Residents of The Liberties have handed in a number of observations to An Bord Pleanala as yet another application for student accommodation in the area has been submitted.
Permission had previously been given for a seven-storey nursing home on a site bounded by Mill Street, Sweeney’s Terrace and Clarence Mangan Road.
However, the developer has now lodged an application to construct 235 student bed spaces, and 37 build-to-rent apartments.
Maria O’Reilly, a representative from the Tenters’ Residents Association, told Dublin Gazette that the area is “over-run” with student accommodation.
Two other developments for student bed builds are already underway less than 250 metres away from the proposed site.
She said: “We are making a stand on what we feel is the blatant disregard for community welfare within the ongoing re-development of our local area.”
“We have witnessed the pulling down and rebuilding of the surrounding area over the course of the past decade and while we welcome and respect the need for re-development, we also recognise the lack of community consultation when decisions are being made by the relevant authorities.
“This lack of consultation is detrimental to our community. Our input should be welcomed and recognised by both planners and developers alike.”
O’Reilly added: “We held a community meeting recently, where over 100 locals turned up.
“We decided to fundraise in order to send in a number of observations to An Bord Pleanala, to show that the community clearly object to even more student beds [builds].”
Last Thursday, a number of members from the resident’s association handed in the observation letters to the planning authority, accompanied by local Cllr Tina MacVeigh (PBP).
Speaking to Dublin Gazette, Cllr MacVeigh said the problem isn’t with the student accommodation, but the lack of consideration for locals in the area.
She said: “We aren’t opposed to student accommodation – what we’re opposed to is this kind of expensive accommodation that doesn’t even benefit students.
“We’re already inundated with student accommodation which, in the absence of any residential accommodation being built, is a problem.
“We’re not seeing any residential accommodation being built – it’s miniscule, the amount that is being built [in this area] whilst we’re in the middle of a massive housing crisis.
“We aren’t opposed to student accommodation, but it has to be fit for purpose. People are going to start taking to the streets to fight this.”
The case is to be decided by An Bord Pleanala by May 1.
