October 2015
Councilor, Cormac Devlin has advised local residents in the Sallynoggin & Glenageary area that An Bord Pleanála have overturned the decision of the Council to refuse permission. The Bord has given permission for the 3 block development which will consist of a 5 story x 140 bed nursing home, a Lidl supermarket, and a medical centre with 150 surface car parking spaces.
The former Deerhunter site has had several planning applications made on it since it was acquired for redevelopment back in 2004. In 2005 the initial proposal was to build an urban village worth €140m which included several small retail units, a large supermarket with several apartments above with an eight story tower. This was refused by An Bord Pleanála as it was seen as over intensification of the 1.271 hectare site. Since then there have been two other applications which have failed to gain permission.
"I have long thought that a greater mix of residential and commercial/office use would be the most suitable option for this site" said Cllr. Devlin. The reliance on yet another large supermarket within a stones through of several others is hard to fathom, I believe another retail unit of this nature, particularly the 2509 sq m with an off-licence is not warranted in the area. Having been one of just two public representatives to make a submission, highlighting several aspects of the plan that I had difficulty with. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council refused permission however the applicant appealed this decision to An Bord Pleanála who ultimately have reversed the Council's decision. While the Bord's own planning inspector's report recommended that Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council were correct in refusing permission, the Bord sought to over-rule this decision and ultimately granted permission for the development (subject to some conditions). The conditions cover the following items; External finishes of all buildings must be agreed with the council, all public lighting must be operational prior to the development being occupied, comprehensive landscaping must be carried out and any damaged or diseased plants are to be replaced for a duration of five years and no additional advertising other than originally proposed will be permitted unless a new planning application is made for same.
I feel it is relevant to highlight the fact that planning permission was granted earlier this year for an Aldi supermarket around the corner from the former Deerhunter site on Pearse Street in Sallynoggin. Construction has recently begun on the Pearse Street site however there are also several other existing supermarkets within the area; Tesco (Park Pointe, formerly Dún Laoghaire Golf Club), Tesco (Ballybrack and Bloomfields in Dún Laoghaire), Centra (Glenageary Shopping Centre), Super Valu (Killiney Shopping Centre) and the two existing Lidl stores in Deansgrange and Pottery Road. The questions must be asked, how many supermarkets are required in such a small catchment area?
In early 2014 I held a large public meeting about the previous planning application which was eventually refused. That application sought permission for a drive-through fast food restaurant, a cafe, a Lidl supermarket and a medical centre. There was far more opposition to the earlier proposal in 2014 than the existing one. This particular plan is less dense than the previous plan and the design of each building is more considerate of the surrounding residential properties.
Now that permission has been granted for the retirement home, Lidl and medical centre, our focus must now turn to the future plans for traffic management and road infrastructure within the area. Any attempt to disrupt, divert or alter the existing flows of the road network around this site will be strongly opposed.
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To view An Bord Pleanála Inspector's Report and the Bord's reason for over-ruling inspectors decision, click here
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