Planning battle looms for Cairn Homes on former RTÉ land

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And go bigger and taller. That seems to be the case with Cairn Homes’ plan for the former RTÉ lands at Montrose in Donnybrook that it acquired in 2017 for €107.5 million.

Cairn, a listed Irish housebuilder, has flagged its intention to apply to Dublin City Council for permission for a scheme involving 688 apartments and a 192-bedroom hotel on the 8.6-acre site. One of the apartment blocks would rise to 16 storeys in height and the scheme would include 416 build-to-rent units with the balance being sold to buyers.

The scheme is being lodged through the recently introduced Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) system that is replacing the Strategic Housing Development (SHD), which was dogged by legal challenges.

Followers of the planning scene in Dublin will recall that Cairn originally sought SHD permission from An Bord Pleanála for 611 apartments, three townhouses and other elements. It was to have included nine apartment blocks ranging in height from four to 10 storeys.

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An Bord Pleanála granted permission in September 2020 despite significant local opposition to the scheme. In 2020, the High Court granted leave to three residents — Chris Comerford, John Gleeson and Pat Desmond, wife of businessman Dermot Desmond — to challenge the board’s fast-track permission for the proposed development close to their homes.

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They had argued that the development was of a scale and density far in excess of what is permitted under the Dublin City Development Plan, would overlook and overshadow their homes and be “totally out of keeping” with an area consisting of low-rise Victorian or Edwardian type houses.

In March 2021, An Bord Pleanála consented to a High Court order quashing its permission, forcing Cairn back to the drawing board.

Given the increased size and scale of Cairn’s latest plan for the site, another lengthy battle over planning permission looks on the cards. It could be some time yet before Cairn gets to break ground at Montrose.