Louis Fitzgerald seeking to rezone land for housing

A POTENTIAL land transfer with South Dublin County Council for a linear park along the Dodder has been proposed if land adjoining a Tallaght bar and restaurant is rezoned for housing.

The rezoning submission was lodged by pub owner Louis Fitzgerlad’s Contorus Ltd as a consideration for the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022 – 2028.

Prepared by Downey Planning on behalf of Contorus Ltd, the submission seeks to re-zone around 1.6 hectares of land to the rear of the Old Mill Bar and Restaurant from High Amenity zoning to Residential use.

When contacted by The Echo this week, Old Mill owner Louis Fitzgerald said: “With the site being there for so many years and the housing crisis, I thought it was time for me to have it developed, and to give some of the land back to the council and the community for a linear park.”

Packaged in between the Old Bawn, Bohernabreena and Kiltipper roads, the 1.6 hectares, which fronts onto the Bohernabreena Road, is located on the edge of Dodder Valley Park.

The land is described in the submission as a “fully serviced” site, which if rezoned under the new County Development Plan could be “brought forward for immediate development and housing delivery”.

According to the submission lodged, the subject lands are “currently underutilised and serve no community value but given their location and serviceability, would be better served by accommodating a residential-led development…”

The area highlighted in red proposed to be developed at the back of the Mill Pub (blue line) overall land owned by Louis Fitzgerald

The submission also proposes a potential land transfer with South Dublin County Council if the subject 1.6 hectares of lands are rezoned for housing.

According to the submission lodged, Contorus owns around five hectares of land at and around the Old Mill.

“Approximately 2.7 hectares of this land is amenity land on both sides of the River Dodder,” the submission states.

“There is a unique opportunity here to create a high quality linear riverside park at this location that would form part of the overall Dodder Valley Park.”

The submission continued: “Our client would be open to the idea of working with South Dublin County Council in the transfer of approximately 2.7 hectares of these lands from our client to South Dublin County Council should the subject lands be re-zoned.

“This would give the local community a new riverside park, in exchange for housing development along Bohernabreena Road.

“A large amount of land that is most suitable to a new linear park would be offered to the public and an appropriately sited housing development could take place with access to key transport routes.”

South Dublin County Council is currently preparing the new County Development Plan, following the closure of the Draft Plan to submissions in September.

In 2006, An Bord Pleanala refused permission to Contorus Ltd for a mixed-use scheme, comprising of a 40-unit residential development on land adjoining the Old Mill – which included ceding land fronting onto the Kiltipper Road to the council.

Planning permission refused at that time, due to zoning objectives, also included a two-storey building on the existing car park, fronting onto the Old Bawn Road, for restaurants and office space.