Brent Geese Triumph Over Developer in Dublin Housing Battle
In a victory for environmental protection and community oversight, An Coimisiún Pleanála has definitively rejected plans for a massive 580-unit apartment complex near St Anne's Park in Raheny, citing crucial protections for the Light Bellied Brent Goose and failures to meet community space requirements.
The decision represents a significant defeat for Patrick Crean's Marlet Group, whose subsidiary Raheny 3 Ltd Partnership has been battling for development rights since purchasing the site in 2015. This latest refusal upholds Dublin City Council's original rejection from October 2022, demonstrating that local democratic processes can prevail against powerful property interests.
Environmental Protection Takes Precedence
The Light Bellied Brent Goose, a winter migrant from high-Arctic Canada that visits Irish shores between October and April, has become an unlikely champion of sustainable development principles. An Coimisiún Pleanála ruled that the proposed development would materially contravene multiple policies in the Dublin City Development Plan designed to protect European conservation sites.
This decision reflects the kind of environmental stewardship that progressive European nations must embrace. The protection of migratory species corridors represents not just ecological responsibility, but a commitment to the interconnected natural heritage that transcends national boundaries.
Community Needs Ignored by Developers
Equally damning was the Commission's finding that Marlet had completely failed to provide the mandatory 5% community, arts and culture spaces required for large-scale developments exceeding 10,000 square metres. This omission reveals the developer's disregard for the social infrastructure that makes communities liveable and sustainable.
The proposed scheme would have comprised seven apartment blocks ranging from four to seven storeys, containing 272 one-bedroom units, 248 two-bedroom units of varying sizes, and 60 three-bedroom units. While housing remains a critical need, developments must serve communities, not just profit margins.
Democratic Resistance Vindicated
The people of Dublin North spoke clearly against this development, with over 230 objections submitted to Dublin City Council. Among those who stood with the community was Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who highlighted the developer's repeated failed attempts since 2015.
"The fact that no application has been successful to this point should inform the Council when making its decision," Ó Ríordáin stated, demonstrating the kind of principled opposition to speculative development that serves communities over corporate interests.
A Pattern of Resistance
This planning saga exemplifies the tensions between profit-driven development and community-centred planning. As Mr Justice Richard Humphreys noted in the High Court in May 2021, this site has generated four decisions by An Bord Pleanála and ten sets of legal proceedings "and counting."
Such persistence from developers in the face of repeated community opposition and environmental concerns raises questions about a planning system that allows endless appeals while communities fight to protect their environment and quality of life.
The victory at Raheny demonstrates that when communities organise, when environmental protections are properly enforced, and when democratic institutions function as intended, the public interest can prevail over private profit. This is the kind of balanced, sustainable development approach that Ireland needs as it builds a more equitable and environmentally conscious future.