In January, Dublin City Council produced a Local Area Plan for much of Ballsbridge, from Shelbourne Road over to Pembroke Road for a mixed-use urban village.

The plan calls for the re-zoning of the area to a Z14 status that would allow for the quadrupling of the building density to coincide with applications from developers who wish to re-build the Berkley Court and Jury’s Hotels.

Objections were submitted at the beginning of March and these came from residents’ associations and others, who complained that the plan would dramatically change the nature of Ballsbridge to an area with high-rise apartments and offices with little in the way of social and affordable housing.

John Gormley T.D. said after a hearing with one of the developers, Sean Dunne, that “I also have to question whether this area can cope right now with the construction traffic and associated nuisance caused by so many major developments underway or proposed for the next few years. Between development on this site and the proposed redevelopment of Lansdowne Road, the pressure on local roads will be severe.”

Rory Hearne, People Before Profit candidate in Dublin South East, said: “The intention to rezone large areas on Lansdowne and Pembroke Road to Z 10 and Z14 should be the subject of a special meeting of the Council. The Dublin City Development Plan, with the zoning agreed was passed in April 2005 by the full City Council.

“This draft LAP once more puts the developers’ interests first over the needs of the community. Just because large expensive sites are bought up by developers does not mean they should automatically be rezoned to suit the developers.”

Councillor Lucinda Creighton of Fine Gael commented, “This Local Area Plan for Ballsbridge had the potential to offer an imaginative framework for a new model of planning in Dublin City. Instead, we have been presented with a plan to rezone Ballsbridge to facilitate one developer. It shows that the developer-led planning process which resulted in the Mahon tribunal has not gone away.”

Labour Party Councillor Dermot Lacey wrote to residents saying “When the idea for a Local Area Plan was mooted it was felt that this would assist us all in protecting our community against the likely onslaught of ‘development’ that Ballsbridge is likely to see in the coming years. Within the context of our very weak planning laws that remains my aim.

“It should be stressed however that, at this stage, the draft plan is a product of Council Management and has not yet been endorsed by the elected members. Personally I cannot see the plan being adopted in its present form.”

Z 6: To provide for the creation and protection of enterprise and facilitate opportunities for employment creation.

Z 10: To consolidate and facilitate the development of inner suburban sites for mixed use development of which office, retail and residential would be the predominant uses.

Z 14: To seek the social, economic and physical development or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential Z6 would be the predominant uses.