IT Tallaght are exempt from paying €500,000 developers fees
By Aideen O’Flaherty
IT TALLAGHT has successfully appealed a planning decision made by South Dublin County Council that would have required them to pay more than €500,000 in developer fees for an expansion to the campus.
As reported in The Echo last October, planning permission had been granted to the IT for the on-campus construction of two educational buildings and an outdoor playing pitch, which could see the the college accommodate an additional 2,300 students.
The college submitted an appeal to An Bord Pleanala in reference to condition number 16 of planning permission being granted, which stipulated that a payment of €522,787.50 was to be made to the local authority.
IT Tallaght’s appeal was based on the grounds that it is a “designated charity and a voluntary organisation”, and therefore should be exempt from paying the fee.
On January 4 An Bord Pleanala granted the appeal, and the directed the council to remove section 16. In response to the appeal, the council stated that evidence of the IT’s charitable status had not been submitted by the time the council reviewed the planning permission application, but that on receipt of evidence of the college’s charitable status they agreed that the college will be exempt from paying the developer’s fee.
The new development will encompass a sports science, health and recreation building containing a single-storey sports hall, a grass playing pitch with flood lighting, score boards and spectator barriers.
A 6,402sqm four-storey building also forms part of the development plan, with the building consisting of class rooms, computer rooms, teaching kitchen facilities, class kitchens, a restaurant, store rooms, engineering and other technical laboratories, and a postgrad study area.
There are also plans for a new entrance to be built on to the east facade of the existing main building, while there will also be covered walkways, 50 covered bicycle parking spaces and the Greenhills Road entrance will feature enhanced pedestrian crossing facilities.
When talking to The Echo last October Paul Campbell, ITT Estate Manager, said he hoped “something significant in terms of development” would be happening on the campus by the end of 2017.
