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Greenlight for €70m Buncrana
complex
10.08.07
An Bord Pleanála has
approved revised plans for a controversial €70m
redevelopment of the former Fruit of the Loom site
in Buncrana.
However, the board has attached around 20 conditions
to the seaside plans, which have been significantly
scaled down.
The approved plan now allows for around 50 luxury
apartments instead of the original 70 while the
anchor retail store has been reduced in size to
around 30,000sq.ft. |
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Jansu Developments
Ltd., spokesperson Paul Doyle said the company was
delighted with the news, delivered at around 4.30pm
yesterday.
"This is fantastic news for the town of Buncrana,
the local people and of course Jansu Developments.
We have waited patiently and believe common sense |
has prevailed in the
end.
"We look forward now to carrying out the development
as soon as we can," he said.
Mr. Doyle, the project manager, said the developers
now had to sit down again with the architects and
review the conditions imposed by the planning
watchdog.
"The main conditions relate to the anchor store
which has been reduced to 3,000sq.m or a little over
30,000sq. ft. The height of the buildings have also
been reduced by about two floors and the total
number of apartments are down to about 50.
"There is a reduction in the size of the
bar/restaurant and there is an increase in the
amount of civic spaces."
Mr. Doyle said the company now had submit revised
proposals taking account of the conditions imposed
by An Bord Pleanala to officials in Buncrana Town
Council and Donegal County Council for approval.
This is just a formality however and shortly after
that development is likely to begin.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Buncrana, Cllr. Paul Bradley
said while he wasn't totally happy with the overall
decision, he welcomed the significant reduction in
the scale of the Shore Front development.
"The seven storey apartment block has been reduced
to five floors and ten of the proposed single storey
apartments that were controversially positioned,
have been withdrawn. The size and scale of the
restaurant/pub has also been cut in half."
Cllr. Bradley welcomed the inclusion into the
proposal, by An Bord Pleanala, of Part V of the
Development Act. This means that Jansu must allocate
20% of the residential buildings for social and
affordable housing. |
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