The Kenilworth Motors Site on the Harold’s Cross Road, Dublin 6 sold for €3.5m+ in 2018. The owners AAI Kenilworth have now just applied to An Bord Pleanala for a 201 bedspace build-to-rent Co-Living development.
Peter Dooley, Independent representative and co-founder of Dublin Renters Union says “In 2016, the previous Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, Fine Gael, changed the planning regulations neglecting community democracy in the planning process to facilitate profit-driven developers. Now, developers can directly apply for planning permission to An Bord Pleanala under strategic housing development if they are looking for 200+ Co-Living bedspaces circumventing their part v social housing responsibilities” “I’ve consistently campaigned against co-living developments from the start as it is akin to tenement living. Co-Living tenants have shared kitchen and living facilities and pay €1,300+ per month for their bedspace with no tenant protections, while the owners make huge profits” Peter says “Co-Living was a really bad idea in the pre-covid days but in the midst of a global health pandemic where physical distancing is impossible this is utterly incompatible with safeguarding public health” “The Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, Fianna Fail, has called Co-Living “bonkers” has the authority to abolish. He has started a review which will be complete in the Autumn, so we hope good sense will prevail and Co-Living’s abolished. “Dublin 6 is being overdeveloped with sky-high price build-to-rent apartments and Co-Living workers cells instead of sustainable public homes that people so desperately require”
“On Tuesday, August 4th I hosted a public meeting at the site with over 70 local residents in attendance. Following on, we’ve and fully supporting the local community who are opposed to this development that offers nothing to the community and is blatant profiteering from our housing crisis” “We are now organising together to put forward submissions and observations to An Bord Pleanala. This application should be refused and all Co-Living developments stopped now”
