Councillor says An Bord Pleanála are delaying The Lodge decision

Local Councillor Tania Doyle invoked one of the great Roman tales, alluding to Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burned, while discussing the potential fate of The Lodge of Clonsilla.

“While Nero fiddled while Rome burned”, one could make the case that “The Lodge burns while An Bord Pleanála fiddle,” she said.

The independent Councillor has taken issue with a May 2022 decision that saw developer Deanbay permission to develop a residential site on the same plot of land as The Lodge.

She noted that an appeal was subsequently lodged with An Bord Pleanála in June 2022 and currently remains “under consideration.”

The proposed development requires the demolition of the existing house and outbuilding on site, which Doyle is not in favour of.

“I believe this decision contravened Objective Clonsilla 4 of the Fingal Development Plan in operation at the time of the Approval,” she said.

“Objective 4 reads “Protect the historic character of Clonsilla Village by conserving old houses and cottages and only permitting sensitive development”. This formed the underpinning of my Observation on the original planning application and my Observation to An Bord Pleanala (ABP-313792-22). I still believe that the contravention applies.”

“This unique old cottage is a feature of the community and must be retained, maintained and integrated into any future development.” she stated.

The Councillor has raised concerns about the structural integrity of the site, pointing to the fact that the Dublin Fire Brigade have had to attend a number of fires at the Lodge over the last couple of weeks.

“The fires are slowly but surely undermining the structural integrity of the Lodge and its long-term survivability is in serious doubt, the decision of an appeal notwithstanding. We are looking at the destruction of a significant piece of Clonsilla’s cultural identity and heritage. Social media is awash with posts from concerned local residents,” she said.

“It appears to me that the ever-creeping delay in making its decision on the 3rd Party Appeal, An Bord Pleanála are, in tangible terms, depriving the parties to the Appeal and by extension this community of natural justice. If ever there was a sign that the systems of An Bord Pleanála have failed, this is it, and yet again the local electoral area of Dublin 15, which I have a mandate to represent, is the unwitting victim in all of this.”

“If we are to have faith in the planning system and most importantly retain faith, delays such as this can not be permitted and as Minister with responsibility for oversight, I have written to Minister Darragh O’Brien requesting he engage with An Bord Pleanála to ascertain why delays of over 12 months are occurring in this case.”