THE DEPARTMENT of Health failed to comply with an EU requirement for a strategic environmental assessment of the proposed national children’s hospital in Dublin, An Bord Pleanála has been told.
In a submission to the board’s oral hearing on the hospital, the Heritage Council said the department’s failure to carry out the assessment could be a “fatal legal flaw” in the planning process.
The council, a statutory body, said much of the conflict over the hospital’s proposed height and bulk resulted from this failure by the department to assess the environmental implications before deciding in May 2006 to go ahead with the €650 million project.
An Bord Pleanála is holding oral hearings into the plan to build the 16-storey hospital on a two-hectare site on the grounds of the Mater hospital. It is due to be completed in 2016.
The National Children’s Hospital Development Board says an environmental report on Dublin City Council’s 2008 Mountjoy/ Phibsboro local area plan, which covered the Mater site, was adequate to fulfil an EU directive’s requirement for a strategic environmental assessment.
However Colm Murray, the Heritage Council’s architecture officer, said the directive, which was transposed into Irish law in 2004, related to “all decisions in respect of plans and programmes that may have an environmental effect”, such as the proposed hospital.
It also required an examination of alternatives. “Without real alternatives, there is no scope for choice or judgment and the environmental impact process is pointless and flawed”, he said in a submission to the oral hearing. This could be “a fatal legal flaw in the decision-making process”.
The fact that an environmental report was done on the Mountjoy/ Phibsboro local area plan, published in March 2008, was insufficient, as “the prior decision of government [to locate the hospital on the Mater site] prevented the generation of alternatives”.
An Bord Pleanála’s minutes of pre-planning consultations with the applicants record them as saying the decision to locate the hospital on the Mater site “was based on medical policy more so than planning policy and [they] acknowledged that it could be a contentious matter”.
Mr Murray said the Heritage Council “is of the view that the integrity and authenticity of Dublin as a candidate [Unesco] World Heritage Site ought to be a major material consideration in this planning decision”, because the 16-storey hospital would have negative impacts.
He noted that conservation architect Paul Arnold had conceded that “the adverse impact on St George’s Church [in nearby Hardwicke Place] will be high” and there would also be “identifiable adverse impacts” on North Great George’s Street and O’Connell Street.
An Taisce, in its submission to An Bord Pleanála’s oral hearing, drew attention to two alternatives that were not considered – a €102 million expansion plan for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and a publicly owned site between St James’s Hospital and Heuston Station. The latter site, it said, “offers more than double the footprint compared to the existing proposal” and was also “substantially co-located with a major adult teaching hospital, requiring only a 90m link to St James’s” as well as adequate space for expansion.
Lawyer James Nix, who appeared for An Taisce, also argued there was a failure to observe the EU’s strategic environmental assessment directive (SEA) and this “continues to the present day”, with the decision to opt for the Mater site “taken as a fait accompli” in the Mountjoy/Phibsboro local area plan.
“In effect, the failure to meet the SEA begins in 2006 and persists into the arms of An Bord Pleanála,” Mr Nix said. “Indeed, looking at what took place over these five years, the decision-making process is compromised by the very mischief that the SEA directive seeks to avoid.
“By failing to ascertain and study alternatives, we witness an unshakeable faith that the decision must be right in the first place. This cannot be the process, and is indeed the last thing the framers and those adopting the [SEA] directive . . . intended.”
Irish Times
www.bpsplanningconsultants.ie
Showing posts with label oral hearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oral hearing. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Children's hospital to be world class, say its backers
THE planned new €650m national children's hospital will be a "world-class" facility, a planning hearing has been told.
Under its current timetable, construction on the new Children's Hospital of Ireland at Eccles Street in north Dublin will begin in the second quarter of next year with the first patient due to be treated towards the end of 2016.
On the first day of An Bord Pleanala's oral hearing in Dublin yesterday, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) outlined its plans for the project, which will replace the three existing children's hospitals in the capital.
The new hospital will have 392 in-patient beds and 53 day care bed spaces and will include an emergency department, 13 operating theatres, research laboratories, a hospital school and restaurant and a family resource centre.
There will also be a four-storey underground carpark with 972 spaces and more than 240 bicycle spaces.
The development, which was designed by architects O'Connell Mahon/NBBJ, will vary in height from four storeys fronting on to Eccles Street, rising to 16 storeys toward the centre of the site.
Concerns
While some residents' groups have raised concerns at the height of the development, its designers have pointed out that the local area plan does not impose height restrictions.
Once up and running, it will be the only paediatric hospital in the country providing specialist treatments such as cardiac and cancer surgery, bone marrow transplantation and neurosurgery.
It will also provide out-patient clinics and emergency department services for children in the greater Dublin area.
The NPHDB will continue to outline its submission to An Bord Pleanala today and tomorrow and will face questions from objectors next week including residents' associations, individuals and organisations such as the Irish Georgian Society.
The main objections raised so far are the proposed siting of the new hospital, its height in relation to surrounding buildings and traffic management.
Eamonn Kelly, chartered town planner and consultant to the NPHDB, yesterday told the hearing that the new facility would be co-located with the newly constructed Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for adults and the proposed future maternity hospital, which would see the Rotunda relocated to the Mater site.
Breda Heffernan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Under its current timetable, construction on the new Children's Hospital of Ireland at Eccles Street in north Dublin will begin in the second quarter of next year with the first patient due to be treated towards the end of 2016.
On the first day of An Bord Pleanala's oral hearing in Dublin yesterday, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) outlined its plans for the project, which will replace the three existing children's hospitals in the capital.
The new hospital will have 392 in-patient beds and 53 day care bed spaces and will include an emergency department, 13 operating theatres, research laboratories, a hospital school and restaurant and a family resource centre.
There will also be a four-storey underground carpark with 972 spaces and more than 240 bicycle spaces.
The development, which was designed by architects O'Connell Mahon/NBBJ, will vary in height from four storeys fronting on to Eccles Street, rising to 16 storeys toward the centre of the site.
Concerns
While some residents' groups have raised concerns at the height of the development, its designers have pointed out that the local area plan does not impose height restrictions.
Once up and running, it will be the only paediatric hospital in the country providing specialist treatments such as cardiac and cancer surgery, bone marrow transplantation and neurosurgery.
It will also provide out-patient clinics and emergency department services for children in the greater Dublin area.
The NPHDB will continue to outline its submission to An Bord Pleanala today and tomorrow and will face questions from objectors next week including residents' associations, individuals and organisations such as the Irish Georgian Society.
The main objections raised so far are the proposed siting of the new hospital, its height in relation to surrounding buildings and traffic management.
Eamonn Kelly, chartered town planner and consultant to the NPHDB, yesterday told the hearing that the new facility would be co-located with the newly constructed Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for adults and the proposed future maternity hospital, which would see the Rotunda relocated to the Mater site.
Breda Heffernan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 14 March 2011
Planners travel to Knowth for balloon test
THE PLANNING inspectors who are holding a hearing by An Bord Pleanála into a proposed N2 bypass of Slane, Co Meath, were among a group of people who stood on top of the Knowth megalithic monument yesterday.
They were looking westwards towards Slane and at two balloons or blimps which Meath County Council had raised up to the height of a bridge to be built over the Boyne 1km east of Slane as part of the bypass.
The balloon test was suggested by heritage expert Dr Douglas Comer, who told the hearing it would help to illustrate the possible visual impact of the bridge on the nearby Brú na Boinne, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
There are concerns that the visual impact of the bridge could have implications for the status of the site with Unesco.
The balloons were inflated and then allowed rise first to 18m above the valley floor and then they were dropped to 12m.
These are the height options being proposed for the new bridge.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
They were looking westwards towards Slane and at two balloons or blimps which Meath County Council had raised up to the height of a bridge to be built over the Boyne 1km east of Slane as part of the bypass.
The balloon test was suggested by heritage expert Dr Douglas Comer, who told the hearing it would help to illustrate the possible visual impact of the bridge on the nearby Brú na Boinne, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
There are concerns that the visual impact of the bridge could have implications for the status of the site with Unesco.
The balloons were inflated and then allowed rise first to 18m above the valley floor and then they were dropped to 12m.
These are the height options being proposed for the new bridge.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Slane bypass balloon test details revealed
DETAILS OF the balloon tests to be carried out as part of the public hearing into the proposed new Slane bypass and bridge were given yesterday before the proceedings were adjourned.
The oral hearing has adjourned until March 29th to allow Meath County Council to carry out a balloon test at the site of the proposed new bridge to evaluate the visual impact of the structure on the surrounding area, including Brú na Bóinne.
The council hopes to conduct the test next Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.
Two blimp-type balloons will be positioned on each bank of the Boyne at Fennor, the site of the proposed bridge, about one mile east of the existing Slane bridge.
The balloons will be set at two possible bridge heights – the preferred 18m above ground level and a lower 12m option.
The test for the preferred 18m option will take place between 10am and 1.30pm each day when the balloons will have red banners attached, while the test for the 12m option will take place between 2pm and 5pm each day when the balloons will support blue banners. Each balloon is approximately 6.1m long and 3.7m high while the banners are 3.7m long and 1.2m high.
When the oral hearing resumes at the end of the month supporters and critics of the proposed bridge will have an opportunity to give their reaction to the tests.
The proposed N2 Slane bypass and bridge will see traffic divert from the existing bridge and road because the new dual carriageway will allow vehicles travel faster and safer, design engineer Séamus MacGearailt told An Bord Pleanála’s oral hearing yesterday.
Mr MacGearailt was responding to questions from barrister Colm MacEochaidh, senior counsel for former attorney general John Rogers who is opposed to the new dual carriageway, which includes provision for a new Boyne bridge.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The oral hearing has adjourned until March 29th to allow Meath County Council to carry out a balloon test at the site of the proposed new bridge to evaluate the visual impact of the structure on the surrounding area, including Brú na Bóinne.
The council hopes to conduct the test next Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.
Two blimp-type balloons will be positioned on each bank of the Boyne at Fennor, the site of the proposed bridge, about one mile east of the existing Slane bridge.
The balloons will be set at two possible bridge heights – the preferred 18m above ground level and a lower 12m option.
The test for the preferred 18m option will take place between 10am and 1.30pm each day when the balloons will have red banners attached, while the test for the 12m option will take place between 2pm and 5pm each day when the balloons will support blue banners. Each balloon is approximately 6.1m long and 3.7m high while the banners are 3.7m long and 1.2m high.
When the oral hearing resumes at the end of the month supporters and critics of the proposed bridge will have an opportunity to give their reaction to the tests.
The proposed N2 Slane bypass and bridge will see traffic divert from the existing bridge and road because the new dual carriageway will allow vehicles travel faster and safer, design engineer Séamus MacGearailt told An Bord Pleanála’s oral hearing yesterday.
Mr MacGearailt was responding to questions from barrister Colm MacEochaidh, senior counsel for former attorney general John Rogers who is opposed to the new dual carriageway, which includes provision for a new Boyne bridge.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 4 March 2011
Plans for 40m hospital attacked
Clare County Council has come under fire at an oral hearing for giving the go-ahead to contentious plans for a €40 million hospital in Ennis.
In his closing submission to a hearing by An Bord Pleanála into the 100-bed hospital proposal, planning consultant Brendan McGrath said the council’s interpretation of its development plan “amounts to a judgment that a 100-bed hospital could be located on any land zoned for development within the settlement boundary of the town”.
Mr McGrath added: “Such an approach does not accord with broader principles of urban design and sustainable settlement planning.”
A decision is due on the plan later this year.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In his closing submission to a hearing by An Bord Pleanála into the 100-bed hospital proposal, planning consultant Brendan McGrath said the council’s interpretation of its development plan “amounts to a judgment that a 100-bed hospital could be located on any land zoned for development within the settlement boundary of the town”.
Mr McGrath added: “Such an approach does not accord with broader principles of urban design and sustainable settlement planning.”
A decision is due on the plan later this year.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Appeals body to host hearing into casino
AN ORAL hearing to discuss objections to a planned casino venue in Tipperary is set to take place on March 8th.
The State planning appeals board, An Bord Pleanála, has decided to host the oral hearing to discuss the planned €460 million development near Thurles.
A final decision is expected to be made before next June.
If the business venture gets the go-ahead, it is expected to create 2,000 full-time jobs. A further 1,000 people will be employed during the three years of construction.
The planned 800-acre development will be known as the Tipperary Venue and the chief investor is Dublin-based businessman Richard Quirke.
A former garda from Thurles, he is best known in the gaming industry for his Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium.
The ambitious project includes a racecourse featuring a national hunt track, sprint track and all-weather floodlit track.
A 500-room hotel is also planned to incorporate a casino and the centrepiece of the venue will be a replica of the White House in Washington, in homage to local man James Hoban, who designed the original building.
A golf course and greyhound track and a 15,000-seat entertainment venue are also planned.
The Tipperary Venue is also being backed by racehorse trainer Aidan O’Brien, concert promoter Denis Desmond and local Independent TD, Michael Lowry.
The oral hearing is to take place at the Horse and Jockey Hotel close to the town of Thurles.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The State planning appeals board, An Bord Pleanála, has decided to host the oral hearing to discuss the planned €460 million development near Thurles.
A final decision is expected to be made before next June.
If the business venture gets the go-ahead, it is expected to create 2,000 full-time jobs. A further 1,000 people will be employed during the three years of construction.
The planned 800-acre development will be known as the Tipperary Venue and the chief investor is Dublin-based businessman Richard Quirke.
A former garda from Thurles, he is best known in the gaming industry for his Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium.
The ambitious project includes a racecourse featuring a national hunt track, sprint track and all-weather floodlit track.
A 500-room hotel is also planned to incorporate a casino and the centrepiece of the venue will be a replica of the White House in Washington, in homage to local man James Hoban, who designed the original building.
A golf course and greyhound track and a 15,000-seat entertainment venue are also planned.
The Tipperary Venue is also being backed by racehorse trainer Aidan O’Brien, concert promoter Denis Desmond and local Independent TD, Michael Lowry.
The oral hearing is to take place at the Horse and Jockey Hotel close to the town of Thurles.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Traffic blamed for partial collapse of Slane bridge
CONSTANT HEAVY traffic on Slane bridge appears to have been why it partially collapsed last month, an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanála into a proposed bypass of Slane village heard yesterday.
At the time, Meath County Council said the collapse of a stone wall on the western facade of the bridge was due to icy weather.
However, yesterday Seamus Mac Gearailt of Roughan O’Donovan engineers, which oversaw the selection of the bypass route on behalf of the council, said “it appears to have been due to heavy traffic loading over years”.
The council is seeking permission from the planning board to build a 3.5km dual-carriageway at a cost of €46 million to the east of the village. The route will take it some 500m from the buffer zone to Brú na Bóinne, a Unesco world heritage site that includes Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
Mr Mac Gearailt also told the hearing, chaired by planning inspector Michael Walsh, that it was not just Slane bridge that posed risks to traffic but all of the road layout through the village.
The N2 has steep hills on both approaches to Slane bridge and it also intersects with the main Drogheda to Navan road in the middle of the village.
Mr Mac Gearailt said Slane had the “longest and most severe descent on any national primary route”.
As a result, “vehicles have considerable difficulty in braking safely – overheating can lead to brake failure at a critical point”, he told the hearing.
Between 1996 and last year there were 40 incidents in Slane, of which 35 per cent involved trucks.
The steep gradient is the key factor, the hearing heard.
At the moment, some 17,700 vehicles pass through the village each day; after the bypass, the number of vehicles will drop by a third. The number crossing Slane bridge daily will reduce by 7,700.
Mr Walsh said it was not proposed to build a bypass to the west of Slane, although it had been desirable to “tease out” what a route to the west would look like and this took place last year.
At the start of the hearing it was put to Mr Walsh that the environmental impact statement submitted by the council could be deficient and inadequate.
Mr Walsh said the board “has not decided yet whether it is adequate or not. I haven’t either”.
He was speaking after Colm Mac hEochaidh SC, for former attorney general John Rogers, who lives in the area, said the recommendation by the board to the council to retain an expert on the impact of the scheme on Brú na Bóinne, including Newgrange, implied that the environmental impact statement submitted needed “a fix”.
He said it appeared the statement could be deficient “in that it does not address the impact on the world heritage site”, and if that were the situation then An Bord Pleanála had no jurisdiction to hold the oral hearing.
He put it to Mr Walsh that the first thing the board must do is decide on whether it had a lawful environmental impact statement.
The hearing also heard that the flight paths of bats in the Boyne valley were taken into consideration in selecting the height of the bridge that would carry the road across the Boyne.
It was decided that a three-span, steel-concrete composite 200m bridge that was 21m above the valley floor would be the preferred design.
Mr Mac Gearailt said the bridge design “respects its surroundings” and “we recognise it is an intrusion but leaves no stone unturned in trying to blend into its environment”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
At the time, Meath County Council said the collapse of a stone wall on the western facade of the bridge was due to icy weather.
However, yesterday Seamus Mac Gearailt of Roughan O’Donovan engineers, which oversaw the selection of the bypass route on behalf of the council, said “it appears to have been due to heavy traffic loading over years”.
The council is seeking permission from the planning board to build a 3.5km dual-carriageway at a cost of €46 million to the east of the village. The route will take it some 500m from the buffer zone to Brú na Bóinne, a Unesco world heritage site that includes Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
Mr Mac Gearailt also told the hearing, chaired by planning inspector Michael Walsh, that it was not just Slane bridge that posed risks to traffic but all of the road layout through the village.
The N2 has steep hills on both approaches to Slane bridge and it also intersects with the main Drogheda to Navan road in the middle of the village.
Mr Mac Gearailt said Slane had the “longest and most severe descent on any national primary route”.
As a result, “vehicles have considerable difficulty in braking safely – overheating can lead to brake failure at a critical point”, he told the hearing.
Between 1996 and last year there were 40 incidents in Slane, of which 35 per cent involved trucks.
The steep gradient is the key factor, the hearing heard.
At the moment, some 17,700 vehicles pass through the village each day; after the bypass, the number of vehicles will drop by a third. The number crossing Slane bridge daily will reduce by 7,700.
Mr Walsh said it was not proposed to build a bypass to the west of Slane, although it had been desirable to “tease out” what a route to the west would look like and this took place last year.
At the start of the hearing it was put to Mr Walsh that the environmental impact statement submitted by the council could be deficient and inadequate.
Mr Walsh said the board “has not decided yet whether it is adequate or not. I haven’t either”.
He was speaking after Colm Mac hEochaidh SC, for former attorney general John Rogers, who lives in the area, said the recommendation by the board to the council to retain an expert on the impact of the scheme on Brú na Bóinne, including Newgrange, implied that the environmental impact statement submitted needed “a fix”.
He said it appeared the statement could be deficient “in that it does not address the impact on the world heritage site”, and if that were the situation then An Bord Pleanála had no jurisdiction to hold the oral hearing.
He put it to Mr Walsh that the first thing the board must do is decide on whether it had a lawful environmental impact statement.
The hearing also heard that the flight paths of bats in the Boyne valley were taken into consideration in selecting the height of the bridge that would carry the road across the Boyne.
It was decided that a three-span, steel-concrete composite 200m bridge that was 21m above the valley floor would be the preferred design.
Mr Mac Gearailt said the bridge design “respects its surroundings” and “we recognise it is an intrusion but leaves no stone unturned in trying to blend into its environment”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Children's hospital could be delayed by planning row
A forthcoming An Bord Pleanála examination of plans to build the €650m new national children's hospital at Dublin's Mater complex will have to consider what alternatives to the chosen site are out there, according to developer Noel Smyth.
As the row over the resignation of head of the national children's hospital board, Philip Lynch, intensified yesterday, Smyth revealed that he has not been contacted by health minister Mary Harney or any representatives of the project to discuss his plans for an alternative site since Lynch's departure.
However, he vowed to keep going with his proposals to build the hospital on a site close to the Naas Road, which he claims could be built on a "not for profit" basis and for €150m less than was planned.
"The position is that the minister is treating this as a government decision having been taken, meaning the hospital is going on the Mater site," he told the Sunday Tribune. "The fact that the matter is gone to An Bord Pleanála means there is an obligation to consider and assess what alternatives are out there. I don't think it will speed up the issue at all."
"When they cut the ribbon to the entrance of the new Mater, then I'll start thinking of withdrawing my offer... If others are out there and they have got better ideas, we would be more than happy to row in behind them."
In a statement issued on Friday night, Lynch maintained that "my decision to resign was my own," and warned of serious funding gaps and planning and design challenges at the controversial Mater Hospital site.
But speaking on RTE's Marian Finucane show yesterday, Harney reiterated that she had sought Lynch's resignation having lost confidence in his capacity "to chair the board at this point to take this matter forward."
She said he had gone out "reviewing green field sites" which clearly "wasn't appropriate."
"(Mr Lynch) did fantastic work and I want to pay tribute to him. But it came to a stage where obviously Mr Lynch had gone outside the mandate of the board," she added.
Harney said she had met with Noel Smyth previously, but added that it was "very important" to have a hospital which is owned by the State.
"The mandate of this board was to build a hospital at this site," she said. "The train has left the station.""
But broadcaster Gay Byrne, a member of the board of the children's medical and research foundation at Crumlin hospital, also told the programme that Lynch "rather significantly to my mind... resigned or was fired" a very short time after meeting with members of that board.
Among the concerns about the Mater site was that 1,000 underground parking spaces would be taken up by 1,500 staff at the hospital, he said. Another "awful allegation" which he said was "going around" is that international experts consulted on the hospital plans did so over the phone and never visited the Mater site, he said.
Under the current proposals for the Mater site, €110m of the €650m cost will need to come from fundraising and philanthropy which has yet to be secured. Information and communication technology in the new hospital could cost an additional €100m or more.
An amendment to the planning and development acts enacted last July, healthcare projects of strategic and national importance – such as the hospital – means they can be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than first being submitted to a local authority.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
As the row over the resignation of head of the national children's hospital board, Philip Lynch, intensified yesterday, Smyth revealed that he has not been contacted by health minister Mary Harney or any representatives of the project to discuss his plans for an alternative site since Lynch's departure.
However, he vowed to keep going with his proposals to build the hospital on a site close to the Naas Road, which he claims could be built on a "not for profit" basis and for €150m less than was planned.
"The position is that the minister is treating this as a government decision having been taken, meaning the hospital is going on the Mater site," he told the Sunday Tribune. "The fact that the matter is gone to An Bord Pleanála means there is an obligation to consider and assess what alternatives are out there. I don't think it will speed up the issue at all."
"When they cut the ribbon to the entrance of the new Mater, then I'll start thinking of withdrawing my offer... If others are out there and they have got better ideas, we would be more than happy to row in behind them."
In a statement issued on Friday night, Lynch maintained that "my decision to resign was my own," and warned of serious funding gaps and planning and design challenges at the controversial Mater Hospital site.
But speaking on RTE's Marian Finucane show yesterday, Harney reiterated that she had sought Lynch's resignation having lost confidence in his capacity "to chair the board at this point to take this matter forward."
She said he had gone out "reviewing green field sites" which clearly "wasn't appropriate."
"(Mr Lynch) did fantastic work and I want to pay tribute to him. But it came to a stage where obviously Mr Lynch had gone outside the mandate of the board," she added.
Harney said she had met with Noel Smyth previously, but added that it was "very important" to have a hospital which is owned by the State.
"The mandate of this board was to build a hospital at this site," she said. "The train has left the station.""
But broadcaster Gay Byrne, a member of the board of the children's medical and research foundation at Crumlin hospital, also told the programme that Lynch "rather significantly to my mind... resigned or was fired" a very short time after meeting with members of that board.
Among the concerns about the Mater site was that 1,000 underground parking spaces would be taken up by 1,500 staff at the hospital, he said. Another "awful allegation" which he said was "going around" is that international experts consulted on the hospital plans did so over the phone and never visited the Mater site, he said.
Under the current proposals for the Mater site, €110m of the €650m cost will need to come from fundraising and philanthropy which has yet to be secured. Information and communication technology in the new hospital could cost an additional €100m or more.
An amendment to the planning and development acts enacted last July, healthcare projects of strategic and national importance – such as the hospital – means they can be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than first being submitted to a local authority.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Council objects to Tara Street office 'slab' above station
DUBLIN CITY Council is opposing plans by Iarnród Éireann for a €100 million redevelopment of Tara Street station in Dublin, including the construction of a 15-storey office block on the site.
The two State bodies are also at loggerheads over the payment of development contributions and a levy to fund the Metro North in the event of planning permission being granted.
An Bord Pleanála yesterday began an oral hearing into Iarnród Éireann’s plans to redevelop the Dart and mainline station, the second-busiest in the country.
The semi-State aims to fund the new station through the development of the office block by seeking development partners if it obtains planning permission.
The development includes a glazed three-storey concourse and 10 storeys of office accommodation employing a “grain of rice” or “ship-shape” motif. Iarnród Éireann says the design by Canadian architects Adamson Associates will provide a “dramatic arrival point” for travellers to Dublin.
“The concourse will be a place of light, bustle and activity, an interchange point which looks towards the historic core of Dublin and the Liffey quays to the west, yet which is itself visible in all of its activities from the adjacent streets and from the wider city,” according to Iarnród Éireann.
However, the council, in its observation to the board, has likened the proposed tower to “a large slab form” sitting poorly in the skyline. While not opposed to development on the site, it says the current proposal is not capable of being amended and should be rejected. The proposed development will reach 60.8 metres into the Dublin skyline, slightly higher than Liberty Hall and almost twice the height of the Custom House. Iarnród Éireann told the hearing, chaired by inspector Karla McBride, that the loss of any floors from the office tower would significantly reduce its commercial viability.
A 10-year planning permission is being sought as construction is likely to take longer than the normal five years allowed.
The Department of the Environment has also expressed concern about the proposed development and has called for the provision of a nesting platform for peregrine falcons as part of any planning permission.
The development envisages the demolition of Tara House and other buildings but Kennedy’s pub, a four-storey protected structure on George’s Quay, will survive.
Iarnród Éireann called on the board not to impose levies on the development to fund Metro North and to reduce the normal development contributions due to Dublin City Council as part of planning permission.
Tim Richards, a surveyor with CIÉ, said the imposition of a levy to fund Metro North, as sought by the Railway Procurement Agency and the council, was inappropriate because it was not a pure office development. The imposition of a levy, estimated at almost €400,000, would place an “undue burden” on the development.
Jennifer Noctor of the Railway Procurement Agency said the levy should be imposed as the development was within the prescribed area near the new Metro line, which would benefit the occupants of the commercial and retail units.
Mr Richards also argued that development contributions due to the council should not be imposed in relation to the transport components of the plan.
Tom Devoy of Iarnród Éireann said the Tara Street station was heavily congested at peak times and would not be able to cope with expected increases in passenger numbers in the future. The new station has been designed to cater for 14,500 passengers an hour, compared to the current morning peak of 6,000 passengers. Mr Devoy said the new design would make the station a far safer environment for passengers as well as providing better shelter for passengers on platforms.
However, Iarnród Éireann does not intend to provide any toilets or bicycle parking in the station because of the “confined” nature of the site. Ms McBride said it wasn’t logical to expect cyclists to park their bikes at other stations if travelling from Tara Street.
Mr Devoy said Tara Street was a vital piece of strategic rail infrastructure for Dublin and its redevelopment was vital to “future-proof” the station to meet future passenger needs. “A ‘do-nothing’ scenario is untenable,” he said.
The application is similar to a previous one granted planning permission in 2001 but this was abandoned three years later because it would involve the temporary closure of the station.
The latest application, which is being assessed by An Bord Pleanála under new fast-track planning procedures, permits the station to remain operating during works.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The two State bodies are also at loggerheads over the payment of development contributions and a levy to fund the Metro North in the event of planning permission being granted.
An Bord Pleanála yesterday began an oral hearing into Iarnród Éireann’s plans to redevelop the Dart and mainline station, the second-busiest in the country.
The semi-State aims to fund the new station through the development of the office block by seeking development partners if it obtains planning permission.
The development includes a glazed three-storey concourse and 10 storeys of office accommodation employing a “grain of rice” or “ship-shape” motif. Iarnród Éireann says the design by Canadian architects Adamson Associates will provide a “dramatic arrival point” for travellers to Dublin.
“The concourse will be a place of light, bustle and activity, an interchange point which looks towards the historic core of Dublin and the Liffey quays to the west, yet which is itself visible in all of its activities from the adjacent streets and from the wider city,” according to Iarnród Éireann.
However, the council, in its observation to the board, has likened the proposed tower to “a large slab form” sitting poorly in the skyline. While not opposed to development on the site, it says the current proposal is not capable of being amended and should be rejected. The proposed development will reach 60.8 metres into the Dublin skyline, slightly higher than Liberty Hall and almost twice the height of the Custom House. Iarnród Éireann told the hearing, chaired by inspector Karla McBride, that the loss of any floors from the office tower would significantly reduce its commercial viability.
A 10-year planning permission is being sought as construction is likely to take longer than the normal five years allowed.
The Department of the Environment has also expressed concern about the proposed development and has called for the provision of a nesting platform for peregrine falcons as part of any planning permission.
The development envisages the demolition of Tara House and other buildings but Kennedy’s pub, a four-storey protected structure on George’s Quay, will survive.
Iarnród Éireann called on the board not to impose levies on the development to fund Metro North and to reduce the normal development contributions due to Dublin City Council as part of planning permission.
Tim Richards, a surveyor with CIÉ, said the imposition of a levy to fund Metro North, as sought by the Railway Procurement Agency and the council, was inappropriate because it was not a pure office development. The imposition of a levy, estimated at almost €400,000, would place an “undue burden” on the development.
Jennifer Noctor of the Railway Procurement Agency said the levy should be imposed as the development was within the prescribed area near the new Metro line, which would benefit the occupants of the commercial and retail units.
Mr Richards also argued that development contributions due to the council should not be imposed in relation to the transport components of the plan.
Tom Devoy of Iarnród Éireann said the Tara Street station was heavily congested at peak times and would not be able to cope with expected increases in passenger numbers in the future. The new station has been designed to cater for 14,500 passengers an hour, compared to the current morning peak of 6,000 passengers. Mr Devoy said the new design would make the station a far safer environment for passengers as well as providing better shelter for passengers on platforms.
However, Iarnród Éireann does not intend to provide any toilets or bicycle parking in the station because of the “confined” nature of the site. Ms McBride said it wasn’t logical to expect cyclists to park their bikes at other stations if travelling from Tara Street.
Mr Devoy said Tara Street was a vital piece of strategic rail infrastructure for Dublin and its redevelopment was vital to “future-proof” the station to meet future passenger needs. “A ‘do-nothing’ scenario is untenable,” he said.
The application is similar to a previous one granted planning permission in 2001 but this was abandoned three years later because it would involve the temporary closure of the station.
The latest application, which is being assessed by An Bord Pleanála under new fast-track planning procedures, permits the station to remain operating during works.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
CIE aims high with €100m station plan
CIE plans to build a €100m office block development higher than Liberty Hall at Tara Street Station in Dublin.
This morning, An Bord Pleanala will open a public hearing into plans by the company to redevelop one of the country's busiest transport centres, which would see a 14-storey office block built above the tracks on a 0.3 acre site.
Our picture shows how the redesigned concourse will look if the project goes ahead.
And CIE has insisted it was "confident" the development would go ahead, despite the current economic difficulties.
Some 10 million passengers go through the station every year, and further growth is expected as Transport 21 projects, including the underground DART, come on stream.
The 12-metre tall concourse area will cater for up to 14,500 passengers per hour at peak commuter times.
To fund the development of the station, a landmark office development will also be included over the station, with an office space of 13,000sq m, which sees the overall height of the development total 60.8 metres.
The scheme will be developed on a phased basis to permit the station to remain open during construction.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
This morning, An Bord Pleanala will open a public hearing into plans by the company to redevelop one of the country's busiest transport centres, which would see a 14-storey office block built above the tracks on a 0.3 acre site.
Our picture shows how the redesigned concourse will look if the project goes ahead.
And CIE has insisted it was "confident" the development would go ahead, despite the current economic difficulties.
Some 10 million passengers go through the station every year, and further growth is expected as Transport 21 projects, including the underground DART, come on stream.
The 12-metre tall concourse area will cater for up to 14,500 passengers per hour at peak commuter times.
To fund the development of the station, a landmark office development will also be included over the station, with an office space of 13,000sq m, which sees the overall height of the development total 60.8 metres.
The scheme will be developed on a phased basis to permit the station to remain open during construction.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Incinerator explosion contingency plan urged
THE POSSIBILITY of a vapour cloud explosion at the site of a proposed incinerator in Ringaskiddy, Cork, must be taken into account and planned for, according to a major emergency officer attached to the HSE.
Peter Daly, chief emergency management officer for the HSE and a former chemical weapons inspector in Iraq, said “credible scenarios” included in the application for the €140 million waste-to-energy plant “must include the possibility of a vapour cloud explosion, which is currently omitted”.
Mr Daly, a Cobh resident and objector to the proposed incinerator, was speaking as a private individual and not for the HSE at an oral hearing into the incinerator.
He referred to huge explosions that took place at the Buncefield oil depot in the UK in December 2005. In the planning process for the oil depot explosions of that scale were not considered to be a “credible scenario”.
“If Buncefield teaches us anything it is that we need to consider a vapour cloud explosion as a credible scenario, and it is worth repeating from the report that the circumstances which led to the event were predictable even if the consequences were not.”
In evidence previously unknown to anti-incinerator campaigners, Mr Daly said distances claimed to be safe by incinerator proposers Indaver would be regarded as well inside the danger zones by public response agencies in the event of an accident.
He said should an accident occur, response agencies would consider whether their staff could be admitted to the danger zone.
“The public safety zone consists essentially of three zones: hot, warm and cold. Distances claimed as safe in the application would be regarded by the public response agencies in emergency response as well inside a PSZ warm circle. The area that they would regard as being in a ‘warm zone’ would be significantly greater than the perimeter of the plant,” Mr Daly said.
A spokesman for Indaver said emergency plans for the facility would be made known locally before incineration begins.
“We are happy to reiterate that any emergency planning aspects of the proposed facility would be co-ordinated with the relevant authorities in advance of operations and communicated locally.
“Everyday operations will meet the highest standards, involving modern technology and qualified personnel to ensure appropriate safety at all times.”
However, Mr Daly said a singular access point to the site for the incinerator also posed problems for the emergency services. “The area is effectively a cul-de-sac with only one entry point, and if that entry point along the Ringaskiddy road is compromised then the public response agencies will be significantly affected, with the potential of very serious consequences.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Peter Daly, chief emergency management officer for the HSE and a former chemical weapons inspector in Iraq, said “credible scenarios” included in the application for the €140 million waste-to-energy plant “must include the possibility of a vapour cloud explosion, which is currently omitted”.
Mr Daly, a Cobh resident and objector to the proposed incinerator, was speaking as a private individual and not for the HSE at an oral hearing into the incinerator.
He referred to huge explosions that took place at the Buncefield oil depot in the UK in December 2005. In the planning process for the oil depot explosions of that scale were not considered to be a “credible scenario”.
“If Buncefield teaches us anything it is that we need to consider a vapour cloud explosion as a credible scenario, and it is worth repeating from the report that the circumstances which led to the event were predictable even if the consequences were not.”
In evidence previously unknown to anti-incinerator campaigners, Mr Daly said distances claimed to be safe by incinerator proposers Indaver would be regarded as well inside the danger zones by public response agencies in the event of an accident.
He said should an accident occur, response agencies would consider whether their staff could be admitted to the danger zone.
“The public safety zone consists essentially of three zones: hot, warm and cold. Distances claimed as safe in the application would be regarded by the public response agencies in emergency response as well inside a PSZ warm circle. The area that they would regard as being in a ‘warm zone’ would be significantly greater than the perimeter of the plant,” Mr Daly said.
A spokesman for Indaver said emergency plans for the facility would be made known locally before incineration begins.
“We are happy to reiterate that any emergency planning aspects of the proposed facility would be co-ordinated with the relevant authorities in advance of operations and communicated locally.
“Everyday operations will meet the highest standards, involving modern technology and qualified personnel to ensure appropriate safety at all times.”
However, Mr Daly said a singular access point to the site for the incinerator also posed problems for the emergency services. “The area is effectively a cul-de-sac with only one entry point, and if that entry point along the Ringaskiddy road is compromised then the public response agencies will be significantly affected, with the potential of very serious consequences.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Corrib gas pipeline hearing opens
PLANNING chiefs opened a public hearing into the controversial Corrib gas pipeline route as a prominent protestor was jailed for the second time in less than two months.
Energy giant Shell and local environmentalists disagree on plans to extract massive stores of gas off the Mayo coast.
An Bord Pleanála opened its hearings into a revised onshore pipeline route yesterday amid claims by its designers that it was safer for local residents.
The hearings into the route are expected to last for possibly four weeks. Shell wants to lay 9.2km of onshore pipeline which will help will pump the raw gas ashore.
Shell’s engineers say the new onshore route is twice the distance from houses as the original design – 140 metres as opposed to the original 70. Shell also maintains the pipeline pressure is half what was originally put forth by the energy consortium for the last route.
The original pipeline route was exempt from planning nine years ago.
Shell and objectors drew up a schedule for hearings yesterday. The board’s inspector could complete a report on the hearings up to eight weeks after they are finished. It will then be up to board members to approve or reject Shell’s revised route.
Meanwhile, long-time Corrib protester and retired school principal Maura Harrington has been jailed for a second time in just two months. The 55-year-old has been jailed for 14 days for refusing to pay a €3,000 fine after being charged earlier this year with assaulting a garda.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Energy giant Shell and local environmentalists disagree on plans to extract massive stores of gas off the Mayo coast.
An Bord Pleanála opened its hearings into a revised onshore pipeline route yesterday amid claims by its designers that it was safer for local residents.
The hearings into the route are expected to last for possibly four weeks. Shell wants to lay 9.2km of onshore pipeline which will help will pump the raw gas ashore.
Shell’s engineers say the new onshore route is twice the distance from houses as the original design – 140 metres as opposed to the original 70. Shell also maintains the pipeline pressure is half what was originally put forth by the energy consortium for the last route.
The original pipeline route was exempt from planning nine years ago.
Shell and objectors drew up a schedule for hearings yesterday. The board’s inspector could complete a report on the hearings up to eight weeks after they are finished. It will then be up to board members to approve or reject Shell’s revised route.
Meanwhile, long-time Corrib protester and retired school principal Maura Harrington has been jailed for a second time in just two months. The 55-year-old has been jailed for 14 days for refusing to pay a €3,000 fine after being charged earlier this year with assaulting a garda.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Oral hearing into new Corrib pipeline route opens today
ONE OF the last pieces in the complex jigsaw of statutory approvals needed for the Corrib gas project is due to be addressed in a Bord Pleanála hearing which opens today in north Mayo.
The oral hearing into a revised onshore pipeline route, linking the landfall at Broadhaven Bay to the Corrib gas refinery at Bellanaboy, is to be heard under the Strategic Infrastructure Act and is expected to last three to four weeks.
However, plans by Shell EP Ireland to resume attempts to lay the offshore pipeline with the ship Solitaire appear to have hit an obstacle, with failure to secure an agreement with Erris fishermen.
The Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Association says that the company has not lived up to its promise in relation to discharges from an outfall pipe, which could harm sensitive marine areas.
“This is not about compensation or money – there is a principle involved here,” Eddie Diver, a spokesman for the Erris fishermen, told The Irish Times . Fishermen will remain at all times within the law, but will continue to fish in Broadhaven Bay, as is their legal right, he said.
An agreement secured by Shell last year had involved compensation for lost fishing time during pipelaying, but hinged on commitments to deal with the outfall pipe.
An Bord Pleanála inspector Martin Nolan is expected to hear some 78 submissions on a revised onshore pipeline routing, which represents the first ever planning application for any part of the pipeline. A second application by Shell EP Ireland and partners Statoil and Marathon for a compulsory acquisition order for access to private lands will also be handled at the hearing.
The original onshore pipeline route was exempted from planning approval under the Gas Acts. It was sanctioned by former marine minister Frank Fahey before the 2002 general election.
The hearing to open today will hear objections from a number of local residents and groupings. Statutory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency will also be represented.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The oral hearing into a revised onshore pipeline route, linking the landfall at Broadhaven Bay to the Corrib gas refinery at Bellanaboy, is to be heard under the Strategic Infrastructure Act and is expected to last three to four weeks.
However, plans by Shell EP Ireland to resume attempts to lay the offshore pipeline with the ship Solitaire appear to have hit an obstacle, with failure to secure an agreement with Erris fishermen.
The Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Association says that the company has not lived up to its promise in relation to discharges from an outfall pipe, which could harm sensitive marine areas.
“This is not about compensation or money – there is a principle involved here,” Eddie Diver, a spokesman for the Erris fishermen, told The Irish Times . Fishermen will remain at all times within the law, but will continue to fish in Broadhaven Bay, as is their legal right, he said.
An agreement secured by Shell last year had involved compensation for lost fishing time during pipelaying, but hinged on commitments to deal with the outfall pipe.
An Bord Pleanála inspector Martin Nolan is expected to hear some 78 submissions on a revised onshore pipeline routing, which represents the first ever planning application for any part of the pipeline. A second application by Shell EP Ireland and partners Statoil and Marathon for a compulsory acquisition order for access to private lands will also be handled at the hearing.
The original onshore pipeline route was exempted from planning approval under the Gas Acts. It was sanctioned by former marine minister Frank Fahey before the 2002 general election.
The hearing to open today will hear objections from a number of local residents and groupings. Statutory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency will also be represented.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gas pipeline safety defended
CORRIB GAS project consultants have told an oral hearing of An Bord Pleanála that a modified onshore pipeline route is safe, meets all relevant codes and standards, and selection was open and transparent.
RPS Consulting Engineers technical director Ciarán Butler told the first day of the bilingual oral hearing in Belmullet, Co Mayo, that the proposed route achieves “the optimum balance of community, environmental and technical criteria” developed by the consultants.
However, the hearing heard confirmation that the Health and Safety Authority has no remit in the pipeline’s safety. The agency informed the appeals board that off-site gas pipelines are not controlled by the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 2006.
Two objectors, landowners Bríd McGarry and Brendan Philbin of the “Rossport Five” group, also withdrew from the hearing after local residents sought unsuccessfully to clarify the jurisdiction of An Bord Pleanála in relation to the pipeline.
Michéal Ó Seighin, who was one of the men also imprisoned with Mr Philbin in 2005 over opposition to the original pipeline route, said clarification was important.
The appeals board, as an independent body, would be deciding whether people lose their land to the pipeline in a few months’ time, he said. Environmental consultant Peter Sweetman requested that one member of the inspection team from An Bord Pleanála hearing submissions should absent himself due to conflict of interest.
An Bord Pleanála presiding inspector Martin Nolan is hearing Shell EP Ireland’s revised onshore pipeline route application, and a separate application for compulsory acquisition orders to land on the route, under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
His supporting team includes An Bord Pleanála senior inspector Stephen O’Sullivan, pipeline expert Nigel Wright and geotechnical engineering expert Conor O’Donnell. The new route, identified by RPS, acting as consultants for Shell, runs a minimum 140 metres from occupied housing, according to Shell – twice the minimum separation distance of 70 metres from housing in the original pipeline route.
The route runs through special areas of conservation as protected under the EU habitats directive. It arose as a result of a recommendation by Government mediator Peter Cassells in 2006.
Describing the selection procedure for the 9.2km high pressure pipeline route from the landfall at Glengad to the gas refinery at Bellanaboy, RPS engineering expert Ciarán Butler said it included a more complex landfall valve installation at the shoreline at Glengad.
This was because a “fail safe” isolation valve had been designed to comply with the relevant codes and standards, as part of a commitment to reduce pressure in the pipeline to 144 bar.
The hearing is one of the last stages in the series of statutory approvals sought for the project. Shell EP Ireland is currently preparing to proceed with laying the offshore pipeline in advance of onshore approval, but has not secured agreement with fishermen who staged a peaceful protest at Ballyglass pier last night.
Witnesses at the hearing will include a number of Government departments and agencies. Local residents and groupings opposed to the routing include An Taisce, the Rossport Solidarity Camp, and Erris community groups Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal Le Chéile.
Pobal Chill Chomáin has successfully sought the intervention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development due to alleged breaches of guidelines. Pro-Gas Mayo, Chambers Ireland, the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association, Goodbody Economic Consultants and the Council for the West have made submissions in favour.
The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
RPS Consulting Engineers technical director Ciarán Butler told the first day of the bilingual oral hearing in Belmullet, Co Mayo, that the proposed route achieves “the optimum balance of community, environmental and technical criteria” developed by the consultants.
However, the hearing heard confirmation that the Health and Safety Authority has no remit in the pipeline’s safety. The agency informed the appeals board that off-site gas pipelines are not controlled by the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 2006.
Two objectors, landowners Bríd McGarry and Brendan Philbin of the “Rossport Five” group, also withdrew from the hearing after local residents sought unsuccessfully to clarify the jurisdiction of An Bord Pleanála in relation to the pipeline.
Michéal Ó Seighin, who was one of the men also imprisoned with Mr Philbin in 2005 over opposition to the original pipeline route, said clarification was important.
The appeals board, as an independent body, would be deciding whether people lose their land to the pipeline in a few months’ time, he said. Environmental consultant Peter Sweetman requested that one member of the inspection team from An Bord Pleanála hearing submissions should absent himself due to conflict of interest.
An Bord Pleanála presiding inspector Martin Nolan is hearing Shell EP Ireland’s revised onshore pipeline route application, and a separate application for compulsory acquisition orders to land on the route, under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
His supporting team includes An Bord Pleanála senior inspector Stephen O’Sullivan, pipeline expert Nigel Wright and geotechnical engineering expert Conor O’Donnell. The new route, identified by RPS, acting as consultants for Shell, runs a minimum 140 metres from occupied housing, according to Shell – twice the minimum separation distance of 70 metres from housing in the original pipeline route.
The route runs through special areas of conservation as protected under the EU habitats directive. It arose as a result of a recommendation by Government mediator Peter Cassells in 2006.
Describing the selection procedure for the 9.2km high pressure pipeline route from the landfall at Glengad to the gas refinery at Bellanaboy, RPS engineering expert Ciarán Butler said it included a more complex landfall valve installation at the shoreline at Glengad.
This was because a “fail safe” isolation valve had been designed to comply with the relevant codes and standards, as part of a commitment to reduce pressure in the pipeline to 144 bar.
The hearing is one of the last stages in the series of statutory approvals sought for the project. Shell EP Ireland is currently preparing to proceed with laying the offshore pipeline in advance of onshore approval, but has not secured agreement with fishermen who staged a peaceful protest at Ballyglass pier last night.
Witnesses at the hearing will include a number of Government departments and agencies. Local residents and groupings opposed to the routing include An Taisce, the Rossport Solidarity Camp, and Erris community groups Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal Le Chéile.
Pobal Chill Chomáin has successfully sought the intervention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development due to alleged breaches of guidelines. Pro-Gas Mayo, Chambers Ireland, the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association, Goodbody Economic Consultants and the Council for the West have made submissions in favour.
The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Incinerator 'solution' to pollution at Cork site
A HAZARDOUS waste incinerator planned for Ringaskiddy in Cork harbour could help clean up the waste legacy of contaminated materials left at the former Irish Steel plant on nearby Haulbowline Island, it was claimed yesterday.
Indaver Ireland managing director John Ahern told the second day of the Bord Pleanála hearing into the proposed incinerator that the facility offered not just the opportunity to deal with the region’s growing municipal and industrial waste but also contaminated material from Haulbowline.
“Haulbowline Island has contaminated soils and sludges . . . our facility offers a solution. With Indaver up and running in the area, this problem can be resolved – safely, efficiently and at an affordable cost thus ending what has been a prolonged hangover for the locality,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that as Ireland’s waste mountain continued to grow, the disposal options for treating this waste were narrowing and Cork, like every region in Europe, must reduce its dependence on landfill or face millions of euro in punitive fines.
Cork and Ireland need security of energy supplies and while many options are available, the most obvious is waste-to-energy which is far more beneficial economically than either burying waste in landfill or exporting it for treatment, he said.
“For example, hazardous waste from the Cork region supplies the base load energy source for Hamburg’s extensive district heating system. This effectively subsidises hot water and heating for the residents and industries of Hamburg,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that Indaver had over 20 years’ experience operating waste-to-energy facilities in Flanders where it was founded by the Flemish government in partnership with local industry. The company plans to replicate a similar approach to waste management here, Mr Ahern added.
Indaver’s project and commercial director, Jackie Keaney, said the Ringaskiddy project was in line with both EU and Irish objectives to maximise the recovery of energy from residual waste and generating renewable energy from biomass in the waste.
Installing a combined heat and power plant would contribute to Ireland meeting renewable heating targets and it would also contribute to security of energy supply goals by generating from a local resource that provides an alternative to fossil fuels, she said.
“The Ringaskiddy facility can accept a range of biodegradable wastes that would otherwise be sent to landfill, These include for example, treated residues and refuse derived fuel from mechanical biological treatment, sludges and organic wastes from industry,” she said.
Ms Keaney said the proposed incinerator was in line with the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2008-2012 which recommends a move towards self sufficiency. “At present, the Ringaskiddy facility is the only waste-to-energy facility in the planning process that can accept the 50,000 tonnes per annum identified by the EPA as requiring thermal treatment in Ireland,” she said. The hearing continues.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Indaver Ireland managing director John Ahern told the second day of the Bord Pleanála hearing into the proposed incinerator that the facility offered not just the opportunity to deal with the region’s growing municipal and industrial waste but also contaminated material from Haulbowline.
“Haulbowline Island has contaminated soils and sludges . . . our facility offers a solution. With Indaver up and running in the area, this problem can be resolved – safely, efficiently and at an affordable cost thus ending what has been a prolonged hangover for the locality,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that as Ireland’s waste mountain continued to grow, the disposal options for treating this waste were narrowing and Cork, like every region in Europe, must reduce its dependence on landfill or face millions of euro in punitive fines.
Cork and Ireland need security of energy supplies and while many options are available, the most obvious is waste-to-energy which is far more beneficial economically than either burying waste in landfill or exporting it for treatment, he said.
“For example, hazardous waste from the Cork region supplies the base load energy source for Hamburg’s extensive district heating system. This effectively subsidises hot water and heating for the residents and industries of Hamburg,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that Indaver had over 20 years’ experience operating waste-to-energy facilities in Flanders where it was founded by the Flemish government in partnership with local industry. The company plans to replicate a similar approach to waste management here, Mr Ahern added.
Indaver’s project and commercial director, Jackie Keaney, said the Ringaskiddy project was in line with both EU and Irish objectives to maximise the recovery of energy from residual waste and generating renewable energy from biomass in the waste.
Installing a combined heat and power plant would contribute to Ireland meeting renewable heating targets and it would also contribute to security of energy supply goals by generating from a local resource that provides an alternative to fossil fuels, she said.
“The Ringaskiddy facility can accept a range of biodegradable wastes that would otherwise be sent to landfill, These include for example, treated residues and refuse derived fuel from mechanical biological treatment, sludges and organic wastes from industry,” she said.
Ms Keaney said the proposed incinerator was in line with the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2008-2012 which recommends a move towards self sufficiency. “At present, the Ringaskiddy facility is the only waste-to-energy facility in the planning process that can accept the 50,000 tonnes per annum identified by the EPA as requiring thermal treatment in Ireland,” she said. The hearing continues.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Incinerator 'solution' to pollution at Cork site
A HAZARDOUS waste incinerator planned for Ringaskiddy in Cork harbour could help clean up the waste legacy of contaminated materials left at the former Irish Steel plant on nearby Haulbowline Island, it was claimed yesterday.
Indaver Ireland managing director John Ahern told the second day of the Bord Pleanála hearing into the proposed incinerator that the facility offered not just the opportunity to deal with the region’s growing municipal and industrial waste but also contaminated material from Haulbowline.
“Haulbowline Island has contaminated soils and sludges . . . our facility offers a solution. With Indaver up and running in the area, this problem can be resolved – safely, efficiently and at an affordable cost thus ending what has been a prolonged hangover for the locality,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that as Ireland’s waste mountain continued to grow, the disposal options for treating this waste were narrowing and Cork, like every region in Europe, must reduce its dependence on landfill or face millions of euro in punitive fines.
Cork and Ireland need security of energy supplies and while many options are available, the most obvious is waste-to-energy which is far more beneficial economically than either burying waste in landfill or exporting it for treatment, he said.
“For example, hazardous waste from the Cork region supplies the base load energy source for Hamburg’s extensive district heating system. This effectively subsidises hot water and heating for the residents and industries of Hamburg,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that Indaver had over 20 years’ experience operating waste-to-energy facilities in Flanders where it was founded by the Flemish government in partnership with local industry. The company plans to replicate a similar approach to waste management here, Mr Ahern added.
Indaver’s project and commercial director, Jackie Keaney, said the Ringaskiddy project was in line with both EU and Irish objectives to maximise the recovery of energy from residual waste and generating renewable energy from biomass in the waste.
Installing a combined heat and power plant would contribute to Ireland meeting renewable heating targets and it would also contribute to security of energy supply goals by generating from a local resource that provides an alternative to fossil fuels, she said.
“The Ringaskiddy facility can accept a range of biodegradable wastes that would otherwise be sent to landfill, These include for example, treated residues and refuse derived fuel from mechanical biological treatment, sludges and organic wastes from industry,” she said.
Ms Keaney said the proposed incinerator was in line with the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2008-2012 which recommends a move towards self sufficiency. “At present, the Ringaskiddy facility is the only waste-to-energy facility in the planning process that can accept the 50,000 tonnes per annum identified by the EPA as requiring thermal treatment in Ireland,” she said. The hearing continues.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Indaver Ireland managing director John Ahern told the second day of the Bord Pleanála hearing into the proposed incinerator that the facility offered not just the opportunity to deal with the region’s growing municipal and industrial waste but also contaminated material from Haulbowline.
“Haulbowline Island has contaminated soils and sludges . . . our facility offers a solution. With Indaver up and running in the area, this problem can be resolved – safely, efficiently and at an affordable cost thus ending what has been a prolonged hangover for the locality,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that as Ireland’s waste mountain continued to grow, the disposal options for treating this waste were narrowing and Cork, like every region in Europe, must reduce its dependence on landfill or face millions of euro in punitive fines.
Cork and Ireland need security of energy supplies and while many options are available, the most obvious is waste-to-energy which is far more beneficial economically than either burying waste in landfill or exporting it for treatment, he said.
“For example, hazardous waste from the Cork region supplies the base load energy source for Hamburg’s extensive district heating system. This effectively subsidises hot water and heating for the residents and industries of Hamburg,” he said.
Mr Ahern said that Indaver had over 20 years’ experience operating waste-to-energy facilities in Flanders where it was founded by the Flemish government in partnership with local industry. The company plans to replicate a similar approach to waste management here, Mr Ahern added.
Indaver’s project and commercial director, Jackie Keaney, said the Ringaskiddy project was in line with both EU and Irish objectives to maximise the recovery of energy from residual waste and generating renewable energy from biomass in the waste.
Installing a combined heat and power plant would contribute to Ireland meeting renewable heating targets and it would also contribute to security of energy supply goals by generating from a local resource that provides an alternative to fossil fuels, she said.
“The Ringaskiddy facility can accept a range of biodegradable wastes that would otherwise be sent to landfill, These include for example, treated residues and refuse derived fuel from mechanical biological treatment, sludges and organic wastes from industry,” she said.
Ms Keaney said the proposed incinerator was in line with the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2008-2012 which recommends a move towards self sufficiency. “At present, the Ringaskiddy facility is the only waste-to-energy facility in the planning process that can accept the 50,000 tonnes per annum identified by the EPA as requiring thermal treatment in Ireland,” she said. The hearing continues.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Carlton site plan would be a 'gross overdevelopment'
THE PROPOSED redevelopment of the Carlton cinema site in Dublin city centre would constitute gross overdevelopment and could have an adverse impact on many protected structures, An Bord Pleanála has been told.
The appeal hearing on the project heard that the €1.25 billion scheme would be highly obtrusive and could damage the visual amenity of the area.
Orlagh Cawley, on behalf of the National Graves Association, said the design of the project marks a stark contrast to the prevailing building heights and densities.
Ms Cawley said the plan provides for a potential “irreversible impact” on the architecture of Moore Street and O’Connell Street and could result in the complete removal of part of Dublin’s historical streetscape, Moore Lane and Henry Place. “The impact of the proposed development will constitute gross overdevelopment and over-intensification” she said.
The proposed redevelopment of the 5.5 acre site includes a four-storey “park in the sky”, a branch of British department store John Lewis, almost 100 shops, 64 apartments, 17 restaurants, a theatre space and 2,868sq m of offices.
The area would include three new public squares, two new streets, and would involve the relocation of two protected structures: the 19th-century O’Connell Hall, and the facade of the former Carlton cinema. Developers Chartered Land say the scheme would make a “positive and powerful contribution to the city”.
Damien Cassidy of the National Heritage and Conservation Group said the developers clearly consider the Carlton site to be a brownfield building site devoid of any architectural merit, historic and cultural importance.
Mr Cassidy said the inclusion of the national monument on Moore Street would “destroy the authenticity” of the surrender headquarters of the 1916 volunteers. Mr Cassidy said that the development of the nearby Arnotts site meant there would be no shortage of retail space in the area and that there was already an abundance of vacant office space.
Among third-party appellants opposed to the scheme were Treasury Holdings, An Taisce and the families of the signatories of the Proclamation of Independence. The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The appeal hearing on the project heard that the €1.25 billion scheme would be highly obtrusive and could damage the visual amenity of the area.
Orlagh Cawley, on behalf of the National Graves Association, said the design of the project marks a stark contrast to the prevailing building heights and densities.
Ms Cawley said the plan provides for a potential “irreversible impact” on the architecture of Moore Street and O’Connell Street and could result in the complete removal of part of Dublin’s historical streetscape, Moore Lane and Henry Place. “The impact of the proposed development will constitute gross overdevelopment and over-intensification” she said.
The proposed redevelopment of the 5.5 acre site includes a four-storey “park in the sky”, a branch of British department store John Lewis, almost 100 shops, 64 apartments, 17 restaurants, a theatre space and 2,868sq m of offices.
The area would include three new public squares, two new streets, and would involve the relocation of two protected structures: the 19th-century O’Connell Hall, and the facade of the former Carlton cinema. Developers Chartered Land say the scheme would make a “positive and powerful contribution to the city”.
Damien Cassidy of the National Heritage and Conservation Group said the developers clearly consider the Carlton site to be a brownfield building site devoid of any architectural merit, historic and cultural importance.
Mr Cassidy said the inclusion of the national monument on Moore Street would “destroy the authenticity” of the surrender headquarters of the 1916 volunteers. Mr Cassidy said that the development of the nearby Arnotts site meant there would be no shortage of retail space in the area and that there was already an abundance of vacant office space.
Among third-party appellants opposed to the scheme were Treasury Holdings, An Taisce and the families of the signatories of the Proclamation of Independence. The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Oral hearing into Carlton cinema site
THE PROPOSED redevelopment of the Carlton cinema site on Dublin’s O’Connell Street is about preventing the “hollowing-out” of the city centre and saving tens of thousands of jobs, An Bord Pleanála heard yesterday.
The planning body is holding an oral hearing on the €1.25 billion mixed use proposal by developers Chartered Land.
The “Dublin Central” plan is opposed by bodies including An Taisce, the National Graves Association and relatives of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of Independence.
Witness for the developers, commercial property consultant Neil Bannon, said the city centre’s position as the premier shopping destination was under constant erosion from shopping centres on the outskirts of Dublin and further afield.
Retailers were queuing up to open stores in the city centre but the extent of prime shopping space in Dublin was “quite limited”, he said.
He said this development was “the most significant retail opportunity in this generation” and was a “truly unique opportunity”.
The 5.5 acre plan includes a John Lewis department store, 100 shops, 64 apartments, 17 restaurants and a “park in the sky” on the roof of the development.
Objectors will have an opportunity to cross examine the developers later today or tomorrow.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The planning body is holding an oral hearing on the €1.25 billion mixed use proposal by developers Chartered Land.
The “Dublin Central” plan is opposed by bodies including An Taisce, the National Graves Association and relatives of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of Independence.
Witness for the developers, commercial property consultant Neil Bannon, said the city centre’s position as the premier shopping destination was under constant erosion from shopping centres on the outskirts of Dublin and further afield.
Retailers were queuing up to open stores in the city centre but the extent of prime shopping space in Dublin was “quite limited”, he said.
He said this development was “the most significant retail opportunity in this generation” and was a “truly unique opportunity”.
The 5.5 acre plan includes a John Lewis department store, 100 shops, 64 apartments, 17 restaurants and a “park in the sky” on the roof of the development.
Objectors will have an opportunity to cross examine the developers later today or tomorrow.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Carlton cinema site development 'could undermine character of O'Connell Street'
THE PROPOSED €1.25 billion redevelopment of a 5.5 acre site centred on the former Carlton cinema on O’Connell Street, could “serious and irreversibly” undermine the character of Dublin’s main street, An Bord Pleanála has been told.
The appeal hearing on the development which includes a four-storey “park in the sky”, a branch of British department store John Lewis, almost 100 shops, 64 apartments, and 2,868sq m of offices was opened by An Bord Pleanála yesterday.
Developers Chartered Land told the hearing that the scheme would make a “positive and powerful contribution to the city as a whole”.
The developer’s architect Mark Turpin said the area was considered by many to have become unsafe and had “suffered stagnation over a long period” but the proposed scheme would transform the area and regenerate what was the “civic spine” of Dublin.
The development area bounded by O’Connell Street, Moore Street Henry Street and Parnell Street would include three new public squares, two new streets, and would involve the relocation of two protected structures: the 19th-century O’Connell Hall, and the facade of the former Carlton cinema.
The Georgian Society of Ireland told the hearing that it strongly opposed the relocation of the protected structures, and the insertion of a new plaza on O’Connell Street. The society’s assistant director Emmeline Henderson said the plaza would “detract from the 18th-century urban form” of O’Connell Street and “compromises the existing civic spine”.
The society also objected to the height of the development, which, at 40 metres, it felt was excessive in such an architecturally sensitive area. The “excessive level of facadism”, where the fronts of several buildings were being retained while their interiors would be demolished, was also considered objectionable
If An Bord Pleanála allowed the development to go ahead in its current form it would “result in the architectural and historic character of O’Connell Street being seriously and irreversibly undermined,” Ms Henderson said.
The Moore Street Traders Committee, which represents the market stall holders, said the area had suffered “prolonged dereliction” and the subject site had been a major negative feature of the area. “It is in this context that the Moore Street traders welcome the proposed development,” committee spokesman Ernie Beggs said.
The proposed development sought to integrate the existing market and would allow it to develop and grow. It would also protect the structures of the heritage buildings on Moore Street, Mr Beggs said.
However, James Connolly Heron of the Save Moore Street Committee said the development involved the demolition of part of the National Monument buildings of 14-16 Moore Street, which were used during the 1916 Rising, and infringed upon their setting.
Mr Connolly Heron, who is a great-grandson of James Connolly, said Chartered Land had allowed the National Monument buildings to deteriorate and decay. The state of the monument “is a national disgrace”, he said.
Dublin City Council had reached a deal to sell the site Chartered Land instead of putting the project out to tender, which was in contravention of EU guidelines, Mr Connolly Heron said, and was allowing the demolition of protected structures contrary to development controls.
The park in the sky, which slopes for four storeys on the roof of the development was “entirely inappropriate” and was at odds with the “grand terrace form” of O’Connell Street, he said.
The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The appeal hearing on the development which includes a four-storey “park in the sky”, a branch of British department store John Lewis, almost 100 shops, 64 apartments, and 2,868sq m of offices was opened by An Bord Pleanála yesterday.
Developers Chartered Land told the hearing that the scheme would make a “positive and powerful contribution to the city as a whole”.
The developer’s architect Mark Turpin said the area was considered by many to have become unsafe and had “suffered stagnation over a long period” but the proposed scheme would transform the area and regenerate what was the “civic spine” of Dublin.
The development area bounded by O’Connell Street, Moore Street Henry Street and Parnell Street would include three new public squares, two new streets, and would involve the relocation of two protected structures: the 19th-century O’Connell Hall, and the facade of the former Carlton cinema.
The Georgian Society of Ireland told the hearing that it strongly opposed the relocation of the protected structures, and the insertion of a new plaza on O’Connell Street. The society’s assistant director Emmeline Henderson said the plaza would “detract from the 18th-century urban form” of O’Connell Street and “compromises the existing civic spine”.
The society also objected to the height of the development, which, at 40 metres, it felt was excessive in such an architecturally sensitive area. The “excessive level of facadism”, where the fronts of several buildings were being retained while their interiors would be demolished, was also considered objectionable
If An Bord Pleanála allowed the development to go ahead in its current form it would “result in the architectural and historic character of O’Connell Street being seriously and irreversibly undermined,” Ms Henderson said.
The Moore Street Traders Committee, which represents the market stall holders, said the area had suffered “prolonged dereliction” and the subject site had been a major negative feature of the area. “It is in this context that the Moore Street traders welcome the proposed development,” committee spokesman Ernie Beggs said.
The proposed development sought to integrate the existing market and would allow it to develop and grow. It would also protect the structures of the heritage buildings on Moore Street, Mr Beggs said.
However, James Connolly Heron of the Save Moore Street Committee said the development involved the demolition of part of the National Monument buildings of 14-16 Moore Street, which were used during the 1916 Rising, and infringed upon their setting.
Mr Connolly Heron, who is a great-grandson of James Connolly, said Chartered Land had allowed the National Monument buildings to deteriorate and decay. The state of the monument “is a national disgrace”, he said.
Dublin City Council had reached a deal to sell the site Chartered Land instead of putting the project out to tender, which was in contravention of EU guidelines, Mr Connolly Heron said, and was allowing the demolition of protected structures contrary to development controls.
The park in the sky, which slopes for four storeys on the roof of the development was “entirely inappropriate” and was at odds with the “grand terrace form” of O’Connell Street, he said.
The hearing continues today.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Pipeline wayleaves agreed with landowners, hearing told
WAYLEAVES have been agreed with most of 72 landowners along the route of a 25km gas pipeline that will link a new gas terminal, in Tarbert, Co Kerry, with the national gas grid, near Foynes, Co Limerick, an oral planning hearing has been told.
Land acquisition orders are being sought for five to six properties along the route, it was also disclosed at the An Bord Pleanála hearing, in Listowel.
The proposed pipeline, from the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, will cross 20 roads, three rivers, 11 streams, farmland and forestry.
After construction, a permanent “easement” of 14 metres will be required within which Shannon LNG — the company behind the €500 million project — will have rights to access the pipeline. Both the terminal and pipeline are considered strategic infrastructure which means they do not have to go through local authorities for planning and are considered directly by An Bord Pleanála.
A number of questions raised by the main objector, Safety Before LNG, were yesterday ruled out of order by the planning inspector presiding at the hearing, Anne Marie O’Connor, as having been dealt with at an earlier hearing.
The chosen route of the pipeline is overland along the southern side of the Shannon Estuary, so as to avoid interference with the ecologically important estuary, a special protected area and a candidate Special Area of Conservation, according to Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of the US Hess Corporation. Two possible routes, which would involve crossing the estuary, were looked at, but the line across land was also the cheapest of the three routes considered, the company said.
Questioned about soil disturbance on peaty areas during the laying of the pipeline, geologist John Redding, for Shannon LNG, said he had been involved in assessing other routes across peat including the Mayo-Galway gas pipeline. He said he was confident the pipeline would not produce instability.
Johnny McElligott, of the Safety Before LNG group, claimed there was no plan for the evacuation of people in the area in the event of an emergency occurring.
Mr McElligott also called for an assessment of risks of a gas spill on water from a moving vessel in the estuary. The hearing continues.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Land acquisition orders are being sought for five to six properties along the route, it was also disclosed at the An Bord Pleanála hearing, in Listowel.
The proposed pipeline, from the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, will cross 20 roads, three rivers, 11 streams, farmland and forestry.
After construction, a permanent “easement” of 14 metres will be required within which Shannon LNG — the company behind the €500 million project — will have rights to access the pipeline. Both the terminal and pipeline are considered strategic infrastructure which means they do not have to go through local authorities for planning and are considered directly by An Bord Pleanála.
A number of questions raised by the main objector, Safety Before LNG, were yesterday ruled out of order by the planning inspector presiding at the hearing, Anne Marie O’Connor, as having been dealt with at an earlier hearing.
The chosen route of the pipeline is overland along the southern side of the Shannon Estuary, so as to avoid interference with the ecologically important estuary, a special protected area and a candidate Special Area of Conservation, according to Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of the US Hess Corporation. Two possible routes, which would involve crossing the estuary, were looked at, but the line across land was also the cheapest of the three routes considered, the company said.
Questioned about soil disturbance on peaty areas during the laying of the pipeline, geologist John Redding, for Shannon LNG, said he had been involved in assessing other routes across peat including the Mayo-Galway gas pipeline. He said he was confident the pipeline would not produce instability.
Johnny McElligott, of the Safety Before LNG group, claimed there was no plan for the evacuation of people in the area in the event of an emergency occurring.
Mr McElligott also called for an assessment of risks of a gas spill on water from a moving vessel in the estuary. The hearing continues.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
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