7If the Government does not like the idea of an underground rail link from Spencer Dock to Westland Row and onwards to Heuston station, CIE no longer has a fall-back position that it would regard as a realistic option, An Bord Pleanala has been told. Last June, CIE told Dublin Corporation it favoured an over ground rail link between Spencer Dock and a new DART station at Barrow Street, beside the Grand Canal docks. By October, this had been supplanted by an underground link to Barrow Street.
Now, a year after planning permission was sought for the massive development envisaged for Spencer Dock, CIE believes that the right option would involve making this strategic rail connection underground to Pearse station, Westland Row, and then to Heuston station.
Dr Ray Byrne, former head of programmes and projects with CIE, now a consultant to the group, told An Bord Pleanala's inquiry into the development proposed for its 51-acre site at Spencer Dock that this was the result of a major change in transport thinking.
It would also be enormously beneficial to CIE in terms of its property portfolio, allowing it to cash in on the development potential of Westland Row and Spencer Dock, generating revenue to supplement Government funding for public transport.
Flanked by a phalanx of senior officials from CIE, Iarnrod Eireann and Dublin Bus, he explained that the latest plan was in line with a strategic review of regional rail services, now being finalised, and the plans being prepared by the Dublin Transportation Office.
According to Dr Byrne, an overground rail link to Barrow Street would be "the wrong thing to do" because it would bypass the city's central business district. It is also opposed by Dublin Corporation, not least because it would clash with the planned Macken Street road bridge.
However, in response to searching questions by all three planning inspectors, he agreed that the rail station at Spencer Dock would need to be up to 20 metres below the surface if the line is to be continued beneath the River Liffey. The proposed level is only nine metres.
Dr Byrne said it was a matter for the Government to take the "strategic decision" on the proposed underground link. Under pressure from the presiding inspector, Mr Des Johnson, he agreed that this costly plan might not be accepted by ministers.
"Until a final decision is taken, would it not make sense to preserve all the options?", the inspector asked. Dr Byrne said an overground link was "not something that is envisaged".
Neither did he see any contradiction in a public transport company promoting a development in which there would be provision for nearly 7,000 car-parking spaces. CIE had no apology to make for "going after the commercial value" of its site at Spencer Dock. Dr Byrne argued that the "several hundred million pounds" which CIE stood to make over the years from the development would generate funds for essential investment in public transport, plugging a "very significant gap" in the amount of Government money available.
Mr Karl Kent, one of the inspectors, suggested that commercial considerations were upper most in the minds of CIE officials and told Dr Byrne he had "raised more questions than you've answered" in his responses to An Bord Pleanala's team.
When Mr Kent said neither Dublin Corporation nor the Docklands Development Authority was happy with the scheme for Spencer Dock, Dr Byrne said this was not the view of the development consortium, whose approach CIE strongly endorsed. Dr Byrne said he did not consider the quantum of development, at 6 million sq ft, to be excessive. He also warned that if it was capped at 4.6 million sq ft, as the corporation sought, the loss to CIE would be u£100 million, which could buy 400 new buses. He told Mr Kent it would be wrong of him to offer any opinion on the architecture of the scheme, even though CIE is involved in the development consortium along with Treasury Holdings and Mr Harry Crosbie, the docklands entrepreneur.
Earlier, Mr Jim Clery of KPMG effectively demolished the case made on behalf of Mr Dermot Desmond that the National Conference Centre at Spencer Dock would cost the Government £525 million over 10 years, mainly in lost revenue from tax incentives.
He said there were no incentives of any kind - either capital allowances or double rent and rates relief - available for any development on the 51-acre site. He did not say whether the developers were still lobbying for such a package.