McKillen jnr’s Oakmount gets green light for 291 new homes in south Dublin

Developer Paddy McKillen jnr's Oakmount has received the green light from An Bord Pleanála to proceed with a plan to deliver hundreds of new homes on a prime 4-hectare (10-acre) site at Blackrock in south Dublin.

Located on lands formerly owned by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, the proposed development at Temple Hill will comprise a total of 291 apartments.

284 of the units will be distributed across 13 blocks ranging in height from one to eight storeys, while a further six units will be accommodated within the existing protected structure of St Teresa’s House following its subdivision and conversion. The plan will also see the dismantling and relocation to another area within the site of another protected structure, St Teresa’s Lodge. The lodge is to be converted into one one-bedroom apartment.

The overall residential scheme is set to be complemented by the inclusion of a new creche facility, a residents’ clubhouse and a woodland park area. The development will also provide parking spaces for 272 cars, 666 bicycles and 20 motorcycles.

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Approval

Oakmount secured approval for the Blackrock development through the Government’s temporary “fast-track” planning system. The Strategic Housing Development (SHD), as it is known, allows developers seeking approval for 100 residential units or more to apply directly to An Bord Pleanála. With ordinary planning applications for large housing developments to local authorities typically appealed to An Bord Pleanála, ultimate approval can, in certain circumstances, take up to 18 months to secure. The fast-track regulation sees such determinations reduced to a maximum of six months.

Oakmount acquired the Temple Hill site for €30 million in 2017. The price paid by McKillen jnr represented a premium of 20 per cent on the €25 million guided by WK Nowlan Real Estate Advisors when it brought the lands to the market on behalf of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.

While Oakmount had been the second-highest bidder at the outset of the sales process, it ultimately prevailed when the lead bidder was subsequently unable to complete on its offer of €31 million.

Quite apart from its most recent association with the Daughters of Charity, the Temple Hill property has a storied history. The Victorian residence now known as St Teresa's House was once the home of Lady Arnott, the wife of John Arnott who owned the department store bearing the Arnott name.

The Temple Hill site fronts on to Temple Road in Blackrock and is located about 350m southeast of Blackrock village.