TUD win appeal not to pay €12,000 contribution for bike storage unit

A condition requiring TUD Tallaght to pay a €12,000 contribution to construct a bike storage unit on campus has been overturned by An Coimisiún Pleanála.

South Dublin County Council had granted planning permission for the 101 sqm “bicycle storage unit to accommodate 75 no. bicycles”, located within the Blessington Road campus, in July 2025.

However, a condition attached to the council’s decision set out that TUD Tallaght pay a financial contribution of €12,071.52 because the “provision of such facilities will facilitate the proposed development”.

The university lodged an appeal against this condition in August, on the grounds that they are a registered charity and therefore exempt from such contributions, and that because the approved development will only “cater for existing staff and student population”, no “financial gain or profit will be derived from the installation”.

The council’s response to this appeal stated that while there is a list of developments set out in Article 11 of the South Dublin County Council Development Contribution Scheme (DCS), 2021–25 which are deemed to be exempt from development contributions, Article 12 of the DCS goes on to list developments to which Article 11 exemptions do not apply, which includes third level institutions.

The inspectors report, carried out by a Coimisiún Pleanála inspector in January this year, recommended that the commission retain the condition for the financial contribution.

“Having regard to the nature of the proposed bicycle storage unit… the South Dublin County Council DCS 2021-25, and notwithstanding the Charitable Status of the Applicant, it is my opinion that the proposed development is not exempt from a requirement to pay a development contribution,” the planning inspector stated.

However, in spite of this report, An Coimisiún Pleanála ordered SDCC to remove the condition from the planning approval in their decision published on March 4.

They considered “the specific development proposed does not fit within any class listed” in the South Dublin County Council DCS 2021-25 “specifically noting that it is not industrial or commercial in nature”.

“The Commission, therefore, determined that the terms of the scheme had not been correctly applied in respect of the proposed development and that a development contribution condition should not be attached in this instance”.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme