Johnny Ronan fails in latest bid to add more height to Dublin Salesforce tower
Developer, Johnny Ronan has failed for a third time to secure planning permission for additional floors to Salesforce Tower in Dublin’s docklands.
The extra floorspace has the capacity to deliver an additional 1,000 jobs to the 3,500 Salesforce has already earmarked for the development at Spencer Dock.
Construction work was continuing on Salesforce Tower until the Covid 19 restrictions shut down building sites across the country.
Salesforce’s 450,000 sq ft EMEA HQ is the largest letting in the history of the State and the additional 100,000 sq ft that Mr Ronan’s RGRE Group was seeking planning for is needed for the additional 1,000 jobs that Salesforce will require at the site.
Mr Ronan’s planning battle for the additional floors to bring one of the towers in the development to 12 floors has been continuing since January of last year.
Previous applications were turned down in May and July of last year.
Now, in response to the latest application, Dublin City Council has found once more that the proposed additional three storeys above the permitted maximum heights for the area “would be unduly dominant and visually incongruous when viewed in the context of the existing quayscape on North Wall Quay”.
The planner’s report in the case found that the proposal for additional floors is not consistent with the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Special Development Zone (SDZ) scheme.
The Council also concluded that the proposed development “would present an unduly monolithic appearance when viewed from the surrounding streets”.
However, Mr Ronan is not giving up in the battle as his RGRE group is understood to be considering lodging a fourth planning application.
It is understood that the key to this is whether An Bord Pleanála decides to approve amendments to the SDZ planning scheme for North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock.
These were proposed, by Dublin City Council, in May 2019, and would allow building heights on the Salesforce site up to 12 storeys.
The third application was submitted on the basis that the amendments would be made. However, the revised scheme has yet to be approved by the appeals board.
In planning documentation lodged with the application, RGRE state that “the increase in height is no different to already permitted developments in Dublin’s Docklands”.
RGRE told Dublin City Council that as the buildings are currently under construction “there is a short window to provide this additional area now.”
The building group warn in the planning submission: “Once that window of opportunity expires, the proposals for the additional areas and jobs are lost.”
Planning consultant for Mr Ronan’s group, John Spain told the city council that “granting planning permission for additional floor space will enhance the city economy by further realising the potential in this strategic location in the Dublin Docklands”.
