Sandwith St / Upper Erne St Civic Design
A Sustainable Alternative for the P&T Site
The developer's application (WEB2956-26) proposes a monolithic 9-storey block with an effective plot ratio of ~3.9 and 73.4% site coverage[cite: 1, 2], running a commercial service roadway directly against our rear garden walls[cite: 2]. We propose a viable, policy-compliant design that introduces a mandatory 20-metre deep-soil green buffer, preserves historic residential scales, and integrates Dublin City Council’s statutory climate and greening mandates.
"Dublin City Council announced proposals to design an urban network of designated 'cooling spaces' and green corridors to address summer heat islands and climate adaptation in central municipal districts."
Aesthetic & Ecology Strategy
We propose restoring traditional Blue Bangor slate pitch roofs across Nos. 29–35 Upper Erne Street to reinforce the historic terrace grain[cite: 3]. The eastern wing of the new development is stepped down to 4 storeys in warm cross-laminated timber (CLT) to respect the domestic scale, with the 6-storey bar set back to the Sandwith Street and railway interfaces[cite: 1, 3].
Environmental Buffer
Inspect Policy →By reusing the established 1939 P&T facade portals on Sandwith Street for all internal loading and logistics[cite: 1], the eastern boundary is decoupled entirely. This creates an unencumbered 20m deep-soil green buffer featuring grass-crete surfaces, rain gardens, and birch canopies to meet DCC targets for microclimatic cooling, SuDS attenuation, and acoustic absorption.
Visualisations of the Civic Proposal
Click any image to open the full-resolution diagnostic viewer
![Aerial 3D model showing massing and areas[cite: 16]](counter-proposal-render.jpg)
View 1: Stepped Geometry & GFA
Demonstrates the 4-storey eastern wing step-down and upper floors held back to the Sandwith Street frontage[cite: 1].
![Aerial view with landscaped grass-crete and long grasses[cite: 16]](counter-proposal-render-2.jpg)
View 2: 20m Landscaped Buffer Detail
Features grass-crete emergency/fire transit, native tall grasses, perimeter seating, and mature birch trees.
![Street-level render showing the green buffer between homes and hostel[cite: 16]](green-buffer-zone-render copy.jpg)
View 3: Street-Level Human Scale
Eye-level perspective showing how the 20-metre landscaped breathing space decouples the domestic terraces.
![Photomontage of Sandwith Street showing retained P&T stone base and timber grid[cite: 16]](Sandwith_street copy.png)
View 4: Sandwith St Photomontage
Retains the historic 1939 P&T facade base with set-back mezzanine and sustainable timber structural grid above.
Reconciled Schedule of Floor Areas
Exact component spatial breakdown supporting 2.23 Plot Ratio[cite: 1]
| Floor Level | Sandwith St Block[cite: 1] | Railway Elevation[cite: 1] | East Facing Block[cite: 1] | Courtyard Area[cite: 1] | Built Footprint[cite: 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 6 (Set back) | 562 m² | — | — | — | 562 m² |
| Level 5 (Set back) | 562 m² | — | — | — | 562 m² |
| Level 4 | 562 m² | 218 m² | 450 m² | — | 1,230 m² |
| Level 3 | 562 m² | 218 m² | 450 m² | — | 1,230 m² |
| Mezzanine Level | 562 m² | 218 m² | 450 m² | 218 m² | 1,448 m² |
| Ground Level | 562 m² | 218 m² | 450 m² | 218 m² | 1,448 m² |
- ✕Plot Ratio: ~3.9 (Calculated on Net Site using non-standard public footpaths)[cite: 1, 2].
- ✕Site Coverage: 73.4% (1,876 m² footprint on 2,556 m² net site)[cite: 1, 2].
- ✕Eastern Boundary: 0m buffer. 1-way commercial HGV roadway and 28-bin depot right on domestic curtilage[cite: 2].
- ✕Height / Massing: Monolithic 9-storey block; severe breach of BRE daylight/overshadowing guidelines for family gardens.
- ✕Acoustic Impact: Severe flanking noise from anti-social bin dragging and delivery idling.
- ✓Plot Ratio: 2.23 (Gross) / 2.53 (Net) – within Regeneration area standard (1.5–3.0)[cite: 1].
- ✓Site Coverage: 57.0% (1,448 m² footprint on 2,556 m² net site) – within standard (50–60%)[cite: 1].
- ✓Eastern Boundary: Mandatory 20-metre deep-soil linear green buffer and SuDS corridor.
- ✓Height / Massing: Stepped: 4 storeys facing terrace; 5th/6th storeys pulled back to Sandwith St & Railway[cite: 1, 3].
- ✓Acoustic Impact: Decoupled. Logistics internalized via historic P&T facade portals on Sandwith St[cite: 1].
| Standard Planning Metric | DCC Development Plan Benchmark | Developer Scheme | Civic Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot Ratio | 1.5 – 3.0 (Regeneration Z14) | ~3.9[cite: 1] | 2.23[cite: 1] |
| Site Coverage | 50% – 60% (Regeneration Area) | 73.4%[cite: 1, 2] | 57.0%[cite: 1] |
| Gross Floor Area (GFA) | Site contextual | 10,603 m²[cite: 1] | 6,480 m²[cite: 1] |
| Eastern Setback | Adequate separation for amenity | Vehicular Access | 20m Green Buffer |
Consolidate Community Opposition
We are consolidating a collective multi-signature observation to Dublin City Council to request this alternative layout as a formal condition of permission. If you support incorporating the mandatory 20-metre deep-soil buffer, please sign on: