AN COIMISIÚN PLEANÁLA (ACP) has cleared the way for construction to begin on a €646 million apartment development at the former Holy Cross College site in Drumcondra.

The project, led by the Irish arm of property group Hines, has been granted 10-year planning permission for a 1,131-unit scheme on Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3.

The approval allows Hines partner fund, CWTC Multi-Family ICAV, to proceed with the large-scale residential development, which includes a 13-storey apartment block.

The 1,131 apartments are to comprise 268 studios, 282 one bed apartments, 392 two bed apartments, 132 three bed units and 57 four bed units.

Dublin City Council had granted planning permission for the Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) scheme last August but the proposal was stalled by a single appeal lodged to ACP by Ciarán Lynam and Anne Loughlin of Drumcondra Park, Drumcondra.

In its 32-page planning permission notification containing the 29 conditions attached to the permission, ACP state that the scheme “makes efficient use of an appropriately zoned site within the built urban area on the northside of Dublin”.

In the permission signed off by Planning Commissioner, Paul Caprani, it also concluded that the proposal would contribute to compact growth and would positively contribute to an increase in housing stock and physical and social infrastructure in the area.

An artistic rendering of the planned apartments in Drumcondra.

ACP also concluded that the scheme would facilitate the re-use and continued occupation of protected structures and appropriately protect their settings and would be acceptable in terms of urban design, layout and building height.

The board also found that the scheme would provide an acceptable form of amenity for future occupants and would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area.

The new application comes four and a half years after Hines lodged its original plan for 1,614 apartment units in July 2021 under the so-called fast track Strategic Housing Development (SHD) framework to then An Bord Pleanála.

An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to the SHD – which included an 18 storey tower – but the planning permission was quashed by the High Court after a challenge was brought by Fionnuala Sherwin, a resident of Knocksinna Grove, Foxrock, Co Dublin.

An attempt by Hines at the Supreme Court in April 2024 to overturn the High Court decision failed resulting in the scaled down LRD plans lodged with the City Council last July.

The final grant of permission comes ahead of schedule as Senior Managing Director at Hines Ireland, Brian Moran said last July when asked about a timeframe for construction commented “all going well, we would like to have a permit by the middle of next year”.

ACP issued its ruling as it continues to meet the 16 week deadline in deciding upon LRD applications.

In the planning documentation lodged with the application, Hines put an indicative price tag of €64.57m on 113 apartments and studios it is planning to sell for social housing to Dublin City Council.

The range in indicative prices range from €717,843 for the two bed four-person units, €569,892 for one bedroom units and €360,266 for studios.

With the final grant of permission issued, the Council and Hines can now enter negotiations on a final price for the apartments.