Category Archives: Planning

A new planning application (LRD application) has been lodged for the Vector Motors site. It’s for construction of a student accommodation development (including use as tourist or visitor accommodation outside the academic term) comprising of 220 student bedspaces (including 10 studios), in a part single storey, part 4 storey and part 6 storey ‘U’-Shaped building. Roof terraces on the 4th and 5th floor level, and 6 car parking spaces, 2 disabled spaces and 4 set down spaces.

More information on the DLR Planning website. The reference number is: LRD24A/0974/WEB and the public have until Jan 20th to make an observation. This can be done online, or by post, and the cost is €20.

Some images from the supplied CGI images.

To view previous posts regarding the recent planning history of this site, see here.

Update 20/1/25: We submitted an observation in respect of this application.

Update 12/2/25: Permission was granted by DLR Council on Feb 6th. Some conditions attached, such as removal of 8 bed spaces, no night time access to roof gardens etc. Further information on the DLR Planning website.

Update 15/2/25: This decision is being appealed to An Bord Pleanála by four different parties, including the developer (Orchid Residential Ltd) themselves, who are disputing the amount they are obliged to pay the Council (€389,587.50) in lieu of the required amount of public open space.

A planning application for the second phase of the Knockrabo development on Mount Anville Road has recently been lodged. 158 units (of which 12 houses). Up to 8 storey.

More details can be found on the DLR Planning website. We submitted an observation regarding a pedestrian/cyclist access route through this site, to allow for an easier route for our members to Deer Park.

Update 26/2/25: The Council has granted permission for this LRD application. The more notable conditions are:
•⁠ ⁠Pedestrian and cyclist access from the development’s open space to the Dublin eastern bypass reservation to be open on a 24 hour basis (walking/cycling route for us through to Deerpark etc.)
•⁠ ⁠Removal of one block of 8 units to allow for more open space and the preservation of existing trees
•⁠ ⁠Revised drawings showing provision of external storage for the units. They say this may need the removal of one unit to allow for enough space for this.

They propose to use Cedar Mount House (the big house that can be seen from the road) as a childcare facility in the basement, community/leisure uses for residents on the ground floor and 2 apartments on the first floor.

Regarding the Part V aspect (where the Council can buy units at a discounted rate), the indicative cost for 15 units is c.€7.4 million…

Update 14/3/25: An appeal to ABP has been lodged

Update 26/3/25: The first party appeal lodged by the developer has now been withdrawn. This appeal was regarding some of the conditions attached to the permission, ie. the removal of one block (8 units), and the duration of the permission (they requested 7 years, not the usual 5 years).

We recently made a submission to An Bord Pleanála in respect of the Part 10 planning application lodged by the LDA, in conjunction with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, for the development of 934 homes on the site of the former Central Mental Hospital. An earlier post with more details of this application can be found here.

Click here to read our submission.
(The Appendix document can be found here.)

Update 20/3/25: An Bord Pleanala have reverted with a Request for Further Information. The Council/LDA have until September to respond. The issues relate to the conservation and development of the old hospital buildings (the Dundrum LAP states this should be done at an early stage), some errors in the application regarding missing documents, some units being wrongly attributed as dual aspect, traffic and transport queries etc.

The LDA, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, is lodging a new planning application for the Central Mental Hospital site. Because the Council is involved, it will be a Part 10 Planning Application (goes straight to An Bord Pleanála). They are looking for permission to build 934 homes this time, (up from the 852 that were granted last time). They are proposing to build 753 new affordable and cost rental homes and 181 social homes. They say they are reducing heights along the boundary, with heights ranging from 2 to 8 storeys across the site.

They are having two public information sessions in Dundrum Library:

• 10^th September from 10am-1pm
• 12^th September from 4pm-8pm

Full details on the information stage will be at this project website www.dundrumcentral.ieand the actual Part 10 application can be viewed here once lodged at  www.dundrumcentralresidentialpart10.ie.

We would encourage all interested residents to attend one of the public information sessions.

Update 27/9/24: The public information stage has now been completed, and the Part 10 application has just been lodged. You can find the information here: www.dundrumcentralresidentialpart10.ie.

Members of the public have 6 weeks to make an observation, and it costs €50. You can find more information, and make your observation here: https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/320912. We understand the last day to make an observation is 6/11/24, 5:30pm.

The Department of Education has lodged a planning application for the construction of the permanent school buildings on the old IGB site. (The school buildings currently on site are temporary buildings.) They are planning to construct a 16-classroom primary school and a 1,000 pupil secondary school. 

The proposed secondary school is to be part 4 storey and includes the provision of 1 no. general purpose hall and 1 no. PE hall and c. 1,374 sqm rooftop play space including 2 no. ball courts. The proposed primary school is to be part 3 storey and is to include the provision of 1 no. general purpose hall and a c. 489 sqm rooftop play space. The development will also include the provision of 6 no. ballcourts; all hard and soft play areas including an outdoor gym area; sensory gardens, the removal of most of the existing trees etc. They appear to be including the possibility of another smaller pedestrian entrance on the south (Taney Avenue) side, however it is uncertain if this will be opened. They state on the plans: “Potential future pedestrian & cycle access point. Works required by Others to facilitate pedestrian/cycle permeability route to Taney Avenue.“.

You can see some photo montages taken from the planning application below. You can find all planning documents on the DLR website, the planning reference is: D24A/0619. The final date for observations is 16th Sep 2024.

Update 27/9/24: Please see here for the observation we submitted in respect of this planning application.

Update 4/10/24: The Council has reverted with a “Request for Further Information“. Disappointingly the planners don’t appear to have an issue with the proposed unnecessary raising of the ground level, or the overbearing impact on one particular residence. The Planner’s Report can be found here. The Department has 6 months to respond.

It has been reported in the Irish Independent recently that the Land Development Agency plans to submit a new planning application via the Large Scale Residential Development planning process (LRD). This is the process that has replaced the SHD process.

In advance of this new planning application, and also in response to comments by the Chair of the LDA, John Coleman in a recent Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting, we decided to write to the LDA. We outlined our expectations regarding the coming application, as well as a recap of all previous communication with the LDA. We copied the Chair of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran.

You can view this letter here.

Update May ’24: You may have read that An Bord Pleanála has conceded the case in relation to the Judicial Review brought by a resident of Friarsland Road against the LDA’s plan to build 852 units on the site of the former Central Mental Hospital. The LDA has since confirmed it will continue to defend the permission in the High Court, and is continuing with the case.

The old convent building, Roebuck Grove House, that has become derelict over the last few years, is being proposed as the location for a 29 unit hostel. The final date for observations on this planning application is 8th April 2024, and the planning reference number is: D24A/0133

Here is the link to DLR County Council’s planning website.

Some images etc. take from the Planning Report the applicant has submitted. This document can be found on the DLR Planning website.

Edit 19/4/24: Please see here for the observation we submitted in respect of this planning application.

Edit 29/4/24: DLRCoCo Planning Department has refused permission. The applicant has initiated an appeal with An Bord Pleanála, ABP-319774-24.

Edit 17/6/24: Please see here for the observation we submitted in respect of this appeal.

An Bord Pleanála have made their decision regarding the Central Mental Hospital SHD planning application. Permission has been granted.

There are various conditions attached. A very brief overview of some of these conditions are:

• Quite a few studio and 1 bed units are to be combined to create new 2 bed and 3 bed units. These proposed amendments would result in a new total of 852 units, down from 977 units. They note that this is in line with the wishes of the Council.
• One vehicle access point on Dundrum Road. (The LDA had proposed two. One where the current entrance is, and one further south, towards the shopping centre direction.). ABP are directing that only the one to the south be retained for car traffic. The other one is to be used for bikes, pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
• A specification in respect of the height (1.8m) of a planted screen along the southern boundary of the area of open space at Block 4 (located at the corner of Friarsland and Larchfield Roads).
• The removal of a (relatively) small three storey building to the northwest of Annaville.
• Various windows to be removed, moved, some to contain obscure glazing, on blocks 8, 9 and 10, which are all on the eastern (Annaville) side of the site.
• Building works to be carried out between 7am and 7pm Mon to Fri, 8am to 2pm Sat.
• A piece of public art within the site is required.

The full 60 page document from An Bord Pleanála can be found online here.

What’s next? There is a period of eight weeks now where a Judicial Review could potentially be initiated. After that, the decision is set in stone, so to speak, and the LDA can move full steam ahead if they so wish.

The Judicial Review that two residents of The Grove took in respect of the SHD student residence development on the Our Lady’s Grove campus was successful. Although the judgement has been made and the case won, the current situation is that the Judge’s final decision regarding whether it should be sent back to the Board for reconsideration or simply quashed, is now linked to a separate High Court action being taken by the developer. Colbeam has taken a case against Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in respect of the Council rezoning the site in the latest County Development Plan.

Edit 17/9/24: The current High Court case (Colbeam vs DLRCoCo) has recently resulted in the judge instructing the Councillors to vote on whether or not the Council CEO should defend the case. This vote was passed unanimously. The case is ongoing.