Centre seeks extension of the duration of permission for €40m development
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE APPLICANT behind the planned €40 million extension to The Square in Tallaght is seeking permission for an extension of the duration of permission for the development, after planning permission was granted for the extension in March 2014.
The proposed extension has the potential to more than double the size of the shopping centre, with plans for the extension to be constructed through the phased construction of two independent extensions to the centre.
An artist impression of the €40 million Square extension
One of the planned extensions is to be located at the north car park, outside Tesco, with plans for the centre to be extended out as far as the LUAS line, while the second extension is to be located in the place of the current south roof carpark, to be extended into Level 3 of the current centre.
The plans hit a snag in 2014, when Dunnes Stores lodged an unsuccessful appeal with An Bord Pleanála against South Dublin County Council’s decision to grant permission for the extension, which then culminated in a High Court case that was heard last year.
The Square won its High Court case over Dunnes Stores’ objection to the extension in March 2017, and Dunnes Stores’ objections to the development included concerns that the extension on the Tesco side of the centre would inconvenience its shoppers, taking them longer to get to the shop.
Dunnes Stores then went on to appeal the High Court’s decision, but the Court of Appeal ultimately upheld the High Court’s decision in October 2017.
The applicant that has submitted the application for the extension of the duration of permission for the extensions is Indego Ltd, which is The Square’s biggest landlord.
There are plans for the extension on the Tesco side of the centre to contain space for one anchor tenant and eight retail units, while the second extension will incorporate two existing units totalling 415 sq. m.
The centre’s plans for the extension also include investing in updating and renewing the existing multi-storey carpark.
