Point Village Shopping Centre

I really suspect that parts of the entire C2CC route is being delayed opening up to the public so that there can be a big bang launch when the whole thing is completed ...which, I could be wrong, might just coincide with election time.

Site between the 3 Arena and Castleforbes Road now has final all clear for towers of13 Stories. Local authority's bid to appeal Ronan apartment block heights rejected by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has refused to allow Dublin City Council to appeal against proposed height increases for two north Dublin dockland apartment blocks proposed by a Johnny Ronan firm

The Supreme Court has refused to allow Dublin City Council to appeal against proposed height increases for two north Dublin dockland apartment blocks proposed by a Johnny Ronan firm.

Three judges of the court said they were not convinced a further appeal is required in the interests of justice, given the local authority has had a full hearing of the case in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

They also did not believe a point of systemic or general importance arose, as the strategic housing provision in dispute expired at the end of 2021 and the specific legal issue only came up in two other cases.

The buildings were initially to have seven floors each, but An Bord Pleanála permitted Spencer Place Development Company (SPDC) to increase their height to seven and 13 storeys.

The local authority brought legal proceedings against the board complaining it had no power to approve height increases that materially contravene the council’s North Lotts/Grand Canal strategic development zone planning scheme.

The High Court overturned the permission in October 2020, but this decision was later quashed on appeal by SPDC, which was a notice party in the case.

The Court of Appeal concluded An Bord Pleanála was entitled, under a now-extinct provision for strategic developments, to allow a strategic build which defies the scheme.

The board did not participate in the appeal but had opposed the council’s case in the High Court.

Strategic housing development

In its ruling last June, that court said that the existence of the North Lotts scheme would have precluded the council from permitting the height increases if SPDC’s application had been submitted to it.

However, SPDC elected to apply directly to the board under the now-defunct strategic housing developments regime.

Under the provision, the board was required to “have regard” to the North Lotts scheme, but it was expressly permitted to depart from its terms in certain circumstances, the court said.

Legally, An Bord Pleanála was entitled to permit the height increases, notwithstanding that the two blocks exceed the building height limits in the North Lotts Scheme, the court held.

In 2021, the strategic housing provision was replaced by a new process for “large-scale residential development”.

This restores the role of local authorities as first-instance decision-makers in planning matters.

In seeking to appeal to the Supreme Court, the council contended a matter of general public importance arises concerning the board’s jurisdiction to permit a strategic housing development that contravenes a planning scheme.

This issue, it submitted, is of “systemic importance” to the planning system.

SPDC countered that the provision ceased to have effect in December 2021, and it understands this particular issue arose in only two other cases.

In a determination published on Friday, a Supreme Court panel, comprising Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell, Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe and Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, refused the council’s application.

I see M&S in Mayor Square has closed down, anyone know what the story is with it?

Rents, competition, reduced footfall since WFH, feral kids meaning extra security and theft?

I honestly thought M&S would have pulled out of Ireland entirely by now as a result of Brexit, but they seem to be hanging in there.

ah that's a shame - I always got my lunch there when I worked nearby. I guess my office moving was the final straw!

Even though M&S have closed anyone notice Subway have gone in beside them even though they have a unit right across the road.

I think this is the most recent for over a year ago:

The East Link bridge is ridiculous. It gets busy with pedestrians sometimes and people have to walk out on the road as it's so narrow. I jog and cycle over it regularly so another bridge couldn't come quick enough. What were they thinking building a bridge like that with so little room for pedestrians, ffs.

North Docklands in 2005 , New Pedestrian Bridge Planned 20 years ago

It was built because traffic studies showed there was a need for one. DCC didn't have the money to build it so the Roche family took out loans and built it. The toll then repaid them over the next 30 years. This is the story for nearly all toll roads when they are built.

When the contract expired in 2014, DCC chose to keep the revenue and continue charging a toll.

It was built in 1984 for cars. To bemoan the designers back then is bizarre.