High Court challenges against approval of huge St Anne’s Park housing plan

A NUMBER of High Court challenges have been brought against An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant permission for a development of 100 houses and 400 apartments on a site beside St Anne’s Park in north Dublin.

Crekav Trading, part of developer Marlet, has proposed building 104 houses and 432 apartments on land used by St Paul’s College in Raheny as six playing pitches.

Permission, subject to more than 20 conditions, for the project was granted by the board in early April.

At yesterday’s vacation sitting of the High Court, three actions aimed at quashing that decision were briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Tony O’Connor.

The cases were opened in order to comply with the strict legal time limits allowed for planning authority’s decisions to be judicially reviewed by the High Court. The actions have been brought by parties including a group representing residents from Clontarf and veteran environmental campaigner Mr Peter Sweetman.

As well as seeking orders quashing the board’s decision, a declaration is also sought from the court that the site is designated a Special Protected Area.

The actions are against the Board, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gealtacht and the Attorney General. Other entities including the developers of the proposed sites are notice parties to the proceedings.

Eamon Galligan SC, for the residents, said part of the action was being brought on environmental grounds.

Mr Justice O’Connor adjourned the cases, which will all be mentioned when the courts return from their break later this week.

The land subject of the proceedings was formerly owned by the Vincentian Fathers, trustees of the all-boys secondary school St Paul’s College.