Construction of 378-bed co-living development will be soon starting as the permission was granted

The plan and permission for a 378-bed co-living development in Dublin’s south city centre, has been granted.

Alphabet ABC is the company that proposed the plan for a development up to seven storeys on Cork Street. But this was opposed by local residents and representatives because of the scale and type of development.

Máire Devine, Local Sinn Féin councillor said the decision is extremely disappointing and that local groups will be considering legal options.

“There appears to be little uniformity when decisions on co-living and other unsustainable developments are reached for our city and its communities” she said.

She also said that the development will create tenements of the not so distant future and she also criticised the release of the decision on Christmas Eve. An Bord Pleanála had said it would give a decision by 12 January.

It was a month before that the Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien announced a ban on co-living developments. The permission given by the planning board as a Strategic Housing Development comes at this moment.

The company had also accepted the condition of An Bord Pleanála, that 19 basement units be omitted and that space be given over to additional residential facilities, including bike parking.

With this the board also aims in improving the communal facilities.