Sunday Independent

Dublin City Council and a clutch of millionaire property developers who have paid record prices for sites in the heart of Dublin 4 are on a collision course on the issue of how to best realise the area's development potential. In its new Local Area Plan for Ballsbridge, Dublin City Council has laid down an impressive marker for the future of the area: it is allowing for 10-storey buildings - but only at the most central points of the development. This is far short of the 30-storey expectations of some developers, including Sean Dunne, who purchased the Jurys site last year. Dublin City Council said its duty is to ensure the development of the area is in keeping with the surrounds, and city planners are yet to be convinced that 30-storey developments are in the best interests of this largely residential area. "The key to the plan is integration. We want Ballsbridge to lead the way in terms of high-density development, but that can only be achieved properly if all aspects and outcomes of the development are considered," said city planner Dick Gleeson.