Temple Bar residents succeed in blocking student flats over fear they may be turned into 'party flats'

Temple Bar residents, led by author and former Irish Times journalist Frank McDonald, have succeeded in blocking plans for a four-storey student accommodation block in the area.

Temple Bar residents succeed in blocking student flats over fear they may be turned into 'party flats'

By Gordon Deegan

Temple Bar residents, led by author and former Irish Times journalist Frank McDonald, have succeeded in blocking plans for a four-storey student accommodation block in the area.

This follows An Bord Pleanála refusing planning permission for the four-storey over-basement plan along with a rooftop terrace by Ningaloo Dublin Properties Ltd.

The ruling by the appeals board upholds an earlier decision by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission for the development on Exchange Street. The city council decision was appealed by Ningaloo Dublin Properties Ltd.

The mixed-use development for the vacant site included three student accommodation units, a rooftop garden terrace, a ground floor cafe and underground storage.

However, in a hard-hitting objection against the plan lodged with Dublin City Council, Mr McDonald on behalf of the Temple Bar residents claimed that the development “is entirely inappropriate for Temple Bar - an area that’s already been plagued by the illegal conversion of residential apartments into commercial short-term lets”.

Mr McDonald argued that given the length of the academic year, it is inevitable that the upper floors would be made available as holiday lets during the Summer.

He said: “Quite apart from students sharing a relatively small building with no supervision or full-time concierge, as is normal in large student housing schemes, the likely use of the building for short-term lets in summertime, with access to a roof terrace, raises the prospect of anti-social behaviour.”

Mr McDonald further argued that “it is likely that the terrace would be used as a party venue, with loud music that could not be contained”.

"Full-time residents of Temple Bar have had to put up with numerous apartments being illegally converted into holiday lets and turned into ‘party flats’ for a whole weekend, with loud music being played incessantly by the revellers, with no regard whatever for their neighbours trying to get a night’s sleep.”

Mr McDonald recalled that in one instance, an apartment in the Temple Bar area was illegally converted into a short-term let and was used for two weeks over the Christmas period in 2015 as a brothel much to the distress of the building’s long term residents including a five-year-old child.

Mr McDonald - who also lodged a submission to An Bord Pleanála on behalf of the Temple Bar residents - pointed out that Dublin is in the grip of a housing emergency, with thousands of homeless families and individuals being accommodated at significant public expense in often unsuitable accommodation.

He said that against this backdrop, building new housing for people to live in on a long-term basis must be the first priority.

Mr McDonald said the site in question “should be developed for permanent housing rather than student accommodation and holiday lets”.

Consultants for the applicants, Brock McClure, argued that the proposed development will result in a significant planning gain by providing much-needed student accommodation.

Brock McClure also contended that the proposal will have a positive impact on the wider generation of the West Temple area.

In its ruling, the appeals board didn’t refuse planning permission over the impact it may have on current residents living in Temple Bar, but on the impact it will have on the future occupants of the apartments.

In its formal order and leaving the door open for revised plans to be lodged, the appeals board refused planning permission after ruling that the planned student accommodation units would lack suitable facilities, including adequate storage facilities, and would, therefore, constitute a sub-standard form of development which would seriously injure the residential amenities of the future occupants.

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