Dispute brewing between hotel and residents over development of Saggart football pitch
By Maurice Garvey
A DEVELOPMENT dispute is bubbling in Saggart between the management group of an affluent community and the owners of Citywest Hotel.
Tetrarch Capital, the owners of Citywest Hotel, are seeking to build a new pitch for St Mary’s GAA Club, on part of their executive golf course lands, at St Mary’s Park Road, Moneyatta Commons.
Citywest Hotel
Burnella Cottages, a management company representing luxury homes on Coldwater Lakes and Saggart Lakes, have submitted an objection with An Bord Pleanála.
Central to their objection, is whether the use of part of a golf course as a proposed GAA pitch “is or is not exempted development”.
Last month, South Dublin County Council planners declared the proposed Tetrarch works exempted development, which means planning permission is not required.
This is disputed by Burnella, who state in their appeal that they believe the proposed works do require planning permission.
Among their reasons, are that the proposed new GAA goal posts “are structures and not exempt”.
Burnella claim the site is within 500m of St Mary’s but “there is no direct link” between the two sites.
They state no objection to a GAA pitch at the location, rather, an objection “to the principle of if being considered exempted development”.
The Echo contacted a legal representative of Brunella for comment.
Burnella are currently taking legal action with regard to plans by the Department of Education to build a 1,000-pupil secondary school and a 400-pupil primary school on Fortunestown Lane, which borders the community of more than 40 detached homes represented by Burnella.
Built during the mid-2000s, the homes sold at the time with price tags of between €1 million and €1.6m.
The homeowners claim some of the land earmarked for the schools lies within the common areas held by their management company, Burnella Cottage Ltd.
Tetrarch, the owner of 89 hectares of land surrounding Citywest Hotel, are currently seeking to rezone land in the area to build housing, citing “clear market demand” in the Fortunestown / Citywest / Saggart area.
A spokesperson for Tetrarch said: “We are now proceeding with works for a new full size, high quality turf pitch for St Mary’s GAA. In addition to seeking to prevent the development of critical schools infrastructure for Citywest, a very small minority of people in Burnella are now seeking to prevent Tetrarch from providing a new pitch for St Mary’s GAA.
“We will ensure they are unsuccessful in their efforts and expect the new pitch to be available to St Mary’s in early 2022. We are also planning the development of a 12 acre park on the former executive golf course lands, which, subject to planning, will provide a wonderful facility for the local communities of Saggart and Citywest. We would hope to begin works on this next year.”
