COSGRAVE DEVELOPMENTS says it plans to proceed with developing the former Dún Laoghaire golf course grounds, despite rumours that the €300 million development could be mothballed until economic conditions improve.

Last June the company got planning permission from An Bord Pleanála for the southern portion of the site at Glenageary Road Upper and Kill Avenue to build 856 residential units consisting of apartments and houses, offices, and retail units, as well as an eight-acre park with a lake. A spokesman for Cosgrave Developments says the company is working through compliance with the 58 planning conditions imposed by the planning board and says it hopes to announce that it is ready to start work on the site “in a couple of weeks”. “When we are through the compliance process we will be deciding on when and how.”

The council was unable to comment in time for this article on how long it envisages compliance will take on the site. The board granted planning permission subject to 58 conditions, including payment of a levy charge to provide a bus service that will link the development with Dún Laoghaire Dart station.

Cosgrave bought the 78-acre golf club site for €20 million plus a 27-hole course at Ballyman Glen near Enniskerry, from the club’s members in 2002. Another planning application to build 577 apartments, 28 houses and a crèche on the northern part of the 78-acre site off Glenageary Road Upper and Eglinton Park is still in the planning process. The land in question was controversially rezoned in 2004 after the then minister for the environment, Martin Cullen, used his powers under the 2000 Planning Act to issue a statutory directive to the council to rezone more land in the area to provide extra housing.

Ken MacDonald of Hooke MacDonald, the appointed agent for the residential element of the golf club lands scheme, says as far as he is aware the scheme is set to go ahead as soon as planning issues are resolved.