D4 residents fail to block India embassy plan

Residents from the well-heeled Merrion Rd, and others in Dublin 4, have failed in their attempts to block the world’s biggest democracy establishing a new embassy on the road.

This follows An Bord Pleanála dismissing the appeal by Merrion Rd Residents’ Association against Dublin City Council granting planning permission to the Office of the Ambassador of India to change the use of 69 Merrion Rd and extend the property to establish an embassy there.

However, the appeals board has given the development the green light only after rejecting the recommendation of its own inspector to refuse planning permission. The inspector, Derek Daly, said if the application was permitted the area would become overwhelmingly non-residential.

However, the board decided not to accept the inspector’s recommendation, finding that the intensity of use would be acceptable at this location.

In response to concerns expressed by residents and Dublin City Council, the ambassador reduced the scale of the extension. The current Indian embassy is at Leeson Park in D4.