Construction project on Seamus Quirke Road raises concerns

Last January, after a few years of planning, the company Westside Shopping Centre Limited received the approval to build a 240 bedspace student apartment block on Seamus Quirke Road.

The submission for this project was sent directly to An Bord Pleanála, the national independent planning body that decides appeals on planning decisions made by local authorities as well as direct applications. A copy of the inspector’s report is available on their website.

The construction has already begun in the car parking area of the Westside Shopping Centre, located in front of a Dunnes Stores and other businesses. And it has generate some concerns on the public.

“I think it shouldn’t be there really anyway, that’s what I think”, said Mike Quirke, after getting off his bike in front of the incipient construction. “Because I mean, it’s taken all the space out the car park and all the shops are losing business as well”.

A traditional shop, Martin Divilly Butchers, has already closed. They were in the area for 38 years, but on a Facebook post explained the decision to retire after “all the nonsense that’s started in our car park”, receiving gratitude and support from their costumers.

“Seven-storey high, it’s gonna block all the lights in here, I’m not gonna come here shopping anymore, why would I bother? So Dunes will go soon”, claimed Olga, a customer who prefered not to give her surname.

James Secer, another consumer at the shopping centre, also expressed his disapproval: “I think we need more student accommodation, but I don’t think that’s the place for it, it’s already such a tight cark park so there is just no need to make less of it”.

While this new apartment block will certainly help mitigating the current housing crisis – that affects plenty of students – its coming with a price to pay. Some locals are certainly not happy and more businesses could close in the future.