A residential scheme on the grounds of Notre Dame school in Churchtown, Dublin 14, has been given approval by An Bord Pleanála.

Michael Cotter's Park Developments has been given the green light to build over 250 apartments on the 2.6-hectare former sports ground site, subject to a number of conditions. The site consists of over half of the existing grounds of the Notre Dame junior and secondary schools. It is located east of the schools on Churchtown Road Upper and is close to Dundrum village.

The school hit the headlines in 2002 when the Sisters of the Notre Dame des Missions order announced their intention to close the school and sell up. Following a public outcry they agreed that it could remain open and be run by a trust company controlled by parents. In 2004 Park Developments purchased the site for €30 million.

Park Developments plan to build a mix of apartments, duplex and triplex houses in nine new buildings, ranging in height from three to six storeys.

The existing convent, the protected Fernbank House, will be turned into a crèche.

The junior school will be moved to a site south of the existing secondary school and the convent will be relocated to a site south-east of the school complex. There was much local opposition to the plan mainly on the grounds of traffic, height and density.

In granting permission An Bord Pleanála attached a number of conditions, including the omission of 22 apartments and the redesign of a number of the apartment blocks.

Park Developments was behind the Mount St Annes scheme in Milltown, another development on former religious grounds.