An appeal opened in the Supreme Court yesterday against a High Court ruling clearing the way for the controversial development of a hotel and office complex in central Dublin.
A company set up by a group of conservationists, Lancefort Ltd, is opposing the plans of Treasury Holdings Ltd for the development on a site bounded by College Street, Westmoreland Street and Fleet Street. In December 1996 An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission to Treasury Holdings in respect of an application to build a hotel and offices on the site.
Two months ago, the High Court rejected Lancefort's challenge to the decision of An Bord Pleanala.
Mrs Justice McGuinness ordered Lancefort to pay legal costs estimated at £300,000 incurred by the developer, which claimed to have lost "millions" as a result of the lengthy legal proceedings. She put a stay on the costs order pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal.
Among the matters being raised before the Supreme Court is whether, under the provisions of a particular European Council directive and the Local Government Planning and Development Regulations, 1994, An Bord Pleanala is required, in relation to a certain class of development specified, to consider whether the development would be likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of its size, nature or location, which would necessitate the carrying out of an Environmental Impact Assessment and the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement.