Residents raise Covid-19 fears in appeals against controversial co-living scheme 

Bartra aims to invest €130 million constructing four co-living sites in the capital, including Ballsbridge, Dun Laoghaire, Rathmines and Castleknock.

A number of Dublin 4 residents say Covid-19 concerns should force planners to reject proposals by property firm Bartra Capital to develop a contentious €25 million shared co-living scheme on a site in Ballsbridge.

Five third-party appeals have been lodged by seven individuals concerning the scheme planned for 98 Merrion Rd.

Covid-19 concerns featured in four of the five initial objections lodged against the controversial proposal.

Earlier this month, Dublin City Council gave the project the green light.

However, Bartra Capital has also lodged a first-party appeal concerning the proposed 111-bed, five-storey scheme.

The Bartra appeal follows the Council including a condition in the permission that requires the developer to omit 18-bed spaces contained in 12 single and double bedrooms.

The Council included the condition after finding that the communal spaces in the scheme are inadequate to serve each of the floors.

The third-party appeals have been lodged by Valerin O’Shea, Margaret Reid, Timothy O’Donovan, Edward and Hazel O’Flynn along with Fionán and Nuala Clifford.

In his objection against the plan, Timothy O’Donovan expressed concerns that the proposal "will lead to clusters of Covid-19”.

Mr O’Donovan expressed his concerns due to what he believes is the inability to socially distance in the shared kitchen areas and the inability to self-isolate in the high-density accommodation.

In the objection lodged on behalf of Margaret Reid, it argued that it is unsustainable to build a shared living scheme in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Reid objection argued that the accommodation typology poses a significant public health risk.

The objection contended that the proposed intensive nature of the development “would create a high-risk cluster for potential infection”.

In his objection, Edward O’Flynn stated that in relation to Covid “having 111 people living in close quarters cannot be in line with any guidelines from the health authorities in terms of social distances”.

Planning consultants for Bartra told the Council that assuming a grant of permission, it will be three years before the building is ready for occupation and “at that juncture, we are very hopeful that Covid-19 will not be a relevant factor in the day to day operation of the building”.

Consultant Occupational & Environmental Physician, Dr Martin Hogan drew up a Covid-19 risk assessment on behalf of Bartra and stated that the degree of thought put into Covid-19 controls in the scheme “is excellent and exceeds anything I have seen before in a residential setting”.

Dr Hogan determined that the risks of Covid-19 transmission would be less for residents of the Bartra proposal than for people living in a normal house or shared apartment.

Richard Barrett's Bartra hopes to invest €130 million constructing four co-living sites in the capital. Bartra Capital has also secured planning for projects at Dun Laoghaire, Rathmines and Castleknock.

All projects are unaffected by Minister for Housing, Daragh O’Brien’s confirmation of his intention to restrict further shared co-living schemes.

Site works have commenced at Bartra’s shared co-living proposal at Eblana Avenue in Dun Laoghaire and will be completed late next year.

The company also expects site works to commence on its Rathmines shared co-living proposal in the first quarter of next year.

A decision is due on the Merrion Rd project by An Bord Pleanala at the end of April.