An Bord Pleanála has cleared the way for the GAA to develop the final phase of its stadium at Croke Park by granting full permission for the replacement of Hill 16 with a new all-standing terrace.
The board upheld a decision by Dublin City Council last August to approve the €20 million scheme, rejecting appeals from local residents, who objected to it on public safety and other grounds.
In doing so, An Bord Pleanála was reversing itself. In 1999, it turned down an earlier plan to retain the standing terraces on "The Hill", saying it was "not satisfied" that this would "not endanger" public safety.
It cited the "trend internationally, since the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, towards the provision of all-seater stadia" and the Department of Education's 1996 Code of Practice for Safety at Sports Grounds.
But, in its latest ruling, the board said that the proposed redevelopment of Hill 16 and the adjoining Nally Stand as a "fully-compartmented spectator standing area" would be acceptable in terms of public safety.
The decision, subject to six conditions, had been made "having regard to the history of the site and its function as a major sporting stadium", and the board said that it would not seriously injure local amenities.
Mr Des McMahon, partner in Gilroy McMahon Architects, said that winning approval for an all-standing terrace on the site of Hill 16 and the Nally Stand was "an extremely important issue for the GAA".
One of the core issues for the association was the need to "maintain the traditions of low-cost accommodation for its less-affluent patrons", but this time "on par with the standards set elsewhere in the stadium". Mr McMahon explained that it was essential to increase the rake of the terrace to create a two-tier concourse underneath containing such facilities as toilets, concession outlets and even family picnic areas.
Apart from retaining "The Hill" as one of Dublin's great sporting icons, he said these were vital to remove its current "runt-of-the-litter" status by elevating it and integrating it with the rest of the stadium.
As well as providing standing room for 13,089 spectators, the scheme also includes a new "stadium control suite", surmounted by a large electronic scoreboard with an overall height of 13 metres (43 feet).
