The first major hurdle in the €350 million redevelopment of Lansdowne Road was surmounted last night after Dublin City Council granted planning permission for its transformation into a 50,000-seat stadium.
The project stalled earlier this year after the council's planners requested detailed additional information on 43 points relating to the proposed development.
Some 28 conditions have been attached to the granting of planning permission, however they do not alter the height of the stadium, the principal element on which objections were made to the city council
It is understood that there are no major requirements that would interfere with the plans put forward by Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC). A spokesman for LRSDC said last night that the council's decision comes within the company's proposed development schedule and it hopes to begin construction on the stadium early next year with a completion date in mid-2009.
However, that start date is likely to depend on the progress of any appeal against the plans to An Bord Pleanála.
It is almost certain that appeals will be lodged with the planning authority within the coming weeks, as a large number of objections were received by the council, and a full oral hearing is likely.
Local residents have strongly objected to the height of the new stadium, which would rise to 48.5m (160ft), pointing out that this is much higher than Croke Park (35m/115ft) though the latter has a significantly larger capacity of 82,500.
O'Connell Gardens in Ballsbridge, which is directly behind the stadium, will be particularly affected and, a residents' representative, Sophia Wallace, said the decision would have a "dreadful impact" on the community.
"I am totally and utterly devastated. This is an absolute disaster for us, the residents who are on the O'Connell Gardens boundary line, as well as for the wider locality," Ms Wallace said.
Local councillor Kevin Humphreys welcomed the granting of planning permission but said the council had not gone far enough to address residents' concerns in relation to dust alleviation measures, overshadowing, the number of concerts to be held there and utilisation of the back pitch.
