New Bancroft Centre on the Greenhills Road
Change of use of vacant creche to gym or pharmacy
Planning permission has been granted to change the use of a vacant creche in the heart of Tallaght to allow for a pharmacy or gym.
South Dublin County Council granted permission for “the change of use of the permitted vacant childcare facility”, located in the upper basement level of Block A, New Bancroft Centre on the Greenhills Road, to “Doctors Surgery and Pharmacy use or Gymnasium and Health Studio use”.
In their application, Viscount Securities Unlimited said that the “permitted childcare facility, which is of a limited size, and compromised location and layout, is not considered to be viable in this location”.
The unit has been vacant since 2008.
Issues such as the size, its location in the basement and the proximity of the Tallaght bypass to the creche’s external play area mean the unit is “not overly attractive to creche operators”.
In a letter accompanying the application, letting agent CBRE noted their difficulties in letting the unit and they have seen “minimal interest from potential creche users” despite extensive marketing campaigns.
“We are confident that we will find suitable end users for medical, health and wellbeing and a change of use to facilitate these user options would certainly support us in our leasing campaign to finally lease this unit and attract activity, amenity, and jobs to the area,” they added.
SDCC granted permission for the change of use on July 7, adding conditions that, if the unit is converted to gym or health studio, noise levels “shall not be so loud, so continuous, so repeated, of such duration or pitch or occurring at such times as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to a person in any residence, adjoining premises or public place in the vicinity”.
