Dublin City Centre approval for new apartments on underutilised infill site

The approval follows a successful First Party Appeal by Gravis against Dublin City Council’s initial decision to refuse planning permission. The development will be accessed directly from a narrow cobbled laneway and the City Council had expressed concern regarding traffic safety as the basis for its refusal. In overturning that decision, the Board agreed that the Council had failed to apply the provisions of the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (‘DMURS’) regarding shared surfaces and had been unduly inflexible in its application of Development Plan standards. The Board’s Inspector noted that:

“A balanced and flexible approach is required. The proposed development will deliver good quality infill development to a highly sustainable and underutilised site in the north inner city. I agree that it will help to bring life back to this historic urban laneway, improving the streetscape and increasing passive surveillance, and setting a positive car free precedent for future development”.

We welcome the Board’s decision, which provides a positive precedent for future car-free development on constrained urban sites. The high-quality design by Coogan & Co. Architects demonstrates the potential for new housing units that can still be unlocked on similar sites throughout the city. Gravis Planning was instructed directly by Coogan & Co. Architects on this project, who developed the initial concept and subsequent planning stage design.