first thing that came to my mind also

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    Mute Noel_Random
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    Apr 14th 2021, 7:19 PM

    Mary Lou finds it intolerable. She cannot tolerate housing for students and single immigrant workers. “Intolerable” she says.

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    Mute JustMeHere
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:06 PM

    @Noel_Random: yawn.

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Apr 14th 2021, 11:09 PM

    @Noel_Random: yes it’s intolerable that every development in the area is build to rent with approx 90% co-sharing, studio and one beds. There is nothing being built for couples, families or those wanting to set down roots in the area.

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    Mute Phil Quinn
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    Apr 15th 2021, 1:31 AM

    @EillieEs: there is nothing but houses for families in the area. its all houses ffs. there is no room to build any more houses which is why these are the best option now

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Apr 15th 2021, 6:54 AM

    @EillieEs: and not even that, but a “co-living” development doesn’t even work for single people. Bedsits made more sense, but oh wait weren’t they banned a few years back? And why was that again?

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    Mute Siobhan O'Sullivan Morrin
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    Apr 15th 2021, 5:13 PM

    @Phil Quinn: Phil, many of the properties in Phibsborough are rented out either as a whole house or in flats. Yes at the moment there is a balanced mix of owner-occupier and long term and short term tenancies. Technically ant those dwellings could revert to being family homes or multiple occupancy at any time.
    The problem with this one is the co-living arrangement. The private and shared space tends to be minimal and may very well be for short term lease. Aside from that the proposed building, like its predecessor, does not fit in or complement the architecture of the area and it is one of those generic things which might last forty/fifty years and it is right in the centre of Phibsborough. The locale and the people who will live there deserve better than this.

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    Mute Ian O' Reilly
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:32 PM

    This is an absolute disgrace! These developments are what will keep buyers out of the market. The legacy of this government will take decades to fix. An appeal against this decision by An Bord Pleanála needs to be made immediately.

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:27 PM

    “The joint bedsit”

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    Mute Welk wrangler
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:41 PM

    Green light for upmarket modern day doss house. This country is going backwards, nobody should be reduced to shared facility housing, it’s an absolute disgrace.

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    Mute Dermot Sexton
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    Apr 15th 2021, 7:52 AM

    @Welk wrangler: nobody is being reduced to anything, it is your choice to live there. Not for everyone, but it will suit some people.

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    Mute Trish O'Keeffe
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    Apr 14th 2021, 9:22 PM

    Tenements

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Apr 14th 2021, 6:58 PM

    Well, that’s some students sorted…

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    Mute Christy Mc Carthy
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    Apr 14th 2021, 10:53 PM

    Shoe boxes

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    Mute Clurichaun
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    Apr 14th 2021, 10:12 PM

    Mr Covid19 will be delighted.

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    Mute Todd Hebert
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    Apr 15th 2021, 12:39 AM

    Bedsits by another name.

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Apr 15th 2021, 6:56 AM

    @Todd Hebert: but far, far worse.

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    Mute Mark Twomey
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    Apr 14th 2021, 6:50 PM

    Anyone remember the Cork Events Centre. Im too funny

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:52 PM

    Wonder what Pascal thinks about plan he also.a local TD.

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    Mute Anto Harris
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    Apr 14th 2021, 8:26 PM

    The original plans had to be shelved because Tesco would not give an inch on the proposed development. Put roadblocks in the way at every turn. It has created a lot of ill will towards them in the community.

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Apr 15th 2021, 8:11 AM

    The next stage is the South Korean ‘shared-pod’ idea. You rent a MRI-like space by the hour.

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Apr 15th 2021, 7:34 AM

    Pack em … rack em .. and stack them high baby

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