asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make a statement in regard to the decision to grant, on appeal, planning permission for the erection of a supermarket, shops, professional suites and a public house on the "Harp Site", Ballyfermot, Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Planning Permission.
10.
The appeal site of 1.03 acres at Ballyfermot Road formed part of a seven acre site owned by Dublin Corporation and known as the "Harp Site". The "Harp Site" had always been earmarked by the planning authority for commercial purposes and is zoned for "residential services" in the Dublin Development Plan, 1971. In 1967 the corporation granted outline permission for commercial development on the entire site but subsequently in deference to the wishes of the local residents as expressed in the community plan prepared by the Ballyfermot Community Association, they revised their thinking for extensive commercial development on the site. The community plan envisaged a limited development on part of the site including a cluster of shops and a licensed premises. The corporation accepted the community proposal and limited the commercial development to an area of 1.03 acres. They advertised this smaller site for tender in 1972 and on the 21st March, 1973, they decided to grant outline permission to the successful tenderers for development consisting of a supermarket, shops, professional suites and a licensed premises.
A number of appeals and a considerable number of objections were lodged with me against the decision of the planning authority and an oral hearing was requested. The grounds of appeal were lack of educational/ community facilities in Ballyfermot, the adequacy of existing shopping facilities and the question of possible traffic hazard. When the oral hearing first opened in April, 1974, a statement was made on behalf of the appellants that in the few weeks immediately preceding the date of the hearing, the vocational education committee had stated that they needed the entire seven acre site for a community school. The planning authority representatives stated that the corporation would be willing to make the remaining six acres still in corporation ownership available to the vocational education committee but they regretted that the committee had not made their case before the appeal site had been sold by the corporation.
Has the Minister any information about the size of the site for which planning permission was sought in the first place?
I understand that when the site of 1.03 acres was agreed on there was a suggestion that the corporation would be prepared to make available .88 acres as a car park on condition that the developers would develop it as a car park for communal use. It appears now that this area, together with the remainder of the site, is available to the vocational education committee for the purpose of erecting their school. In other words, 1.03 acres is the only portion on which permission has been granted.
Is the Minister saying that the balance, plus this .88 acres, is available?
That is my information.
Is the Minister aware that the people in the area are afraid that a senior cycle school will not be available to them because of the hindrance created by the new development and because the site is not large enough for the community school envisaged?
I do not think that issue arises at all.
Will the Minister consult with his colleague, the Minister for Education, on this matter? He will find that that proposition has been put to the Minister for Education.
My colleague who represents Ballyfermot tells me that the site is big enough.
The Minister's colleague is not too sure and that is why he put down the question.
This is more of the arrogance.
Is the Minister saying that the site as of now with the development area taken out of it is large enough?
I am so informed.
Is the Minister saying that the Department of Education are satisfied with that?
Yes. The Department of Education have indicated that it is big enough.
There has been talk about a seven acre site but can the Minister give information as to the exact size of the site?
The oral hearing was adjourned a number of times over a period of 16 months to allow time for negotiation for the acquisition of the appeal site between the Department of Education and the developers who are now the owners of the site. On the 6th March, 1975, the Department of Education advised me that the negotiations had proved unsuccessful as the sale price sought was considered prohibitive. They indicated, however, that they were satisfied the proposed school could be provided on the remaining six acre site although conceding that the extra 1.03 acres would be of considerable benefit to the school project if it were possible to acquire it. The oral hearing was finally resumed on 4th September, 1975, and concluded. In the light of the information that there was no prospect of the appeal site being used for the school complex and having considered the report of the person who conducted the oral hearing, I refused the appeal. The site consists of 5.81 acres, plus 1.03 acres.
Even six acres would be much too small.
I am not an expert on those matters but the Department of Education, and the vocational educational committee, seem to be satisfied that it would be possible to have the school there. That site was not used for 20 years and the pity is that somebody did not think of this before the decision was made. Originally, the whole site was for commercial development and then the corporation did what they considered to be the sensible thing. They have since found that had they held the whole site it would be more useful but that cannot be helped now.
Do I take it that the vocational committee can have this extra .88 acres?
It appears that is so.