An appeal begins this morning against plans to build offices and a technology park opposite historic Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin.
Objectors to the development, planned by Charmside Ltd, a subsidiary of Treasury Holdings, will tell an An Bord Pleanála hearing the proposal would dwarf the landmark building and destroy the character of the area.
Charmside has twice received planning permission from Dublin City Council for the development and will argue it is an appropriate replacement for a derelict factory currently on the site.
The objectors, led by the Friends of Kilmainham Gaol grouping, have the backing of An Taisce, the national trust.
They say the jail, now a museum and national monument, is an integral part of a collection of historic sites which includes Kilmainham Courthouse, the Richmond Tower, the Royal Hospital and the Irish War Memorial Park.They say its prominence in the area should not be interfered with.
An Bord Pleanála has requested comments from the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) and Dúchas, the heritage service. The DTO has expressed concern about the impact of increased traffic the development would bring to the area.
The development is planned for the old Nestlé confectionary factory site at Inchicore Road in Kilmainham, which is directly opposite the 206-year-old jail, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed.
Charmside wants to demolish the factory and replace it with almost 400,000 square feet of accommodation in three office blocks. These would range in height from three to six storeys and would be linked by retail outlets, with underground parking for 600 vehicles.
The developers first applied for planning permission in July 2000 and were given approval in February 2001 despite objections.
The Friends grouping applied to An Bord Pleanála for an oral hearing. In July 2001, while they were awaiting a response, Charmside submitted a second application for the same site.
It was largely the same as the first application apart from an alteration to the height of one of the blocks and the naming of the development as the Heuston Office and Technology Park after the patriot Sean Heuston, also executed in Kilmainham Gaol following the 1916 rebellion.
Appeals against both applications were to be heard together, but in recent days Charmside withdrew the older application. The hearing, in the Gresham Hotel, is expected to last two days.