As the housing crisis swings from one disaster to another there has been some positive news as of late. The severe dearth of accommodation in recent years has led to students resorting to cramming into unfit houses, staying at home as well as moving into digs.
These problems have been allayed somewhat by UCD, who have had a proposal for a €300 million on-campus accommodation complex approved by An Bord Pleanála, under the new 'fast track' scheme.
While the independent body did give the green light for the project, they did insist that the amount of beds included in the application be reduced from 3,006 to 2,178. Still, the proposed building will see the population on the Belfield campus rise from 3,179 to 5,357.
The reduction in bed numbers was to do with the largest of the residential blocks, which involved the construction of three separate buildings, up to 10 storeys tall with 828 apartments. These buildings were vetoed as An Bord Pleanála said they would "adversely affect the character and setting of the protected structures", most notably Roebuck Castle.
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The Higher Education Authority has previously called a need for about 25,000 more beds for students nationally with the shortage of student accommodation at its worst in Dublin. This will certainly go some way to aiding students in their search for affordable, adequate housing.
H/T: The Irish Times
