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No traffic problems different to any normal shopping day
Personally, I’d call that good planning!
Just out of curiousity, has there been any discussion or images of the planning application for Horgans Quay? I may have missed it, but it seems unusual that there has been no real coverage here. Particularly when the developer is proposing such a large development (276 Apts alone and up to 24 stories) in such a sensitive location.
@Pug wrote:
you’d wonder why details arent available until christmas day, why even do that? does that mnean its granted or not? what does it matter to try and keep details secret over a holiday ? why even state that on their planning? thats a disgrace
that’s standard, the decision is not publicised until the relevant parties have been notified formally, and that is usuallytwo/three days after a decision. i’d imagine that after all of this time, it is a Grant of Permission, I dont think the bord would allow a scheme like this to be modified as much as it has through the appeal process and then refuse.
When the UK’s Queen mother died recently BBC NI did a feature where they interviewed certain grandees who had met the old drunk. One Orange Man had met her twice; the second time they met he was disappointed she didn’t remember him so he reminded her he was from the Orange Lodge in Londonderry. According to him she appeared distracted, began to walk away, then spun on her heel and replied ‘oh! you mean Derry!’. To which he responded, ‘well if Derry’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me!’.
So that’s it settled, if Britain’s last Queen-Empress, the nationalists of Derry and virtually everybody on this board, not to mention local Protestants whom by all accounts agree, it is Derry. The only people I’ve ever heard it calling it Londonderry are gullible cartographers, Belfast Protestants and apologists for a psuedo fascist regime in Dublin who think that they are somehow being helpful call it Londonderry.
There again, as a southern Protestant who despises Ulster Unionism I guess I’ll always be somewhat biased!
@Micko wrote:
Anybody know anything about the Inner Link Road – Blackpool By-Pass to the N22
A new road linking the Western Road to the Blackpool bypass. I’ve been stuggling for the last few days to figure out how this one is going to work. Any ideas. Anyone know the details ?
this is not a new road – the monies allocated are probably for further upgrade of the existing route between the Brewery end of blackpool bypass across christy ring, down lavitt’s quay, bachelor’s quay and up grattan street to western road – this is seen as a strategic route.
I always think Stormont Castle is more of a “Mr Bryne’s Mannor” type of a building:
It seems to be almost purposely built to look imposing and scary.
There’s a 1 mile driveway, it’s not in the city centre and the building itself is on a mound!
@mhenness wrote:
Each economist or economic body has their own model that they use to make predictions.
Indeed and their own agendas – which is why one shouldn’t listen to people like Dan “Interest rates will stop at 3.5%” McLaughlin from Bank of Ireland – as he has a vested interest in talking up the market.
The best people to listen to are Trichet and the ECB themselves.@mhenness wrote:
A down turn in the property market in Ireland may still only end up being a short blip and last only as long as interest rates are high.
Interest rates are returning to normal – the normal rates for the Euro are 4-5% – this is based on the historical Deutschemark interest rates. Again you should listen to the ECB who say the current environment is “accomodative” – i.e. historically low.
@mhenness wrote:That is unlikely to be for very long.
Yes it is – again read what the ECB says.
@mhenness wrote:
The conditions will soon turn right again for investors to return to the market.
Correct – if there is a house price correction of approximately 50%. You should also pay attention to the collapsing American housing bubble – rental yields there were 7%, and yet house prices are falling.
@mhenness wrote:
When you say there is a bubble, are you assuming that the demand for property is not very real?
Current demand for property is fueled by speculation on future rises in the price on houses. It is not bought for investment purposes (i.e. based on the rental yield returned by the property). As such, it relies on the “Greater Fool Theory”. To simplify things – it is currently a pyramid scheme. I believe you will also find that up to a certain point, it was easy to find people who wanted to join the numerous pyramid schemes that have been doing the rounds.
@mhenness wrote:
The latest “prediction” by some economists is that Irelands population will rocket over the next 15 or so years.
The source? Was it an Estate Agent or a tied economist, who followed it up with “so buy property now”?
@mhenness wrote:
If there is a bubble right now it should be short lived as demand picks up once more.
Bubbles by definition burst.
275,000 houses in Ireland currently lie idle, which are complete and not owned by developers and excluding holiday homes (according to the CSO) – a further 95,000 houses are to be built this year alone. There is an oversupply of housing at present. Supply outstrips demand.@mhenness wrote:
I don’t think we will see the same capital appreciation as before but maybe rents will increase to generate better rental yields for investors and reduce the attractiveness of capital appreciation as the real reason for investors to buy property.
Rental yields will need to go up by 250% to reach historic norms – this is at a time with a massive oversupply of housing and if (when) there is a recession, many immigrants will leave in search of work.
The city as a whole has to live with the flawed City Development Plan 2004-2009
The flaw with the CDP is the same as the LUTS and CASP; they’re dependent on central govt being willing (and in a position to) invest in public transport ‘in the regions’. The roads network has been delivered to an extent, but public transport provision is only now being to emerge. The fact that the bus service in Cork is so abysmal is not down to the City Council, its down to the relevant semi state. All the Council can do really is lobby, and to vote in Strategic Plans that facilitate and ‘induce’ investment. The history of the Midleton line will be a very interesting thesis topic for someone someday in that context.
The basic point is very simple. Sustainable urban areas require density. Density requires public transport over the use of the private car. However if you can’t get that public transport provided before you begin to increase the density of an area, and allowing the untrammelled sprawl of urban areas isn’r an option, then sometimes people have to go ahead and try and force the hands of those controlling the purse strings. It just isn’t pleasant for the commuter.
Corks local government is among the best in the country in many respects, but it has a series of problems to deal with that are not of its making.
@mhenness wrote:
Who knows…the economists have been wrong in their predictions more than once!
They weren’t wrong with regard to this – the rules of the game were simply changed: Mr. Greenspan simply dropped Fed rates post the dot com crash to prevent a recession for the short term. This was followed by the ECB. This created a “perfect storm” for Ireland with the improved fundamentals of the 90’s leading into a frenzy of credit bingeing with repeated relaxings of mortgage lending criteria (ostensibly for the “benefit” of borrowers) allowing the bubble to inflate. Watch it collapse as interest rates hit 4.25% next year.
That said – Mr. Greenspan’s actions and a number of the consequences were predicted by some – e.g. by Eric Janszen on itulip.com as early as 1998.
@mhenness wrote:
Thanks for elaborating. There certainly seems to be a wind of change in the property market of late. I just hope it all stays rational.
It went past rational in 2002 – when due to house price inflation, rental yields fell below 5%. Yields are now in the 2%-3% bracket – less than the amount of money you get in a deposit account with Northern Rock (4%) . Betting on “capital appreciation” which is not backed up by yield is simple speculation rather than investment.
Askaboutmoney.com is a better forum for this topic though.In fairness, the tree planting and footpath upgrade is pretty extensive and has gone quite quickly, compared to O’Connell Street. Some of the one-storeys north of the Big Tree, on the opposite side, have been demolished and five storey buildings are going up in their place. They are pretty higgledy-piggledy looking though and presenting ugly gable walls as you come in from the airport.
did anyone take a look at what the Laois councillors proposed. Sure, ther’s a dearth of good masterplans and village plans but there is NO zoning objective in Ireland which enforces such measures before the development.
They must preceed the zoning in the first place. However, just because Laois Co.Co. enables the building of residential units does not mean a rush of everybody to live there. Villages should, with suitable community input, be able to expand in a controlled and planned way and not be limited in this because they happen to be within an hour’s drive of Dublin. There are more aspirant residents than just Dublin commuters. I think this decision by Roche IS political. He is trying to hold together a spatial strategy that is a sham. Remember, this is the guy who brought in the gombeen’s charter for one-off housing. He is planning’s nemesisI suppose the important thing is that we have developed our own sense of identity as modern Ireland and that we’re now sufficiently self-confident to be able to simply treat those old british symbols as a part of our history and just move on with being modern Ireland without feeling the need to demolish all the post boxes.
It’s just all part of a very rich history of various contacts (good and bad) with neighbouring countries.
As for the RNLI. I find it very odd indeed that both the UK and Ireland effectively have a charity operating our coast guard system!
Surely the RNLI should be getting heafty state funding from both the Republic of Ireland and the UK’s governments!! It’s an absolsutely vital service.
I don’t agree that the dome is bold. The chopped-off back of the dome and curved bit that almost meets it are hideously clumsy. I presume it was meant to echo City Hall’s cupola, but I think the profile shot above shows how woefully misguided that idea was. Is it too late to start a campaign against this monstrosity?
Paul Clerkin wrote:A fashion retailer that rarely makes any public utterances about its business, Penneys managing director Seamus Halford broke with convention yesterday to say that it will invest €]Thank god, the facade of that o connell st store is architectural puke. A nice modern all glass front could look great, and there is a big oportunity to make something of the corner across from the GPO. I just hope they stay away from a modern stone finish as they usually look out of place beside historic stone buildings.
the victoria cross jibes are getting a bit tiring and hysterical. anyone agree?
please feel free to mention other buildings in the city people feel are worthy of criticism? there are plenty of examples.
It looks far worse in daylight; the finishes are cheap and indeed civic office-like. Imagine it with a few years of rain and traffic grime! I’d had no major reservations with the plans, and its presence on the street before the scaffolding came down was modest. But the finished product is not up to scratch.
The site deserves the very best and this aint it. This weird, second-rate building does not belong beside our city hall.:mad:This thing is shockingly bad. It wouldn’t look out of place among the rash of dreary odd-shaped buildings that have gone up at DCU over the last few years. If it was just dull that would be something, but everything about it makes you stand back, scratch your head and ask: “why?” Especially that pointless gantry thing. Or is it for something? Dame street has been defaced.
