DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has granted planning permission for a 14-storey purpose built student accommodation development next to Croke Park in Dublin 1 despite local objections.

Residents living on streets near Croke Park’s Davin Stand said the “excessive height, scale and massing” of the large scale development is out of character with the street of redbrick terraced housing, and will cause a loss of sunlight and privacy.

The proposed development, which will be built by Westward Property Limited on Russell Street, will consist of 54 residential apartment units and 365 purpose-built student accommodation bed spaces.

The spaces are made up of six, seven, and eight bedroom units and 26 studios with shared kitchen and living areas. There will also be two commercial units, bicycle parking, car parking, a public plaza, communal open spaces and internal amenity spaces.

The existing buildings on the site will be demolished to make way for the development, as will part of the former Mountjoy Brewery structure.

In objections lodged against the development, residents said they were not opposed to the redevelopment of the site, and would welcome a development that created permanent residential homes.

Croke Park and the GAA, who also objected to the development, said it would become the “tallest structure” in the vicinity, and would potentially “compete visually” with the stadium and surrounding streets.

The management company in charge of the common areas in Croke Park Industrial Estate also objected to the development and said there was an “incredible” lack of consultation around the development. 

The proposed development will consist of 54 residential apartment units and 365 purpose-built student accommodation bed spaces. Russell Street LRD Russell Street LRD

Dublin City Council attached 24 conditions when granting permission, one of which is that the student accommodation can only be used as student accommodation during the academic term, and for tourist and visitor accommodation at other times.

Residents have around four weeks to lodge an appeal against the decision with An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Local Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said this development is not what is needed in the area.

Speaking to The Journal, he said: “We’re not lacking for student accommodation around that part of the city. I’m pretty sure we have more student accommodation in that part of the city than we do anywhere else in the rest of the country.”

“What we’re lacking is affordable homes that people can actually aspire to live in and raise a family,” he added.

Gannon said there doesn’t seem to be much “built for permanency” in Dublin city centre at the moment.

“People are frustrated because all they see being built is student accommodation, hotels, and very few places where they can actually aspire to rent at a cost that is affordable or even aspire to own,” he said.

“I think this is just another example that the city’s not being built for people who want to live and raise families there.”

Local Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said this development is not what is needed by locals in the area. Russell Street LRD Russell Street LRD

The TD described Dublin City Council’s decision to grant planning permission as “frustrating”, and said they shouldn’t have done it.

“Dublin City Council are engaging in some strange behaviour when it comes to how we’re building up the city,” he added.

Local Labour TD Marie Sherlock said she is “very disappointed” over the decision, adding that any development in the area should be of a residential nature.

“There’s a clear need for residential housing in the area,” she told The Journal.

Sherlock said that there is already a lot of student accommodation in the inner city, some of which she said is “high-end” and doesn’t get filled. 

“That part of the city desperately needs more housing,” she added.

The new development is located close to an apartment development worth €646 million on the former Holy Cross College site on Clonliffe road.

Dublin City Council had granted planning permission for the Large Scale Residential Development scheme last August but the proposal was stalled by a single appeal lodged to ACP by Ciarán Lynam and Anne Loughlin of Drumcondra Park, Drumcondra.

In January, An Coimisiún Pleanála cleared the way for construction to begin after the project was granted 10-year planning permission.

Dublin City Council and Westward Property Limited have been contacted for comment.