THERE WAS a distinctly muted response to the recently granted planning permissions by An Bord Pleanála for landmark schemes at the Burlington Hotel and former vet college sites in Dublin 4.

Bernard McNamara’s development company for the Burlington Hotel – which got the green light for a €1 billion mixed-use scheme – said they were “glad” at the permission but any decision on the future use of the site was “many years away” while they looked forward to “the continuing growth and success of the Burlington as the leading four-star hotel in the south Dublin area”.

What, only glad? A few years ago you had to dodge the champagne corks when a €1 billion scheme got the nod while the hotel gates would have been shut quick smart.

Similarly, while developer Ray Grehan expressed delight at the go-ahead for his scheme on the former vet college site, for which he paid €171.5 million in 2005, it was still “two to three years” from when economic conditions may permit work to start on the 32,870sq m (353,809sq ft) mixed-use scheme. However, the planning permission had consolidated “the value of the site”.

Only consolidated? A few years ago it would have added millions. Oh, the old days.