An Bord Pleanála decision on Brady’s a planning disaster

Decision on Brady’s a disaster which dismantles responsible planning and promotes substandard housing

Decision caused by Minister Murphy’s new planning rules which facilitate developers

Joan Burton TD criticised the decision of An Bord Pleanála today to allow a large-scale co-living development on the site of Brady’s Pub, Castleknock:

“This disastrous decision is the direct consequence of the new planning guidelines by Minister Eoghan Murphy – these new rules are steadily dismantling high quality, community orientated planning in favour of substandard housing motivated purely by profit. Developers are being allowed to make a quick buck at the expense of families and communities. Meanwhile the government is on a go slow in providing decent affordable housing for families and single people.

“Co-living developments are the slums of the future. They are no better than second rate dormitory accommodation. For profit development of this kind will never solve the housing crisis. We need to build real homes within sustainable communities – it’s a shame the Government and Fine Gael have no interest in this.

Cllr John Walsh (Labour, Castleknock), who also objected to the development, said:

“It beggars belief that An Bord Pleanála ignored the report of its own inspector in choosing to give permission to this development. The Government has sidelined responsible planning and has created a developer’s charter – shared living developments of this kind will never create sustainable communities and are entirely inappropriate to a suburban location.’

Walsh added: “It is particularly disappointing that local Fine Gael candidates, including the Taoiseach, have facilitated this kind of substandard, for profit development and now they are weeping crocodile tears when such developments are granted under their own government’s planning legislation. They are repeating the same mistakes as Bertie Ahern at the height of the property bubble.”