Council orders fences restricting access to Grand Canal Harbour development in Liberties taken down

Fences and gates restricting access into the recently built Grand Canal Harbour apartment complex off Thomas Street in the Liberties must be taken down, the council has said in a 14 February letter.

Dublin City Council’s Enforcement Section issued an enforcement notice “Requiring: The removal of the black metal fencing and gates from the three entrances/exits into the open space of the apartment blocks at Grand Canal Place, Grand Canal Harbour”, the letter says.

“This notice is to be complied with, within the period commencing Tuesday 11 February 2025 and ending Tuesday 13th May 2025,” the letter says.

A query to developer Marlet Property Group on whether this order will be complied with, and if so when, prompted a call on Tuesday 18 February from a representative of the company, who did not respond on the record.

In response to queries including what the council would do if the fences weren’t taken down by the deadline, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council did not respond directly.

“This case is subject to live enforcement action and ongoing engagement with the developer Marlet Property Group Limited. It would therefore be inappropriate and potentially prejudicial to this case to comment any further at this time,” she said.

Plans for permeability

In 2019 the council decided to grant Atlas GP Ltd permission to build the 550-apartment complex. They later applied for and got permission in 2020 to amend those plans to add more apartments, for a total of 596, among other changes.

Both the original 2019 planning permission and the amended 2020 permission talk about plans for “permeability” of the apartment complex, meaning people could pass through it.

Images in the applications don’t show gates blocking access to the complex, and the pedestrianised central plaza within it.

On Tuesday 25 February, black metal fences blocked much of the entrance from Market Street where the Guinness Storehouse is, across Grand Canal Place into the east side of the Grand Canal Harbour complex. And on the west side, from James’ Avenue into the complex.

While the fences extended across these wide open spaces, there were small open gates – suitable for pedestrians. It’s not clear whether these are kept open all the time, or just during the day.

Complaints to council

The council’s planning department had had a look at the fences around Grand Canal Harbour, South Central Area executive manager Bruce Phillips had said in December.

That was in response to complaints that they are in breach of planning permission, Phillips said.

“They have deemed that there is an issue there,” he said at a meeting of the South Central Area Committee on 11 December. “And they are currently in the process of our enforcement section liaising with the developers and management company.”

Phillips was responding to a query from Labour Party Councillor Darragh Moriarty.

“I know lots of people might have been in touch with you regarding the erection of gates into that apartment complex,” Moriarty had said. “My understanding was that was to be an open courtyard for public permeability and the gates have now been erected.”

Sinn Féin’s Máire Devine, until November a local councillor, now a TD, said in December that the fences are the issue. “Can’t find them in granted planning permission,” she said by WhatsApp.