Rugby News: The Leinster Branch of the IRFU hope to get the green light for the redevelopment of their Donnybrook grounds next month.Local residents have submitted at least 12 objections to An Bord Pleanala regarding the apartments that must be built to fund the project.
"An Bord Pleanala asked us to supply more information and we have done so," said Leinster chief executive Mick Dawson. "It was very disappointing not to get the initial go ahead for apartments at either end of the ground. There have been a number of objections from local residents' committees."
The redevelopment plans were scaled down and resubmitted on June 3rd by Leinster representatives, Tom Philips Town Planning Consultants. These include 76 two-bedroom apartments, a new clubhouse on the riverside terrace, a modernised main stand, a scrummage area and six tennis courts. A walkway, stretching along the River Dodder from Anglesea Road to Herbert Park, was also included as was a crèche, a retail facility and car parking.
The key problem with local residents is the apartment blocks. These are essential to fund the revamp of the ground that is in desperate need of rejuvenation now Leinster rugby is a professional franchise. In recent years, the team have relocated to Lansdowne Road for big European games.
Yesterday was the closing date for objections and An Bord Pleanala have set a provisional date of July 27th when they intend to have a decision, although Dawson sees it stretching closer to the start of the coming season.
"The Dublin Corporation upheld the planning permission and now we hope to hear a reply by the end of August," he said. "The residents have come in with objections, but these apartments are not high rises they are only nine stories. If rejected, we will have to start the process all over again."
The clubhouse is to be a three-story building with gymnasium, offices and media facilities that should be a vast improvement on the current makeshift set-up.
Broadcast facilities will be accommodated here. At present, the playing management are based in cabins in the Old Belvedere rugby club car park, while the branch staff work from offices adjacent to the ground.
Part of the residential development has been omitted from the new plans, while another part has been reduced to six floors in order to improve accessibility to the Riverside walkway.
The current Bective clubhouse, the main stand and tennis courts are to be demolished. The courts will be relocated with the clubhouse site of 10,042 square metres to be used for apartments.
Brian O'Halloran Architects and Arup Consultants, who were involved in the City of Manchester stadium and the Beijing Olympic stadium, join Tom Philips and Associates in the process.
Meanwhile, former South Africa and Australia loose forward Tiaan Strauss believes the Springboks were "soft" in their 30-12 defeat by the Wallabies in the first of two Nelson Mandela Challenge Tests on July 9th.
As the teams prepare to meet again in Johannesburg on Saturday in the final match Strauss said: "The main thing was their defence was so soft, I mean really soft.
"They've been known as a very good defensive team, and I thought they'd really bustle them in defence so I was very surprised," he told yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
Strauss, who played 15 times for the Springboks from 1992-94, emigrated to Australia in the mid-1990s and won 11 caps for the Wallabies, becoming part of their 1999 World Cup-winning squad.
Strauss said he expected an improved performance from the South Africans on Saturday.
