Fine Gael Dublin South-East Deputy Lucinda Creighton yesterday welcomed the decision of Dublin City Council to refuse permission for Sean Dunne to build an apartment block on Church Avenue, Dublin.

Ms Creighton said that she had objected to Mr Dunne's plan on the grounds that it "would have a detrimental effect on traffic and pedestrians in the area" and was "delighted to see that Dublin City Council has agreed with me and with the local residents who opposed this development".

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She said: "After I submitted an objection, local residents and I were attacked in national papers by a concerted effort to portray this as somehow being an issue of affordable housing, despite the fact that Sean Dunne has still not come to any agreement with Dublin City Council regarding his obligations under Part V for the Ballsbridge site.

"Nowhere in this application was there any indication that it was anything other than another business venture for the applicant.

"I am not sure if it was local residents or the planners that he was hoping to pressurise, but on both counts he has failed," she added.

However, the Council did grant a Social Housing Exemption Certificate for the development, agreeing with Mr Dunne's contention that he was not under any obligation to provide Social Housing for this particular development.

(VB)