Dublin Port Authority shells out €1.7 million in charges for unutilized land parcels.
Dublin Port Company Pockets a Pretty Penny Over Vacant Land
RAIL ON, MATE! Here's the lowdown on Dublin Port Company shelling out approximately €1.7m as a vacant site levy for an unoccupied parcel of land in their portfolio. This property, valued at €4m in 2019 and added to the vacant site register of Dublin City Council in 2018, had the city council requesting €280,000 for each year it sat vacant. Dublin Port Company attempted an appeal but found themselves struggling with a no-go decision.
So, they coughed up a total of €1.68m to the council and have their sights set on offloading this remote piece of land as it's a-far from the port and ain't no core business for 'em.
They swore they once chatted up the Land Development Agency about using it for residential purposes, but alas, a change in the site's zoning scuppered the plans. The spot lies neatly next to the Dublin Port Tunnel Control Building, totally killing the vibe for potential buyers.
In previous yarns with the Dublin City Council, the company tossed around the idea of using the moolah freed up by the vacant site levy to help fund a groovy greenway project near the Liffey Tolka. This project, we hear, will create a hip "new boulevard" stretching from the estuary of the Tolka River to the Liffey, making the East Wall Road a tad less harsh for pedestrians and cyclists.
The jive-talkin' letter penned to the council stated, "This greenway project will give the community a fair shake and make users of the East Wall Road real happy. Plus, it'll kick up some dust on connecting two existing cycleways."
Yet, Dublin City Council ain't promising to put the funds to good use just yet, as they're currently cookin' up a policy on what they'll do with those site levy funds. Voilà, the council is open to chatting about the Liffey Tolka Project, but their legal eagles will need to hash out the details in a proper agreement.
The documents were spilled following a request under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations. Originally, Dublin Port Company argued the correspondence wasn't "environmental information," but a big appeal garnered a "release the records" command from the Commissioner for Environmental Information.
In a statement, Dublin Port Company divulged, "Our gang was dabbling with the Land Development Agency aboot the Polefield Site near the Port Tunnel betwixt 2019 and 2022 regarding its potential redevelopment for residential use."
"However, due to a change in the zoning, the sale went belly-up. The Port took a swing at challenging the Vacant Site Levy decision in relation to the site and lost in an appeal," the statement dished.
"The Port later dropped a grand €1.68m to Dublin City Council in 2024. Since it's a wee bit out of the way, the site ain't got noses for port use, and DPC is game for disposing of it," they added.
Ken Foxe, we hear, did the dirty work of reporting this juicy nugget!
Bonus Info:
- The vacant site levy, though intended to urge the use of idle land, mainly for housing, doesn't make clear whether it's objective extends to projects such as the Liffey Tolka greenway.
- The release of records under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations is seen as a win for boosting public oversight of development land, dereliction, and land use projects involving semi-state agencies.
- Without official announcements or records confirming the vacant site levy payments being specifically allocated to or used for the Liffey Tolka greenway project, further documentation disclosure may shed light on any conversations or intentions to fund the project.
Dublin Port Company contemplates using the money accrued from the vacant site levy, a result of the unoccupied Polefield Site, for investing in real-estate projects like the Liffey Tolka greenway. The company's previous discussions with the Land Development Agency revolved around redeveloping the Polefield Site for residential purposes, although a change in zoning denied the sale.
