Multi-million Euro development plans for a city centre rail station are being delayed as planners are insisting on a new design proposal.

The 60-metre high office skyscraper at Dublin's Tara Street Station (visualisation pictured) will have to be redesigned after criticism from the planners. It emerged this week that Iarnórd Éireann, which has already sought planning approval, will have to scale back its plan.

The landmark building is a part of a €100 million redevelopment of the existing DART and mainline station - which is opposite the Custom House in the city centre.

However, An Bord Pleanála has told the company that the overall height and scale of the office building would be "visually obtrusive" in the streetscapes and riverscape, affecting adversely the setting of the Custom House.

This may be a major setback as the number of people using Tara Street reached the 10 million mark last year.

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With the national Transport 21 projects continuing - including a new underground DART tunnel - this is expected to grow much further.

Some months ago, Iarnórd Éireann said that the new rail station was necessary to accommodate these increasing passenger numbers and said that it was seeking a development partner in order to fund the 13,000 square metre office complex.

A company spokesman said: "The office development element of the project means that, as well as delivering a landmark building to the city, the new station facility will be developed at no cost to the taxpayer or our customers."

However, the main focus of the new design was to provide an improved concourse area to cater for up to 14,500 passengers per hour at peak times and to include a similar area of office accommodation above in a landmark tower feature.

However, the planning board requested revised alterations of the development, especially the main building, reducing it by 11.7m to 49.1m.

Also other buildings in the scheme will be reduced by 11.7m, from 11 to eight storeys.

Planners also criticised the ground floor plan of the proposed development, which they said "unduly restricts accessibility and circulation between the station concourse and the public realm".

The company now has until November 27th to submit new designs to the board, which will then take a decision on the project - by February 1st next year.

Iarnórd Éireann won't now be able to follow their original timetable, which planned for construction to start in 2010 and to be completed in 2012.

See: €100m Tara Street Station Boosts Construction Sector

(CL/BMcC)