An Bord Pleanála appears to have terminated plans by property developers Treasury Holdings to provide a new town centre in Balgaddy for the rapidly expanding Lucan and Clondalkin areas of west Dublin.
The modified scheme was to have included 27,000sq m (290,626sq ft) of retail space, 6,900sq m (74,271sq ft) of offices, a 10-screen multiplex cinema, 557 apartments, a gym, bar, restaurant, a 252-room hotel in a landmark tower up to 80m (262ft) high and space for 2,533 cars.
It was opposed by South Dublin County Council and by two property companies with interests in the area - Dunloe Ewart, run by prolific apartment developer Liam Carroll, and the owners of Liffey Valley shopping centre - Owen O'Callaghan and the Duke of Westminster.
Though An Bord Pleanála indicated in 2003 that the 15-acre site was "generally suitable" for the type of development proposed by Treasury subsidiary, Everglade Properties Ltd, it refused permission on the basis that the scheme was "premature" pending a local area plan.
Even as modified, the board said the Everglade scheme would have an "unsatisfactory hierarchy" of streets and spaces, "generally poor" levels of pedestrian and residential amenity, a civic square "devoid of civic or community uses" and an "unduly monolithic appearance".
The appeals board also took into account the county council's downgrading of the Balgaddy site from "town centre" to "district centre" status in its county development plan, adopted last November.
Instead, the plan switched "town centre" designation to Liffey Valley.
Under the new county plan, Clondalkin village was also upgraded to "town centre" status, while Tallaght was given a new designation of "county town".
Along with Liffey Valley, they were to be built in line with "the principles of urban design and sustainable development".
Given these zoning changes, planning consultants for the owners of Liffey Valley argued at an An Bord Pleanála oral hearing that the "entire rationale" for developing a town centre for Lucan/Clondalkin, as originally intended going back to 1972, "has no basis whatsoever".
They disputed Everglade's assertion that it could provide retail space at Balgaddy within an earlier timeframe than emerging proposals for Liffey Valley.