Viscount seeks permission for over 900 homes in south Dublin

Developer submits new application following An Bord Pleanála refusal in January

Ballyogan Luas stop. Viscount intends to redevelop part of Clay Farm in Ballyogan.
Ballyogan Luas stop. Viscount intends to redevelop part of Clay Farm in Ballyogan.

Developer Micheal Cotter's Viscount Securities has submitted a new application for permission to build more than 900 homes in south Dublin.

An Bord Pleanála shot down Viscount's original application to redevelop part of Clay Farm at Ballyogan in Dublin in January over concerns at its plans for dealing with possible flooding.

Viscount this week submitted a new application to the board for permission to build 927 dwellings under the strategic housing development initiative, a fast-track planning system for projects of more than 100 homes.

The company wants to build 355 houses and 572 apartments at Clay Farm, which is largely zoned for residential use.

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A letter from its planners, John Spain Associates, says that the proposals address the reasons that An Bord Pleanála refused Viscount’s original application.

Proposals

In January, the board's inspector, Joanna Kelly, recommended that it refuse Viscount's original application because the company did not give enough information on its proposals for dealing with possible flooding.

She also highlighted a lack of public space in the proposed development and poor design of part of it.

Viscount's application includes new measures to tackle flooding, based on talks between the company's engineers, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and An Bord Pleanála.

The company had been widely expected to seek permission a second time as Viscount entered pre-application talks with the board and county council in March.

The pre-application stage is part of the strategic housing development process and is meant to clarify a lot of the issues likely to arise during the planning process.

An Bord Pleanála has up to 16 weeks to decide whether or not to give permission for the development, giving it until mid-August to rule on the application.

The board's decision is final, although objectors can apply to have a High Court judge review it to ensure that it followed the correct procedures.

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O’Halloran covers energy, construction, insolvency, and gaming and betting, among other areas