Business

Shopping centre planning fees halved for Dunnes Stores

An Bord Pleanala upholds appeal by retailer against €448,074 planning contribution charge for Kilnamanagh Shopping Centre development

A letter from the local authority noted 'the fee as stated in the appeal letter submitted by the applicant would be correct'. File Photograph: Aidan Crawley

Gordon Deegan
Thu Mar 28 2024 - 17:47

Retail giant Dunnes Stores has succeeded in having its planning contributions relating to a planned expansion of a South Dublin shopping centre almost halved to €230,703.

An Bord Pleanála upheld an appeal by the retailer against a South Dublin City Council condition demanding it pay €448,074 in planning contributions.

It relates to plans to expand the Kilnamanagh Shopping Centre in Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24.

The council included the €448,074 requirement as part of a permission giving the green light for the expansion of the shopping centre in November 2022. It would have gone toward expenditure in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development within the area.

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The application by Dunnes Stores firm Better Value Unlimited sought an upgrade that would include a two-storey extension at the shopping centre’s eastern elevation. The southern lobby to Dunnes Stores would also be demolished and replaced with a new glazed lobby entrance.

In the appeal, consultants for Dunnes Stores, Tony Bamford Planning, stated the council had double-counted a first-floor extension in calculating the financial contributions.

The planning consultants pointed out that Dunnes Stores had previously paid financial planning contributions concerning a portion of the extension and this had not been taken into account.

Tony Bamford Planning stated the total amount due in financial contributions was €230,703, not €448,074.

It said when lodging the application, “unfortunately, we did not have the necessary information to hand to address previous payments made on the centre. We are now in receipt of the relevant information.”

As far back as April of last year, the council conceded that the lower financial planning contribution of €230,703 was correct.

A letter from the local authority noted “the fee as stated in the appeal letter submitted by the applicant would be correct”.

The submission said that “proof of payment relating to previous development contributions had not been received by South Dublin County Council at the time of assessment of the planning application”.

In her second report on the case signed off on March 4th, senior planning inspector with An Bord Pleanála, Elaine Power found the planning authority incorrectly applied the terms of the South Dublin County Council Development Contributions Scheme 2021-2025 in the calculation of the amount payable.

In its decision, the appeals board has directed the Council to reduce the financial contribution to €230,703, based on a €98.76 per square calculation of 2,336sq m (25,144sq ft).

Dunnes Stores and South Dublin County Council have been asked for comment.

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