Upon leaving Coombe Maternity Hospital, most new mothers encounter a stark demonstration of Dublin’s widespread dereliction issues. Numbers 43-50 Dolphin’s Barn Street portray a picture of dilapidation, with boarded-up windows, graffiti-ridden shopfronts, and streets tainted by pigeon waste. An almost picturesque tree growing from the remains of a ruined house is the only sign of life barring the pigeons.
This symbol of deterioration becomes more poignant amidst Ireland’s grappling housing crisis. The narratives from this area tell of a vibrant section housing Kavanagh’s Printers – a business that relocated in 2005 – alongside a collection of local businesses including a grocery shop, wool shop, florist and barber, which have gradually met their end. An enduring retail business on the block, C&F Motor Factors, and its co-proprietor Colm Caffrey are among the few remnants of the past. The vicinity has remained largely untouched for nearly two decades.
Spanning to 0.8 acres, the site incorporates the erstwhile printing factory. Despite its central location – being just 3km from the city centre and under 1km from the newly established national children’s hospital – the parcel of land remains derelict.
Scrutiny of the planning records discloses the proprietorship of the land by a company, Majick Hour Ltd, based in Belfast, with property developer and ex-concert promoter Eamonn McCann also having a stake.
Majick had sought planning permission in 2017 for a mixed-use 70-apartment build-to-rent project that combined retail and residential components. Initially zoned as a commercial site, the council granted planning permission for the development, on the condition of incorporating a commercial space on the ground level, after the developer argued that the area had an excess of commercial space.
Yet, the lack of an interested principal tenant led to the site being set up for sale in 2019 at the asking price of €7 million, which drew no buyers.
Following the removal of height limitations on residential apartment buildings in 2018 by then housing minister, Eoghan Murphy, the developer forwarded a new proposal. This version called for a nine-storey, 120-apartment building offer featuring studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for building and renting. It was envisaged that following completion, the Dublin City Council would lease the entire development, as per the developer’s spokesperson.
A proposal for development was directly lodged with An Bord Pleanála under the previously existing strategic housing development scheme on the 16th of December, 2021. However, a month on, Dublin City Council expressed reservations about single-room apartments, as well as the notion of an entirely build-to-rent project.
An Bord Pleanála typically reaches a decision for SHD applications within a 16-week period. This particular application was supposed to be determined by the 20th of April, 2022, as stated on the An Bord Pleanála’s website. However, a verdict is yet to be reached almost two years on.
The delay in the decision by An Bord Pleanála is due to a pending Supreme Court appeal concerning a comparable development. This pertains to a Dún Laoghaire developer aiming to construct a block of 102 flats over 12 floors on land belonging to St Michael’s Hospital. The outstanding issue regarding this Dún Laoghaire development is whether the 2016 or the more recent 2022 development plan—which excludes height limitations—should govern the project.
A representative for the board divulged that the development agendas altered during the application period for the Dolphin’s Barn Street project. With a similar case currently before the courts, the board is anticipating the conclusion of the legal case before making their decision.
The developer’s representative expressed dissatisfaction over this delay of more than two years in securing planning permission. He contends that the proposal they initially sought permission for is no longer appealing to anyone, even if it gets the green light from DCC. This length of time has forced them to adjust their plans, and they plan to proceed with a completely different project.
Details of these alternative plans have not been disclosed yet.
In May 2021, Dublin City Council placed the site on the Derelict Sites Register, rendering it subject to the derelict sites tax from the 1st of January, 2022. The tax equates to 7 per cent of the property’s market value. Dublin City Council has issued levies on the developer for the site for the years 2022 and 2023.
The spokesperson for the developer revealed that the developer refuses to pay the levy. Two years prior, they approached DCC with a demolition proposal for the buildings, but they were told they couldn’t simply raze the buildings. If they pursued demolition, they would have to fully implement their planning permission, the spokesperson further explained.
Being penalised with yearly levies of €200,000 is beyond absurd, according to the developer’s spokesperson. In comparison, the costs for razing the buildings and clearing the site would not exceed €200,000. The spokesperson expressed incredulity at the situation, declaring it beyond comprehension.
In reaction to this, Dublin City Council made it clear that demolishing a property does not immediately rid it of its derelict status. For a site to be officially non-derelict, it needs to be developed.
Kieran Rose, a local resident and former planner for Dublin City Council, frequently engages with the site and sees it as a damning example of the current flaws in the planning system. He pointed out that the ever-shifting government policies are creating a climate of uncertainty, deterring potential developments. Rose justified that any developer would naturally seek to maximise profits and predicted that the removal of height restrictions would inevitably lead to revisions in planning permissions.
While discord brews among the developer, council and planning authority over who is accountable for the condition of 43-50 Dolphin’s Barn Street, no one bears the obligation to make the site more presentable and reduce its derelict appearance.
Rose has highlighted the Anglophone world’s propensity for dereliction tolerance, a culture that starkly contrasts with that of continental Europe. He pointed out that local authorities do not prioritise derelict sites in terms of staff resources allocation, indicating visible apathy. In European cities, towns, and villages, public respect for the urban landscape is evident, something that seems to be lacking in this area, according to Rose.
Several neglected sites can be found within a 10-minute walk from the Coombe, one of them being 33-37 Dolphin’s Barn Street.
The vicinity of South Circular Road and Dolphin’s Barn Street features a derelict spot a stone’s throw away from the junction opposite Coombe. This prime site represents yet another instance of neglect. It falls under the purview of the Dublin City Council which has chosen The Iveagh Trust, renowned for delivering social and affordable housing across Dublin, to develop housing on the site. The trust is in the process of planning and designing the residences and has carried out a community consultation exercise. An imminent planning application for the site is on the horizon, says the trust.
The erstwhile Player Wills cigarette factory located at 148-160 South Circular Road has played host to some of the longest and most conspicuous clashes between local inhabitants and a potential developer. The former factory and Bailey Gibson packaging plant sites – both on the South Circular Road and previously under Nama’s control – were acquired in 2018 by the American property conglomerate Hines. The company received the green light from An Bord Pleanála in 2020 to build a 16-storey apartment block encompassing 416 homes on the Bailey Gibson site.
In 2022, the board gave its nod to the developer’s application for constructing 732 apartments distributed across four blocks. One of these buildings would extend up to 19 storeys on the Player Wills lands. Both developments faced judicial review proceedings, instigated by local residents. Matters related to the Bailey Gibson case were escalated to the European Court of Justice by the High Court in 2021. The judgement was given in Hines’ favour, however, an appeal was lodged at the Supreme Court.
In the previous November, a consensus was reached and it’s expected that the uninitiated development on the site will be taken up by Hines in partnership with the Land Development Agency (LDA). The LDA is already in charge of developing an adjacent site, the former St Teresa’s Gardens flat complex, which will accommodate a 15-storey block.
At the same site, An Bord Pleanála sanctioned the construction of over 540 social and cost-rental apartments last year. Initially, the LDA planned to set up 700 apartments in structures reaching up to 22 storeys, but resistance from locals and political leaders led to a scaling-back of these plans.
Less than half a kilometre from the forsaken site on Dolphin’s Barn Street resides the Rialto Cinema site. Opened in 1936, it represents one of Dublin’s finest instances of art deco design. However, it currently sits in a state of disrepair.
Windsor Motors abandoned their locale in the final years of the 20th century, leaving it unoccupied ever since. In November 2017, the building was purchased by a confidential buyer from BNP Paribas for €2.7 million.
Two years later, in 2019, Molaga Capital sought planning consent for a student housing complex with 317 bedrooms, complete with a café, gym, and an al fresco garden space. The permission was given later that same year, but no further progression has been observed thus far.
The James Weir Home, situated on Cork Street at 103-104, has been sitting dormant for an extended period, despite not being decrepit. Erected in 1903, it initially served as residence for a maximum of 50 nurses engaged at the Cork Street fever hospital and later became a ward of St Brendan’s hospital. It is currently possessed by the HSE, who have publicly admitted that the site is more than what is required.
The organization has begun looking at potential opportunities with “all State stakeholders”, counting local governing bodies. But, despite preliminary inquiries concerning the property, no State agency has demonstrated an active interest. Consequently, the HSE is now contemplating putting the premises up for general sale.