Sir, – Frank McDonald labels Ronan Group's planning application for the North Wall Quay a "Manhattan scale" development ("Johnny Ronan's docklands towers give 'two fingers' to Dublin", Opinion, February 27th). This farfetched claim is an extravagant inflation.
By Manhattan’s scale, the 167-metre apartment building is so puny it would fail to make any list of notable New York heights. In fact, one such list has 144 buildings catalogued. The last in this line-up, Avenue of the Americas, at 183 metres, would comfortably outstretch Waterfront South, as applied for in Dublin’s Docklands.
Those who spent decades successfully objecting to all high-rise building in the city centre have helped drive the capital’s planning and development policy into a cul-de-sac with only one option left, reverse.
Dublin’s growing population needs high-rise for local housing and employment. Ideally away from the city’s historic core, but close enough to walk or cycle to work, with open space, a growing retail trade and a pre-existing public transport network.
Luckily for Dublin such a place already exists – Docklands. – Yours, etc,
ALAN ROBINSON,
Chief Executive,
Docklands Business Forum,
Dublin 3.