An Bord Pleanala to rule on major development in Kildare, part of which has already been constructed. Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, reports.
An Bord Pleanála is due to decide shortly whether to grant permission for a major development on Palmerston Demesne, in Co Kildare, involving Mr Jim Mansfield, owner of the Citywest Hotel and Leisure complex in Co Dublin.
The scheme includes a golf course, 290-bedroom hotel and 800-seat conference centre as well as housing and a business park on the demesne. This was formerly the estate of the Earls of Mayo, which fronts on to the N7 east of Naas. Kildare County Council had approved the scheme under a material contravention of its 1999 county development plan, excluding the business park.
An oral hearing last week was told the golf course had already been developed.
Mr Ian Lumley, heritage officer of An Taisce, said the 18-hole golf course had been completed "bar everything but the putting holes" without planning permission, along with a helicopter pad not shown on the plans by Bridford Developments.
Bridford is one of Mr Mansfield's companies. Other companies controlled by him are the subject of enforcement proceedings by South Dublin County Council over developments carried out both at the Citywest complex and Weston Aerodrome.
Last December the council served an enforcement notice requiring HSS Ltd, another of Mr Mansfield's companies, to halt construction of a convention centre at Citywest because An Taisce was appealing the case to An Bord Pleanála.
By then, the steel frame structure of the building and part of its main front had already been erected. Based on an assumption that the appeal would be dismissed, HSS had continued working on the €50 million project as if it had permission.
But last week, having concluded that the county council had failed to notify An Taisce - as a prescribed body - of the application so that it could have made a submission, An Bord Pleanála ruled that the appeal was valid.
At last week's oral hearing into the scheme for Palmerston Demesne, An Taisce said the environmental impact statement was inadequate in respect of boundary treatment, landscape, removal of trees, roads layout and heritage impacts.
A separate application made in December 2003 for a private day hospital on part of the site prevented an overall scheme from being considered, Mr Lumley said. The hospital's developers have received tax relief on their project.
Mr Eamon Galligan SC, for Bridford, argued that the extent of work already carried out, the other planning application on the site or the planning status of other developments associated with the applicant were not relevant.
Dr Brian Meehan, planning consultant for the applicant, said the scheme for Palmerston Demesne was an integrated one which would meet the development needs of Naas and complied with local and regional planning policy.
Mr Bernard McHugh, planning consultant for Kildare County Council, said the site was suitable for an integrated tourism and leisure development and the original decision by the council omitting the business park should be upheld.
An Taisce agreed that the site was suitable for a well-designed golf, hotel and ancillary development. But Mr Lumley said the lack of information provided and poor design and layout warranted that the plan as presented be refused.
Following last week's three-day oral hearing, the presiding inspector will prepare a report for An Bord Pleanála, which will ultimately make the decision.