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425 homes for Ballyboden: Michael Whelan's Maplewood Homes is about to make another attempt to obtain planning permission from South Dublin County Council for a scheme of 425 homes at Ballyboden in Dublin 16.

The development is proposed for a 20-acre site on the southern side of Scholarstown Road, which is bounded by Stocking Lane to the east. Over 300 of the units proposed are apartments with the remainder detached and semi-detached houses. Last year, Maplewood - a subsidiary of St Moritz Construction Company - was turned down for 610 residential units, a bar, restaurant and gym.

South Dublin County Council refused on the grounds that 63 units per hectare in an area not serviced by public transport would contravene its development plan and that five-storey buildings would be intrusive on the landscape.

It said that access to the scheme was inadequate, and that open space was poorly distributed. Other reasons given were that the dwelling mix was unacceptable with a "preponderance of apartments" and insufficient detached and semi-detached houses.

17-storey tower appealed

Green Property's bid to build a 17-storey apart- hotel at the Blanchardstown centre in Dublin 15 has been opposed by a number of people, including Leo Varadkar, a local Fine Gael councillor, who have appealed planning permission granted by Fingal County Council to An Bord Pleanála.

Also before An Bord Pleanála is a proposal by Babodana Ltd to part demolish the Skylon Hotel in Drumcondra, Dublin 9 and build a four-storey extension. Five parties lodged appeals to An Bord Pleanála.

44 homes for Stillorgan site

The Victory Christian Fellowship is looking to demolish a 1950s extension to Kilmacud House in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, refurbish the house and build 44 units.

This would include six units in the house and alterations to the west wing to provide a townhouse unit. It is also looking to build three blocks of apartments and duplexes.

The Christian church group is one of the biggest providers of accommodation to asylum seekers in the State. The group runs three centres, Kilmacud House, Kilmarnock House in Killiney, and Milverton House in Carlow.