Developers refused planning extension for 140 city homes

Iggy Foy and Leo Maher had been granted permission in 2007 for the development of 138 new homes – in a mixture of apartments and houses – on an eight acre site beside Sraith Fada (between the Doughiska Road and the N6 dual carriageway).

However, the site was never developed because of the property crash.

With planning permission expiring last July, the developers sought an Extension of Duration for a further five years, although they did not give an indication as to when the development may be completed.

“Due to oversupply of housing on the market, it was decided not to commence development on site,” the developers said. There will be a mixture of apartments and houses set in two-storey to five-storey blocks.

However, planners rejected the application, ruling that the zoning of the land had been changed from all residential (R) to split zoning for residential and for enterprise, light industry and commercial use (CI).

“In the intervening period, the land use zoning objective of part of the development site has changed, under the City Development Plan 2011-17.

“In this context a residential development of the entire development site is considered to unduly interfere with the primary use of the CI zoned land and therefore represents material contravention of the City Development Plan,” planners said.

The two developers were recently granted permission to build a new 19,000 square foot Lidl supermarket at Sraith Fada – the existing supermarket will close when the project is completed.