Residential Development at Gulistan Depot Site, Rathmines - Part 8 Planning Consultation

Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended)

Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) - Part 8

Applicant: Dublin City Council, Housing and Community Services in partnership with Clúid Housing (an Approved Housing Body).

Location: Gulistan Depot, Gulistan Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin 6, DO6 E6C1 located to the rear of the Swan Shopping Centre and Rathmines College/former Town Hall. The site comprises a DCC Waste Management Facility and an obsolete ESB premises. The site is accessed via Gulistan Terrace with a measured site area of 0.925 Ha. The site is bounded by Castlewood Terrace to the south, the rear of Gulistan Cottages to the east, the Swan Shopping Centre (and delivery yard) to the west and other DCC owned lands to the north as will form a development site for a HSE Primary Care Centre.

Proposal: The application proposes the development of 153 no. residential units in 2 no. residential blocks and the proposed refurbishment of an existing building for community use:

• Block A comprises – 5 - 7 storey, 95 unit (63 no. 1 bed & 32 no. 2 bed) housing accommodation block
• Block B comprises – 4 - 5 storey, 58 unit (53 no. 1 bed & 5 no. 2 bed) housing accommodation block

The proposal includes the renovation of an existing stone building for community use, providing a flexible re-purposed building of 137 sqm. Total gross floor area of all built elements proposed is 12,242 sqm.

The proposed development is presented as pedestrian dominated with strong pedestrian and cycle linkage(s) to Rathmines Road and Gulistan Cottages via Gulistan Terrace, Castlewood Terrace to the south and Parker Hill to the north.

The proposed built elements will be punctuated with strong urban spaces, a new street between the 2 no. built residential elements on a north south axis, a proposed public square (1,403 sqm) as the interface between the community building and to act as a centralised and linked open space between neighbouring proposed primary healthcare facility and the Rathmines Road. The proposed development is comprehensively supplied with communal open space areas (1,088 sqm) and is presented with a hard and soft landscape plan including surface and boundary treatments.

The site is provided with access for service vehicles, 2 no. set down spaces (1 of which is a disabled space) and 1 no. car share space. Bicycle parking is presented in enclosed secure storage (177 no. spaces) and open cycle stands (66 no.). Bin storage enclosures are provided and integrated within the relevant built footprints of Blocks A, B & community use building. The proposed development encompasses all other ancillary site services above and below ground.

The proposal has undergone Appropriate Assessment Screening in accordance with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and screening for Environmental Impact Assessment under the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU.

In accordance with Article 81 of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001, as amended, the Planning Authority has made a determination and concluded that:

(a) The proposed development, either individually or in combination with other plans and projects, is not likely to have a significant effect on any European site(s) and therefore a Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment is not required.

(b) There is no real likelihood of significant effects on the environment arising from the proposed development and that the proposed development is not of a class set out under Schedule 5 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, and therefore does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR).

Any person may, within 4 weeks from the date of publication of this notice, apply to An Coimisiún Pleanála for a screening determination as to whether the development would be likely to have significant effects on the environment.