Locals welcome board's decision to place limits on development

Residents in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, have welcomed a decision by An Bord Pleanála to give the go-ahead to the redevelopment of Stillorgan Shopping Centre with conditions, saying that it secures the area as a district rather than a town centre.

The board has ruled that the €40 million development can go ahead with 25 conditions. The project was approved by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, but it was appealed to the board by the Stillorgan District Community and Residents Alliance, partly on the grounds that it was premature pending the preparation of a local area plan.

Marie Turner, spokeswoman for the residents alliance, said yesterday that the board had addressed the majority of the issues raised by locals in its ruling.

"We were concerned about the magnitude of the development and the board has addressed that - they have pinned down Stillorgan as a district centre," she said. "They have also said that only floor space specified in the plan for retail can be used as retail and if a change of use is required, a new planning application will also be required."

Residents on the Dublin Road had been particularly worried about the possibility of fast-food outlets opening nearby, she said, and the board had prohibited that in their ruling.

"Ideally it would have been better if approval was not granted until after the [ local area plan] was finalised but timing is not always right. We feel we got a good hearing."

Treasury Holdings also welcomed approval for the development yesterday but said it would hold off beginning work until the local area plan, which the council is expected to complete in approximately eight months, had been finalised.

The shopping centre site is owned by Real Estate Opportunities (REO), a company in which Treasury Holdings is the majority shareholder.

REO also owns the Blake's site nearby, which has planning permission, the Leisureplex site, a car park beside local GAA club Kilmacud Crokes and some land behind the shopping centre.

The plan for the shopping centre was developed in consultation with local residents.

Rob Davies, development director of Treasury Holdings said that Treasury was committed to the community planning process, which it began in late March.

"We would like to explore the ideas emerging from this process and to consider the new local area plan when it is published before making the definitive decision as to whether to proceed with these plans for the shopping centre," he said.