Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, who recently criticized planning objections based on “character of an area” concerns, is facing scrutiny over his past objection to a development that included apartments.
This week, Chambers announced measures to accelerate infrastructure delivery. He stated that objections based on neighborhood character are “nebulous” and block housing supply goals. He claimed there are “countless examples” of people trying to “frustrate” housing development for the “broad public good.”
However, records show that in 2016, Chambers objected to a mixed-use Lidl development in Castleknock that included eight apartments. As a local TD then, he argued the project would “compromise and constrain the aesthetic and visual outlook” of the village. During an An Bord Pleanala hearing in 2017, he reportedly described the development as a “monstrosity” that “puts an atomic bomb under the conservation area.”
In his written submission, Chambers emphasized that Castleknock is an “important historical place” and an architectural conservation area. He also claimed there was little desire for a supermarket, noting residents were already well-served by nearby options.
Other prominent politicians, including Leo Varadkar, Joan Burton, and Roderic O’Gorman, also objected to the development, citing concerns about traffic, parking, and pedestrian access. The planning permission was ultimately granted in 2017.
When questioned about this apparent contradiction, a spokesperson for Chambers told the PA news agency, “The observation referenced was made almost a decade ago and prior to him holding ministerial office. The minister’s views have evolved over the past number of years during his time in government, and in recent years he has made a conscious decision not to make such observations.”
The minister recently stated that objections claiming housing would undermine an area’s character shouldn’t block development. “An area absolutely can have a character, but to think that an area doesn’t accept housing or doesn’t accept more housing when people are in existing housing, I don’t think it impedes the character of an area,” he said.
Chambers added that additional housing and new residents “enhances the diversity and character of an area” and criticized the mindset that people have a “veto on more people living around them.”
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