Dublin 4 residents oppose new embassy in Ballsbridge due to fear of ‘protests’

A Dublin 4 residents association has opposed plans for a new embassy on Northumberland Road in Ballsbridge due, in part, to concerns that the new embassy may attract protests.Last month, Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the Co Waterford-based Causeway Group to convert 80 Northumberland Road into an embassy.The Causeway Group lodged the change of use planning application from “residential” to “embassy/office” after purchasing the red-bricked property built in the late 1800s for €2.25 million from charity MS Ireland in February of this year.In granting planning for the change of use, the city council’s planner’s report stated that the embassy use “would be in keeping with the zoning objective of the site and would not detract from the residential amenities of the area”.READ MOREHowever, plans to convert the property into an embassy are now stalled after the Pembroke Road Association lodged an appeal against the grant for “this speculative planning application” with An Coimisíun Pleanala (ACP).While the embassy at the centre of the plans is not named in the documents, it is understood to be Algeria’s embassy in Ireland.In the appeal, chair of the residents association, Susan McCarrick told ACP “embassies do not, necessarily, make good neighbours, as they attract protests”.She said the association refers specifically to the Israeli embassy which was at 122 Pembroke Road “and to the American embassy further down the road which is subject to daily protests”. She said: “At times, very large protests have been held over weekends which affect/ed both embassies.”Under the heading of “protests” as grounds for opposing the proposal, McCarrick said protests were “becoming more of a feature of everyday life, and embassies can be flash points”.[ Dublin 4 residents fail to stop plans for Indian embassyOpens in new window ]She said foreign missions frequently require specialised security upgrades for example external bollards, continuous CCTV monitoring, blast-proof barriers and private security guards.She said that “this aggressive, highly visible security apparatus is entirely incompatible with the peaceful, open visual amenities of an historic residential neighbourhood”. She also pointed to “consular footfall” as a reason to refuse planning permission, writing: “Visitors are transient, and unpredictable, leading to crowds waiting outside, localised congestion, all of which has an impact on neighbourhood privacy.”McCarrick added: “When we have a severe ‘housing crisis’ the applicant should provide robust justification for the loss of a viable home.”A spokesman for MS Ireland, which provides services for people with multiple sclerosis, said it sold its former premises “as part of its plans to consolidate its operations and further develop the MS Respite Centre in Rathgar, Dublin”.He said: “The proceeds from the sale were used to repay the mortgage on the property, with the remaining funds supporting the organisation’s long-term sustainability and delivery of services.”