Fingal County Council has refused planning permission to Hammerson for the sports facilities as they would be sited on lands required to facilitate the delivery of the MetroLink project, which has been approved by An Coimisiún Pleanála.
In its refusal, the council explained that the proposed development would be prejudicial to the construction phase of MetroLink.
Hammerson IVAC was seeking a temporary five-year planning permission for the 10 padel courts along with two converted, timber-clad, shipping containers to accommodate ancillary reception/court booking, café and rooftop viewing platform.
The council refused the application after the National Transport Authority (NTA) intervened, lodging a submission in which it said that the entirety of the proposed padel courts site “is located within the ‘Proposed Temporary Site’ boundary which concerns lands that will be required during the construction phase of MetroLink”.
The NTA stated that “given a significant proportion of the subject site will be required to facilitate the proposed works, the proposed development would impact the construction phase of the project at this location and should therefore be refused”.
The 11-page planner’s report also stated that the Council’s Transportation Planning Section was recommending that permission be refused for the same reason.
The proposed padel courts at Swords in Dublin which have been refused permission
Two objections were lodged against the scheme. On behalf of Swords native William F Murphy of Ashling Heights, Blanchardstown, Peter P Gillett & Associates told the council that “while accepting that padel is a healthy and active sport with wide appeal, the current proposal at this location, given its unattractive design and lack of necessary support facilities, is undesireable”.
The Murphy objection also claimed that the padel courts would “detract from the appearance of the Pavilions” and result in the loss of a crucial parking area, reducing the number of spaces available for customers of the shopping centre.
In a planning report lodged with the application by consultants Stephen Little + Associates, it had been said the proposal “provides a high-quality, accessible sports and leisure facility that enhances the recreational offering within the town centre, supporting continued investment, increased footfall, and vibrancy in the area”.
The first part of Dublin’s MetroLink project went to tender last month, with the maximum combined contract value at under €8bn, excluding Vat.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), on behalf of MetroLink, started the process of selecting prospective bidders to tender for two contracts, M401 and M402. Both include heavy tunnelling, track alignment preparation, stations and structures, such as bridges, viaducts and tunnels, to form the core physical infrastructure.
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