Sir, – Aaron Cassidy makes some reasonable points regarding the need to build more accommodation for renters and buyers (Letters, November 17th). But I have to ask; would he like a series of tower blocks containing 600 rental apartments built literally right next door to him, blocking out the sunlight and overlooking his back garden?
The problem with many of these proposed rental developments is that they are too many dwellings in too-tall tower blocks, being squeezed into long-established residential areas, designed to maximise profit on very expensive plots of land and with no consideration for the existing residents.
Every residential area needs a variety of dwellings to cater for the varying needs of different groups at different stages in their lives, but the answer is not to build massive build-to-rent, tall tower blocks in existing residential areas.
It’s not NIMBYism to want any new development to be appropriate for the existing amenities and not merely based on maximising profit for the builders and owners.
Building low-rise apartment blocks would meet with far fewer objections and have a less detrimental affect on existing residents.
Incidentally, does Dublin Fire Brigade, or any other fire brigade in Ireland, have the capability to effectively fight a fire in the upper storeys of these proposed tall tower blocks?
– Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.