Residents declare concerns over proposed development
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A PUBLIC meeting concerning residential developments at Second Avenue in Cookstown Industrial Estate was held by the Belgard Heights Residents’ Association on Wednesday evening, to address concerns about the substantial developments.
Pyrmont Property Developments Limited received planning permission from South Dublin County Council in February 2018 for the construction of 107 apartment units, the majority of which are to be one- and two-bed units, and An Bord Pleanála (ABP) upheld the council’s decision after three community groups lodged appeals against it.
Bailey's car showroom seen empty this week.
The developer currently has a fast-track planning application lodged with ABP for a 196-unit residential development at the same site.
Bailey’s Autopoint recently vacated their premises at the location of the proposed developments and now operate out of the Concorde Industrial Estate on the Naas Road, as it seems the landscape of Cookstown Industrial Estate is set to change with the construction of the permitted 107-unit development, while ABP has yet to make a decision on the second planning application.
The developer lodged their second application with ABP last February, seeking permission for the demolition of an existing 2,590 sq m industrial building and the construction of a ‘build to rent’ housing development, providing a total of 196 residential apartments.
It is proposed that the majority of the apartment units will be studio, one-bed and two-bed apartments, and there are plans for them to be housed in four six- to nine-storey blocks.
The Belgard Heights Residents’ Association held a meeting in the Belgard Heights Youth and Community Centre about the two developments on Wednesday evening, to make the community aware of the developments and to ascertain their response to it.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Peter Forde, the chairman of the Belgard Heights Residents’ Association, told The Echo: “The intention of calling the meeting is for the residents of Belgard Heights, Alpine Rise and Kingswood View to be aware of what’s going on, as we’ll be particularly affected by the development on Second Avenue.”
An artists impression of the proposed plans in Cookstown.
Mr Forde added: “We don’t have issues with the fact that there’s a housing crisis and there’s an urgent need for housing, but we need to provide appropriate housing that caters to families, because they form the backbone of a community.
“The latest application by Pyrmont is for small apartments – it won’t contribute anything to the community in this area.
“It’s not a sustainable development, because the core of a community is families.
“There are also issues about the height [of the proposed apartment blocks]. It’s out of character with everything that’s around it in terms of housing.
“It’s all old-style semi-detached houses in the area, and these blocks are going to tower over them and block our view of the Dublin Mountains.
“The development will set a template for the rest of Cookstown Industrial Estate, if not the entire centre of Tallaght.”
Mr Forde added that he has concerns about fire safety as a result of the height of the proposed development, and is also concerned about the lack of a Local Area Plan for Tallaght Town Centre.
It is not yet known when construction will begin on the permitted 107-unit apartment development, and ABP is due to make a decision on the developer’s planning application for a 196-unit development by June 11 this year.
