The High Court has granted a stay, pending appeal, of its decision last month allowing a developer to carry out certain clearance works on a site for a €160 million student accommodation project near University College Dublin.

In January, Mr Justice David Holland vacated a stay he had imposed last October on the removal of trees from the former site of Our Lady's Grove school in Goatstown, about 850 metres from UCD, by the developers Colbeam Ltd. This order was in place pending the hearing of the High Court action.

Two residents had brought the judicial review case over An Bord Pleanála’s permission for the 698-bed eight-block development.

Wendy Jennings and Adrian O’Connor, residents of the Grove, Goatstown, say they are not opposed to a development at the location, but believe this plan represents a “significant” over-development of the site.

Following the judge’s decision last month permitting certain limited clearance works, the residents asked for a stay pending the bringing of an appeal over that specific decision.

In his judgment on that application, Mr Justice Holland granted them a stay for ten days.

If the appeal is filed within that time, the October stay on works will remain in place until the appeal is heard, he said.