Plans by Johnny Ronan to redevelop the former Irish Glass Bottle site at Poolbeg in Dublin have suffered a fresh setback.
This follows Dublin City Council refusing planning permission to a Ronan Group Real Estate-led consortium, Pembroke Beach DAC, to construct a Life Science and Innovation hub mixed use scheme at the former Irish Glass Bottle site.
The 'Pembroke Quarter Phase A' scheme comprises a 44,993sq m mixed use scheme in two office blocks, with one reaching to 12 storeys in height and a second ranging between five and seven storeys.
Planning documentation lodged with the application statedthe proposal “constitutes a high quality development” and “will comprise a significant quantum of commercial space”.
The planning refusal follows quickly on the council last month refusing planning permission to Pembroke Beach DAC’s plans for 516 apartments for the former Irish Glass Bottle site.
The National Assets Management Agency (Nama), with a 20 per cent shareholding, and co-owner of Lioncor Developments, Oaktree Capital are also part of the Pembroke Beach DAC consortium.
The council has refused planning permission to the Life Science and Innovation hub on the single ground concerning the applicant's failure to submit a finalised Natura Impact Statement (NIS) connected to the scheme.
The council pointed out that the proposed development site is 200m from the South Dublin Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and 220m from the South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA).
As a result of the absence of a finalised NIS, the council stated it cannot be satisfied beyond reasonable scientific doubt that the proposed development would not adversely affect the integrity of these European sites in view of the sites’ conservation objectives.
The council planner's report stated the lack of a finalised, completed NIS for the scheme “is not acceptable”.
The council stated the applicant’s response that a finalised NIS would be submitted prior to commencement of development is not a situation that the council could accommodate due to the legislative requirements in place.
Environmental impact
A spokesperson for Pembroke Beach DAC said on Tuesday: “Given that the environmental impacts of this development, which is consistent with the planning scheme published in 2019, were comprehensively assessed by Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála as part of the adoption of the Strategic Development Zone, we are surprised by this refusal.
“This commercial phase of the development of Glass Bottle will go to providing vital infrastructure needed for Dublin’s newest neighbourhood to thrive, and we are confident that our plans for the area – which include an ambitious life sciences and innovation hub – align fully with the planning scheme and also follow best practice in sustainability, ensuring that special areas of conservation are protected.”
In February, Pembroke Beach DAC secured planning permission for 324 units at the former Irish Glass Bottle site in a separate planning application.
Already, the council has granted a parent permission for the Irish Glass site redevelopment in January 2020, permitting streets, transportation, water services, utilities infrastructure and public realm and public amenity spaces.
In December 2020, Nama confirmed that Johnny Ronan and Oaktree signed up to purchase 80 per cent of the former Irish Glass Bottle site and adjoining plot.
It was reported at the time that the winning bid for the controlling interest came to a higher than expected €200 million.
Nama declined to comment on the council decision.
