Dunnes financial contribution for extension reduced by €217k

AN BORD Pleanála has ruled that “the terms of the Development Contribution Scheme had not been properly applied” when permission was granted for an extension to Kilnamanagh Shopping Centre.

The planning application for a two-storey extension to the shopping centre and the change of use of a retail premises to a gym and health centre was approved by the council in November 2022.

However, applicant Better Value Unlimited Company, located at the Dunnes head office, lodged an appeal the following month seeking a reduction of over €217k in the financial contribution it was required to pay.

The contribution is one of the conditions of a grant of permission that the company received for an extension to the Kilnamanagh Shopping Centre in Tallaght.

The company lodged an appeal against the rate of the financial contribution required by South Dublin County Council, totalling €448,074.12.

In its appeal, Better Value Unlimited claimed there had been a miscalculation and that the correct figure for the financial contribution should be €230,703.36.

It claims this miscalculation arose as the council erroneously charged them twice for the first-floor extension portion of the planning application, as both change of use and new floorspace.

The appeal also noted that development contributions were previously paid on the first-floor floorspace and a later change of use in two previous planning applications and these payments should be deducted from the financial contribution for the current planning application.

On March 19 last, An Bord Pleanála ruled that the condition should be amended to reflect the deductions of the previous fees paid for the change of use and first-floor floorspace portion of the application.