A planning appeal for a 104-bed nursing home which had been fought by broadcaster Pat Kenny and other residents of Dalkey in South Dublin have been reactivated by An Bord Pleanála.
It is due to give a fresh decision on the plans by developers Bartra next April.
The appeal has come back before the board after the residents, including Mr Kenny whose home borders the site, took a successful High Court judicial review action against a grant of permission in July, 2023.
As a result of the High Court action, that permission was quashed. Now Mr Kenny and his wife Kathy can make fresh submissions on the reactivated file, outlining any reasons as to why the scheme should not proceed.
A spokesman for An Bord Pleanála said: “Parties to the appeal will be given the opportunity to make submissions on the reactivated case.
“A formal letter will be issued by An Bord Pleanála to the parties inviting submissions on the case in early course.”
Mr Kenny along with Christopher Herbert, Tom Palmer and Peter Cullen brought the judicial review action challenging An Bord Pleanála’s grant of permission.
Among their grounds was that the proposed nursing home will adversely affect badgers living on the lands.
Bartra first lodged plans for the nursing home in April 2021 and if the appeals board meets its target decision date of April 22nd, 2025 it will mean the planning application will have taken four years to navigate the planning process.
A green light for the scheme in July 2023 overturned a refusal issued in June 2021 by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to Bartra Property Ltd for the scheme on Ulverton Road, Dalkey.
At the time of the appeals board grant in July 2023, Mr Kenny said: “Kathy and I are flabbergasted by the decision which is bizarre on so many fronts.
“An Bord Pleanála’s decision is wrong on so many levels and we can only conclude that the board is so-overworked that they can’t look properly at plans and analyse them because this makes no sense whatsoever.
“The board don’t appear to understand the observations made by local people.”
The Newstalk broadcaster described the appeals board ruling as “crazy, absolutely crazy – the board will be judged ultimately by what happens.” Bartra has been contacted for comment.
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