CMH – Permission Granted

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.