Council says yes to residential scheme on Dalkey school grounds

Plans for a new housing development on part of the grounds of Castlepark school in Dalkey have been approved by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

The local authority has granted permission for 47 houses and apartments on a 3.7-acre part of the school grounds off Castlepark Road. The proposed site is off the main school avenue behind Mackeys garden centre, where developers Wesley Curran and Graham O'Donnell are looking to build 81 apartments. This scheme was approved by the local authority but is under appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Castlepark school has sold off portions of its large landholding at Castlepark Road for residential development over the years. This time around it's believed that the school had struck a deal with a consortium of developers, including David Arnold and John Lombard, so that the site would be sold to them for a figure of around €10 million subject to planning permission being granted for the residential scheme.

The proceeds would contribute towards the redevelopment of the school, which is currently underway. This will involve the construction of an additional 39 classrooms, an indoor swimming pool, assembly hall, PE hall, caretaker's flat and 90 surface car-parking spaces.

Last year the school sought permission for 81 residential units at the site but this was refused on appeal to An Bord Pleanála, which ruled that the scheme would "seriously injure" adjacent residential properties on Hyde Road, and in Castle Close and Castlelands.

The scheme has been scaled back in height and density and will now involve 14 four and five-bedroom semi-detached houses and one four-bedroom detached house, all over three storeys. Some 32 apartments will also be built in two blocks from three to five storeys. The local authority granted permission subject to 40 conditions including that the developer pay contributions totalling €1.4 million to the council as well as a tree bond of €500,000. The decision by the local authority to grant permission is likely be appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local residents who have opposed the development on a number of grounds.

The Irish Times

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