Lansdowne Road Redevelopment Thread

[ThatGuy]

http://www.gaa.irish-guy.com/img/stadium%20ireland.jpg ;)

Here it is:
http://www.bobrowski.co.uk/Images/stadium%20ireland/stadiumireland.jpg
As far as I know that was just a stadium drawing made up for promotional purposes and the actual stadium had not been designed so nobody knows what it would have looked like.

[NY Hoop]

Question: Allianz Stadium, Munich cost circa 250m, 60000 seats
Lansdowne Road, Cost circa 350m (which will rise to 600m probably), 50000 seats .........

Ah those Fianna Fail builders........

The Allianz Arena cost €340m. Work started October 2002 and stadium opened last may.

www.allianz-arena.de

IMO this is the best option for both the IRFU and FAI. A modern stadium near the city centre with 50,000 seats which is enough to get us both the UEFA and Champions League Finals in years to come. As said before if Frank McDonald is happy with it then something is right.



KOH

[eirebhoy]

The plans for the development of the proposed new Lansdowne Road were lodged with Dublin City Council earlier today (Thursday, 12 January, 2006).
The proposed new 50,000 all seated stadium has been designed by international stadia architects, HOK Sport Architecture, working in conjunction with leading Irish company Scott Tallon Walker.

The new stadium which has been budgeted to cost €365 million is a joint venture between the IRFU and the FAI with the Government providing €191million towards the funding. Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC), the company making the planning application, was set up by the IRFU and the FAI in September 2004 to manage the project on their behalf.

A one-year period has been allocated for due process on the planning application. Construction proper, depending on planning, is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2007 and to finish in the second quarter of 2009. The existing stadium will be available for matches during 2006.

When complete, the stadium will consist of a continuous curvilinear shaped stand enclosing all four sides of the ground. The South, East and West stands will have four tiers of seating for spectators. The bottom and top tiers will provide the main volume of spectating facilities.

The second tier will provide facilities for premium ticket holders and the third tier will provide facilities for corporate boxes. There will be 10,000 seats at premium level and a further 1,300 at box level. Many of these will be sold in advance to help finance the overall project.

The North stand will comprise of one low level seating tier, to reflect its proximity to the residential properties at that end of the ground.

There will be continuous access around the three sides to all facilities at premium and box levels. There will be excellent hospitality facilities throughout the ground. These facilities are essential in any modern sports stadium to generate additional revenues and help fund the overall investment.

The redeveloped stadium has been designed to provide superb facilities not alone for spectators but also for players, the media and the many support personnel needed to stage all events.

The unique design of the new stands and roof creates additional weather protected seating capacity within the constraints of the existing site. The design has been optimised to ensure all spectators have an excellent view of the pitch while retaining the unique Lansdowne Road atmosphere.

Space for the redevelopment has been created by a realignment of the pitch and by the creation of a new access podium over the railway line. This podium, which will be created above the railway line, will allow spectators access the stadium at premium seat level.

The existing two rear pitches that run East-West at the moment will also be realigned and combined into one pitch running North-South.

Among the many other features of the new development are:

· A more balanced, across the board network of access and egress routes that will make it easier and more convenient for spectators to get to and leave the stadium and will relieve the congestion on adjoining neighbours. These include underpasses which will mean the level crossing gates for the Dart can be left permanently closed on match days.

· Improved player facilities for home and away teams, custom designed to meet the requirements of the various codes. These include warm up rooms and state-of-the-art treatment facilities.

· Enhanced press facilities for up to 300 journalists including TV monitors, interview rooms and all modern connectivity requirements.

· TV / Radio commentary boxes located on the upper level with optimum viewing locations and easy access to flash interview positions, backed up by a generous outside broadcasting vehicle area.

· Provision of a large number of high quality toilets adequate both for match days and for events such as concerts where there may be a different mix of spectators.

· Quality medical support facilities for both players and spectators.

· Better facilities for disabled fans.

· Wide concourses and comfortable spatial allowances to ensure easy circulation for spectators.

· An architectural theme that is exciting and innovative in harmony with the surrounding cityscape.

· Clear delineation between spectator and service areas ensuring that service and / or emergency vehicles need never compete with spectators for the same space.

· A hi-tech communications nerve centre to allow for continuous monitoring of all aspects of the stadium, both inside and outside the ground.

· Pitch floodlighting incorporated in the new stands.

· Roof design that makes best use of available sunlight which is as low as physically possible while being compatible with cross-stadium viewing.
http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstory.asp?id=15734&mainheading=Republic+of+Ireland&viewstory=yes

[Superhoops]

This is good news. ;) ;)

Strange the FAI have not deemed it important enough to put on their website yet (but it is on the LRDC site)

[thejollyrodger]

hopefully there arnt too many objections.

[Superhoops]

This is good news. ;) ;)

Strange the FAI have not deemed it important enough to put on their website yet (but it is on the LRDC site)
Well done at Merrion Square, the story is now on the website.

[Superhoops]

Objections have started already. From today's Indo:

Residents went on the warpath yesterday after discovering Dublin's planned new sports stadium will be one of Europe's tallest.

Local people living in the vicinity of Lansdowne Road saw red after examining the detailed environmental impact report into the project, which includes images of two-storey houses. Croke Park and stadiums in Paris, Barcelona and Cardiff are all lower than that planned for Lansdowne Road. The home of Irish rugby will be 48.5 metres tall, but the Stade de France is 45m, the Nou Camp (Barcelona) is 40m, Croke Park is 35m and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is 33m.

The Shelbourne Road Residents' Group said even though these stadiums are lower in height, they have much larger capacity for fans.

They demanded to know why the new stadium will be higher than others with almost twice its capacity. All-seater Lansdowne Road has a proposed capacity of 50,000. Wembley, when it reopens, will be 52m high but will accommodate 90,000. Nou Camp has a capacity of 98,800, Croke Park 82,500, Stade de France 80,000 and the Millennium Stadium, 72,500.

In a statement, the residents, who are to formally object to the proposal, wrote that it will be "one of the highest and most imposing sports stadiums near any city in the world".

Spokesperson Cathy McCartney said: "It is just too big for the area. The area cannot absorb it. . . Why is all this extra height and bulk needed?"

[eirebhoy]

Spokesperson Cathy McCartney said: "It is just too big for the area. The area cannot absorb it. . . Why is all this extra height and bulk needed?"
For a higher capacity?

I have no day-light in my living room because high apartments were built behind the house. Me and my next door neighbour spend a long time trying to get them to lower the height but Dublin City Council did nothing about it. They better do nothing about the Lansdowne objection so. :)

[thejollyrodger]

50 meters high .. so what.

They can knock all those crappy houses down around it and build high rise apartments. That should level things up

[Poor Student]

I don't see why were its ranking in the highest stadium in Europe league is relevant. It will either block their light or it won't but don't start this other crap. Eirebhoy, I am comforted by your tale of woe.:p Get any compensation for it? Of course that's what its all about, they'll want their nice wad of compo cash.

[Risteard]

I don't see why were its ranking in the highest stadium in Europe league is relevant. It will either block their light or it won't but don't start this other crap. Eirebhoy, I am comforted by your tale of woe.:p Get any compensation for it? Of course that's what its all about, they'll want their nice wad of compo cash.
Exactly.

"They demanded to know why the new stadium will be higher than others with almost twice its capacity."
Why do they "demand" that?

[eirebhoy]

I don't see why were its ranking in the highest stadium in Europe league is relevant. It will either block their light or it won't but don't start this other crap. Eirebhoy, I am comforted by your tale of woe.:p Get any compensation for it? Of course that's what its all about, they'll want their nice wad of compo cash.
The only thing I got from them was a pair of ear plugs while I was working nights. I agree, all they're looking for is compensation. The only residents that are close enough to Lansdowne to complain about the height are those in Havelock square, even then its only going to 1 tier at the Havelock square end. Who is complaining about the height?

/edit - Oh, I see its the Shelbourne Road residents. They can go and jump. The height of the stadium won't effect them.

[Macy]

The Shelbourne Road Residents' Group said even though these stadiums are lower in height, they have much larger capacity for fans.
The nimbys :rolleyes: - high at the sides to make up for being so low at either end because of the light issue. Hardly shocking that a hack from that rag didn't ask them about it though...

[thejollyrodger]

totally agree about it being all about the compo.

[Schumi]

The Shelbourne Road Residents' Group... demanded to know why the new stadium will be higher than others with almost twice its capacity.Because it's being built on a smaller site, why do they think. :rolleyes:

How will this impact on Shelbourne Road anyway? There's at least 100m between the stadium and Shelbourne Road. They're obviously just looking for free money.

[Duffman]

I don't know how relevant it is but I see the Camp Nou is listed in the not-so-high-for-its-capacity earlier in the thread. The guide on that stadium said that they couldn't go any higher without restructuring the whole ground for the 1982 World Cup so what they did was to dig out another tier on the inside, thereby effectively putting a 3rd tier in without the need for going up. Very clever I thought.

[pete]

The residents have 2 simple choices
- accept the stadium will be built there & get as much input in as they can or
- wait for developers to build apartments & offices which will mean more traffic on a daily basis.

It really is that simple.

[soccerc]

I don't see why were its ranking in the highest stadium in Europe league is relevant. It will either block their light or it won't but don't start this other crap. Eirebhoy, I am comforted by your tale of woe.:p Get any compensation for it? Of course that's what its all about, they'll want their nice wad of compo cash.

You have no right to natural light..........its a premise based on an old civil tort of the 18th century. So no compo

[eirebhoy]

I'd say 2 houses max would be effected by the height of the stadium. Give them a few grand each and tell the others to gtf.

[A face]

The residents have 2 simple choices

- accept the stadium will be built there & get as much input in as they can or
- wait for developers to build apartments & offices which will mean more traffic on a daily basis.

It really is that simple.

Jebus, it aint that hard a choice when you think about it ..... do the residents know that it boils down to just this ??

[pete]

You have no right to natural light..........its a premise based on an old civil tort of the 18th century. So no compo

Are you sure about that? I know you have no right to a view but did think some rights to light... not floodlights :)

[Superhoops]

I'd say 2 houses max would be effected by the height of the stadium. Give them a few grand each and tell the others to gtf.
I may be wrong, but somehow I cannot see this being the official response!!:D

[eirebhoy]

I may be wrong, but somehow I cannot see this being the official response!!:D
Well I'm sure they'll be told to gtf in a more polite way. :) The vast majority of those on Shelbourne Road won't be affected by the height of the stadium.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

The height of the stadium shouldn't be a major concern. All the stakeholders were consulted throughout the design process. The design was altered to take account of fears over loss of light. I was looking at the photo montages submitted with the application and it is obvious that the stadium will not block light to houses on Shelbourne Road. The orientation of the sun means that the stadium structure can only restrict morning light. However, as it happens, Shelbourne Road is sufficient distance from the stadium, meaning that this will not be a problem. The only residents that have genuine grievances over sunlight are those living in the Havelock Square (north terrace) end of the ground. However, the stadium has been designed so that the roof drops considerably at the north end. The transparent roofing will allow sufficient light to reach these houses. Indeed, the new northern part of the stadium will actually be lower than the current walled north terrace, thereby offering a considerable improvement.

Its clear that local residents are trying to get the best deal they can. I am very confident that both Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanala will come to a favourable decision regarding the new stadium. The Environmental Impact Statement submitted with the application is fairly comprehensive. There's just over a week left for objections to be lodged with the Council. The decision of the planning authority will undergo a great deal of scrutiny so I would be expecting them to buy time with a Request for Further Information. In this regard, it is likely that the proposed demolition of a house on Shelbourne Road (think its no. 70?) to enlarge the existing pedestrian access, will emerge as a major issue.

Regardless of the final decision of Dublin City Council, the application will be subject to either a first party or third party appeals to An Bord Pleanala. Therefore, we should be prepared for a prolonged process.


In response to someone above who posted that the lower tier of the Nou Camp was cleverly "dug out", this method has been used for a few stadiums across the continent. Indeed, from what I remember of the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona where Espanyol play, the same technique was used. I heard that they considered doing something similar with the new Lansdowne. However, this would be a non-runner with Dublin City Council due to the proximity of the stadium to the sea. Believe it or not, rising sea level would be a concern for building the stadium at a lower level like the stadia in Barcelona.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Message to Shelbourne Road residents.... The IRFU HQ was there before you lot moved in. Get over it or FARQ off to some other area!

[Forever Dreamin]

Big and all as the stgadium might be, I guarantee the new offices and apartments on the Berkley Court site will be higher and that will get planning!
However I do believe that very generous compensation should be paid to all those living within 1 mile of the ground that moved into their houses before Lansdowne Road was first built in the late 19th century as they were there first all others can p*** off!!

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

Big and all as the stgadium might be, I guarantee the new offices and apartments on the Berkley Court site will be higher and that will get planning!
However I do believe that very generous compensation should be paid to all those living within 1 mile of the ground that moved into their houses before Lansdowne Road was first built in the late 19th century as they were there first all others can p*** off!!

I'm not sure many of those residents from the 19th century will still be alive.:D

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet. Yesterday, Dublin City Council requested Further Information on over 40 issues regarding the proposed redevelopment of Lansdowne Road. The main issues include why the application is for a ten-year planning permission instead of five years. This won't be a problem however. Another issue concerns the viability of the transparent roof in the long-term. However, the main problem would appear to be with regard to ownership rights and particularly the failure to agree terms with Wanderer's Rugby Club.

Amazingly, the newspapers have failed to realise that Dublin City Council were a day late with their request for Further Information. Technically, this would allow for a default planning permission, meaning that development could go ahead without any decision from An Bord Pleanala. However, this is a legal route which I'm sure will not be pursued.

It's looking like next January before we get a final decision from An Bord Pleanala.

[Superhoops]

First murmurings of a delay. Article from todays Indo:

JOHN DRENNAN

THE proposed new national stadium in Lansdowne Road is in danger of turning into an even bigger disaster than the infamous "Ceaucescu-style" Bertie Bowl.

An interim Dublin City Council Planning Report, seen by the Sunday Independent, indicates that before a single digger has moved onto the site, the timetable for the construction is in serious trouble.

The Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) initially expected construction proper to "commence in the first quarter of 2007, and to finish in the second quarter of 2009".

However, the city planners have thrown this schedule into disarray.

In its response to the initial plans, the Planning Office has sought an unprecedented 106 pieces of further information under 43 headings.

Some of the claims, which are detailed in the report under the heading "objections received and taken into account", are scathing about LRSDC's initial application.

A variety of objectors claim serious aspects of the planning application are "deficient", "unclear" and "misleading". This is centred around issues such as whether the translucent glass roof "will deteriorate and discolour with age".

There are concerns that, in this "residential area", the removal of asbestos will pose a "major health hazard".

It has also been claimed that "information deficiencies" mean "the current application is invalid" as "the new restaurants, bars, betting and conference facilities are a material change of use".

In its response to these concerns, the City Council Planning and Development Department has also raised other questions, such as "the archaeological potential" of the site, which may have a 17th Century mill on the grounds.

Possibly the most serious issue of all is the request by the council for further research into the benefits of constructing "a sunken stadium" where the pitch is lowered by up to six metres.

This position may be informed by the increase in height of the stadium from 32 metres to 48 metres, which has created fears among the residents around Lansdowne that they will be living in the shadow of a stadium which will be "as high as Liberty Hall", and that this may result in incidents of depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

The huge price of constructing a sunken pitch is only one of a number of cost implications which the LRSDC now faces.

A senior planner has warned that "in the light of the requirement of the planning department for a vast amount of further information, the planning status of the application may not be regularised for two years".

It may even be necessary, "in the light of such information, to advertise afresh some or all of the elements of the proposed stadium".

Under such conditions, "an optimistic date for the granting of permission" would be late 2007.

However, since this has to be presented to An Bord Pleanala for final approval, "should this be granted, we will then be into 2008".

If "account is taken of the time factor in preparing amended contract documents resulting from the likely many additional conditions attached to the final approval and the process of tendering", demolition may not start until the middle of 2009.

This series of events will have serious political and sporting implications.

Sports Minister John O'Donoghue may secure the unwanted political legacy of presiding over the collapse of two proposed national stadiums, while any failure of the Lansdowne proposals will enhance the perception of government incompetence.

Any delay will have major consequences for the initial Lansdowne Road budget of €365m. Construction inflation and more complex planning conditions could add up to €200m to the final cost of the stadium.

Ironically, this will mean Lansdowne Road, which has only 60 per cent of the capacity as Abbotstown, will cost up to €200m more than the €360m Bertie Bowl.

This would have serious implications for the financial stability of the FAI and the IRFU, since the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and Mr O'Donoghue were quite clear that the Government's contribution of €191m was "final and absolute".

The fiscal implication of the report has raised the spectre that unless the Government reverses its position, Lansdowne Road will never happen, since the stakeholders will be faced with bankruptcy.

But the chances of government aid were summarised by one source who noted: "If you think, after the collapse of his Bertie Bowl dream, that Bertie Ahern is going to bail these guys out you can forget it. He must be rubbing his hands at this denouement."

The debacle will have serious ramifications for the FAI.

Its CEO John Delaney has claimed he was "certain we will be playing in Croke Park in March" and there was "nothing in the objections we did not envisage".

However, there may be even more serious inquests within the ranks of the GAA, whose contentious motion on Rule 42 agreed that "Central Council shall have the power to authorise the use of Croke Park" for soccer and rugby "during a temporary period when Lansdowne Road football ground is closed for the proposed development".

The FAI and IRFU application was accepted on the basis that Lansdowne Road would have to be closed in 2007.

However, opponents of lifting the ban will now be claiming that such a decision represents "a serious case of prematurity", since Lansdowne Road could now be available "for at least two and possibly three seasons ahead".

They will also argue that, even if planning permission is granted by 2009, the "many restrictions" on the construction will mean that it will stretch well beyond the allocated period of 27 months. That means that Croke Park may have to be available to the FAI and the IRFU until 2012, but such a timeframe was not advertised in the GAA congress vote.

[pete]

Old News, The architects were already given 6 months to respond & assuming that completed plenty of time for the planners to access before construction starts next year. Smells like a GAA agenda there...?

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

Old News, The architects were already given 6 months to respond & assuming that completed plenty of time for the planners to access before construction starts next year. Smells like a GAA agenda there...?

Exactly Pete, more lazy journalism from the Indo. As you said, the development team have 6 months to respond and more than likely, the Resposnse to F.I. will be submitted before the summer. At one point in the article, the journalist wrote that failure to gain planning permission would be bad news for the government. Later in the article, the journalist wrote that Berties Ahern might take satisfaction from the failure of the project. What a contradiction. Sloppy journalism from a p!ss poor newspaper.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Exactly Pete, more lazy journalism from the Indo... Sloppy journalism from a p!ss poor newspaper.

Ah Jayziz lads the Indo isn't THAT good :D

[Superhoops]

Exactly Pete, more lazy journalism from the Indo. As you said, the development team have 6 months to respond and more than likely, the Resposnse to F.I. will be submitted before the summer. At one point in the article, the journalist wrote that failure to gain planning permission would be bad news for the government. Later in the article, the journalist wrote that Berties Ahern might take satisfaction from the failure of the project. What a contradiction. Sloppy journalism from a p!ss poor newspaper.
Hope you're right and it is just paper talk. I have always had a suspicion that there were going to be a number of gremlins in this project:
- does it have full Govt. support? If it does it will happen regardless. I believe there is something in this 'Bertie would like to see it fail' angle. He was really pi**ed about about the Bertie Bowl and saw it as his personal legacy to Irish sport.
- the influence of D4 anti-planning permission lobby is being underestimated. There are a lot of influential people who have vested interests, other than NIMBY, in this not going ahead. LR is prime real estate.
- was the application for planning permission rushed through to meet deadlines imposed not by DCC, but by GAA and UEFA/IRB? The number queries/points of clarification raised would indicate that the preparation process did not include much evaluation of what queries/objections were likely to be raised.

I hope I am wrong.

[pete]

I've no doubt there may be problems with the project but i heard the IT environment journalist (Frank whathisname) on the radio a coiuple of months back & he outlined all the timescales & seems generally in favour of the project which was a surprise. I think he said there was an acknowledgement on the City Council side that the facility is required.

Any future hiccups is pure speculation at this stage.

[NeilMcD]

HE €365m plan to redevelop Lansdowne Road got the green light from Dublin City Council last night.

But while rugby fans around the country were rejoicing at the news, angry residents were busy preparing to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala.

Locals living on Lansdowne Road, Shelbourne Road and O'Connell Gardens, which border the stadium, say the sheer scale of the proposed 50,000-seater arena will have a detrimental impact on their quality of life. Residents have taken exception to the fact that the development will encroach on their homes, block off light and cause major traffic congestion during events.

"We are totally dismayed at the decision," said Pauline Palmer, whose house in O'Connell Gardens backs on to the North Terrace of the famous old ground.

"This development will take away my skyline. Everyone living here will be affected by this.

"While the rest of Ireland is probably rejoicing at the decision, let's hope they all realise that there will still only be 19,000 tickets available to the public after the corporate and premium seats are sold."

She said residents felt that Dublin City Council completely disregarded objections made by locals in the past few months.

Lily O'Callaghan, who has been living on Lansdowne Road for the past 21 years, said locals were extremely disappointed.

"What we are most worried about is the fact that this development is completely made of translucent glass and if there is a fire or a bomb there is absolutely no natural barrier. We will be the ones that are hit."

The council granted planning permission for the development with 28 conditions attached.

However, local Labour councillor Kevin Humphreys, who lives in O'Connell Gardens, said a number of conditions needed to be altered if residents were to be remotely satisfied with the new project.

"The conditions to control the levels of dust on site are inadequate, to say the least," he said. "Under the conditions set out by the council, the developer will just have to hose down the stored material on site rather than have dedicated sprays installed around the exterior of the site to keep dust on site."

Cllr Humphreys said residents were also concerned that there were no conditions relating to the number of concerts that could be held in the new stadium every year.

But Sports Minister John O'Donoghue welcomed the long-awaited decision. "I see this as an important milestone in the realisation of this exciting project, which is progressing very much on schedule."

It is hoped the new stadium will be ready by 2009.

The IRFU, while welcoming the decision, said there was still a long way to go before construction got under way.

"The Irish Rugby Football Union warmly welcomes the notification from Dublin City Council of their decision to grant planning for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road, while respecting that there remains some way to go in the process," said IRFU president Peter Boyle.

"The importance of this project for the future well-being of the whole of Irish rugby cannot be overstated."

Objections are expected to be lodged with An Bord Pleanala in the coming week.

[Jerry The Saint]

"This development will take away my skyline. Everyone living here will be affected by this"



:rolleyes:




"What we are most worried about is the fact that this development is completely made of translucent glass and if there is a fire or a bomb there is absolutely no natural barrier. We will be the ones that are hit."


:D

Clutching at straws, methinks, if that's the best they can come up with. No point arguing about congestion and problems with big crowds as capacity will be unchanged and smaller than at times in the past. Skyline would be more disrupted by the massive apartment complex that would replace the stadium if this falls through.

Best part of this is that it puts a halt to the objectors in the (Ulster) GAA who planned to block soccer/rugby from Croke Park if the planning process hadn't started. Once they get in to Croker, they can take their time finishing Lansdowne as far as I'm concerned. :)

[pete]

Lansdowne Road residents have no case as the stadium is not particularily close to their houses - road & front garden between them.

Complaining about impact of a bomb is ludicrous & if thats the best they can come up with no hope.

A stadium is probably better option for residents than apartments & offices which will have 24/7 traffic.

The new stadium will not increase crowd numbers but will allow people leave the area very quickly afterwards.

[reder]

Me thinks they are merely clutching at straws and no more. The issues raised in those press cutting are silly and will be ignored.

As for Croke Park and the ulster gaa gang, I just hope the project gets finished on time so we can get out of their place (that we subbed) and we can dis-associate overselves from them quickly. Funny isnt it, the people of ulster are whinging and moaning and spouting their usual sectarian dross about football going to Croke Park and were moaning about our new stadium and they are the only people on the island who didnt contribute a cent to either.

[BaZmO*]

Lily O'Callaghan, who has been living on Lansdowne Road for the past 21 years, said locals were extremely disappointed.

"What we are most worried about is the fact that this development is completely made of translucent glass and if there is a fire or a bomb there is absolutely no natural barrier. We will be the ones that are hit."
Lily ya bleedin legend!! :p What a great quote, nearly p1ssed meself laughing when I read that.

Like WTF? She wants the Stadium to protect against bombs? :rolleyes:

I can just hear George Hamilton now, "And here we are now at the opening ceremony for the new Landsdowne Bomb Shelter......eh, Stadium!!"

And as for complaining about dust when the building work gets under way? Welcome to Dublin love!! What about the people that live beside the LUAS and had to put up with that while the lines were being constructed..

And sure anyway, as has been said already, would the residents prefer a load of dodgy apartment blocks to be built in it's place?

It all just reminds me of when U2 played Croker recently. The residents were on the news complaining, not about the noise, not about the crowds and not even about the traffic. They were on complaining that they didn't get any free tickets. :rolleyes: If they don't like where they live, move out!! I've no sympathy whatsoever. Bit harsh I know, but it just annoys the hell out of me.

[ramondo]

But while rugby fans around the country were rejoicing at the news...

Will the rugger boys be given maps to show them how to get to Croker?

Or will there be shuttle buses from outside Trinity?

[Colbert Report]

what is this about the crowd size staying the same? 50k vs. 35k if I'm not mistaken??

[reder]

Last time I checked friendlies had about 43,000 attending. 7,000 aint that much more. Rugby matches bring in 45,000 +, so as people said the volume of people around isnt going to be any different than before.

Im sure the rugby fans will get on fine. I fail to understand why some (a minority) of irish football fans poke fun at rugby fans. They have been very fair in dealing with irish football through the years.

[eirebhoy]

what is this about the crowd size staying the same? 50k vs. 35k if I'm not mistaken??
It can hold 49k for rugby afaik.

[pete]

Reading in the IT today that only 1 appeal to the planning permission. I am not sure if date has closed yet for appeal submission as 6 weeks from planning approval to submit.

This is excellent news & looks like very good chance be on schedule.

Says the appeal is from local resident
- complaints include height of stadium as she & feet from the stadium boundary
- wants land outside home to be only used for VIPs & simialr access
- looking for alternative parking arrangements as cannot park outside her house on match day,

They all seem trivial enough for compromise to be sorted.

:ball:

[eirebhoy]

That's very suprising. Excellent news if that's the only appeal.

[SUB of the day]

4 weeks remain....residents groups have not gone away ye know.....if its too good to be true etc etc

[SuperDave]

Did I read somewhere that an bord pleanala were to announce their decision today? Any news on it?

[Torn-Ado]

I think it was delayed for another month.

Im not too sure though.

[co. down green]

An Bord Pleanala have until the 22nd of March to make its decision.

What happens if its rejected, the IRFU have other options (as mentioned in last weeks SBP) but what about us ???


"Industry sources speculate that McNamara may also be willing to do a swap deal with the IRFU for Lansdowne Road if they do not receive planning permission. McNamara owns the nearby Glass Bottle Site in Ringsend, which has previously been touted as a viable location for a national stadium.

McNamara headed a consortium that acquired the site for €400 million last year from South Wharf and Dublin Port.

Another scenario could see the IRFU sell the ground to a property developer, and opt to build a stadium at Newland’s Cross in west Dublin, where they own significant land."

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=IRELAND-qqqm=news-qqqid=21585-qqqx=1.asp

[stojkovic]

I think the IGB site would be more likely than Newlands, if Lansdowne went oval-shaped, so to speak, keeping it in D4.