DUNNSTOWN BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION

A TMHSN meeting in 2023.

Planning permission for a battery energy storage system (BESS) at Dunnstown has been granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála, writes Brian Byrne. The project was previously rejected by Kildare County Council in 2021, a decision overturned on appeal by An Bord Pleanála in September 2022, and that decision subsequently quashed by order of the High Court in March 2024.

The case was reactivated and lodged again on 16 April 2024, and the latest permission was granted last week, on 15 September. The applicant is Strategic Power Projects Limited. A proposed substation related to the project is currently the subject of a strategic infrastructure development pre-application consultation with ACP.

A campaign against the original proposal, Two Mile House Says No, included residents, community groups, and agriculture and equine business interests in the area. They have major concerns on environmental and biodiversity grounds, and risks of fire and explosion. 

The group put together an extensively researched opposition to the plan that included details of over 50 instances of fire incidents in such installations around the world. They also showed the unsuitability of the project's design and location in the event of a battery fire incident requiring access by emergency services and possible evacuation of the local community. The inadequacy of the county's current fire service resources in dealing with such an incident was also noted.

KCC had refused permission on the basis that the proposed development was premature pending the outcome of a related application for a 220kV sub-station which had not yet been determined, that fire safety aspects of the proposed development had not been adequately addressed, and that there had been inadequate details for dealing with waste-water as well as lack of information in relation to noise and vibration.

On that second reason, the ABP Inspector had overturned the fire safety concerns of KCC on the basis that they were 'matters of technical detail better left to the certification system managed under the Building Control Act' and did not give rise to reasons for refusal of planning permission in this case.

There were 170 submissions from locals to the original application to KCC, including a 500-signature petition attached to the TMHSN submission.

The relodged submission proposed changes to the original project, including using Lithium Iron Phosphate rather than Lithium Ion batteries to store energy at the site. The battery storage area was also reduced by circa 50 per cent due to the use of smaller battery containers. The applicant claimed that using LFP battery technology overcomes third-party fire and safety concerns expressed in a report previously lodged with the board.

The campaign argued that the proposed changes were 'substantial and material' and should not be part of an appeal, as opposed to the submission of a totally new application to Kildare County Council. But the case was reactivated anyway.

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Movement on Hillcrest TIC

Forward movement on the long-running taking-in-charge process for Hillcrest estate in Kilcullen has been welcomed by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, writes Brian Byrne. This follows a question she raised at yesterday’s Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District meeting.

Officials said Hillcrest is part of the council's legacy portfolio of estates being progressed towards taking in charge, and that it hopes investigative works can be carried out later this year, subject to available resources. It was confirmed that engagement with Uisce Éireann will begin in relation to the estate’s foul and water network.

Cllr O’Dwyer said the update was a positive step and that she looks forward to seeing the matter move closer to completion.

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New application for Rivermanor development

Rivermanor Developments Ltd has lodged a new planning application for a 70-home residential scheme at Riverside Crescent, writes Brian Byrne. A previous application for 74 homes was turned down by Kildare County Council, a decision upheld by An Coimisiún Pleanála. 

The proposed development includes a mix of duplexes and houses, with plans for 16 three-storey duplex units, 16 four-storey duplex units, 26 three-bedroom two-storey houses and 12 four-bedroom homes in a mix of two- and three-storey designs.

According to the application, access for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists would be provided from several points along the existing estate road at Riverside Crescent, to the east of the site.

The scheme also includes 2,996.5 square metres of public open space, along with 753 square metres of communal open space. A total of 106 car parking spaces and 126 bicycle spaces are proposed, as well as bin stores at various locations throughout the development.

The application details include supporting infrastructure, landscaping, boundary treatments and ancillary site services.

Submissions to the application, File No 2660519, should be made by 18 June 2026.

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Refusal of permission for Riverside development upheld by ACP

A decision by Kildare County Council to refuse planning permission for 74 homes adjacent to Riverside Crescent has been upheld by An Coimisiún Pleanála, writes Brian Byrne. The application and appeal had been lodged by Rivermanor Developments Limited. 

The reasons for the KCC refusal related to the proposed use of underground attenuation tanks for drainage, street design, and the removal of existing hedgerows and trees. The ACP decision upheld the first of those.

The Commission stated that it was not satisfied that the proposed development would comply with Objective IN 024 of the Kildare County Development Plan and Objective ST KL47 of the Kilcullen Settlement Plan, which state that underground tanks and storage systems will not be accepted under public open space as part of a Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) solution. The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area. In this, the ACP agreed with its Inspector's opinion that the KCC refusal should be upheld. 

In a detailed report, the ACP Inspector suggested that the issue could be resolved by redesigning the proposed development to provide a larger area of public open space, achieved by removing some dwellings and replacing them with open space. 

The Inspector concluded that the reasons given by Kildare County Council for refusal regarding street design and the removal of hedgerows and trees were unwarranted. He disagreed with the planning authority’s assessment of poor urban design, stating the proposal demonstrates a clear street hierarchy and reasonable levels of permeability. The Inspector also agreed with the applicant that the site was of low ecological value and had been cleared multiple times in the past. He concluded the proposed landscaping, which will include 120 new trees, would actually result in a net biodiversity gain.

His assessment also addressed potential flooding concerns, boundary treatment, and the potential impact on European Sites. 

The ACP decision was signed on 19 March 2026. The original application had been refused by Kildare planners on 17 November 2025.

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Childcare Centre seeks extension

Kilcullen Community Childcare & Education Centre (KCCEC) has applied to Kildare County Council for planning permission for a series of developments at its premises on the Community Centre campus, writes Brian Byrne. The proposal includes the provision of two new classrooms and a sensory area.

The proposed works include a storey-and-a-half extension to the rear of the existing creche building, which will house two new classrooms and ancillary rooms. Additionally, a lean-to external overhang will be added to a proposed covered patio at the rear, and the existing external overhang at the front will be converted into a sensory room, complete with an external access door.

The planning application is available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Kildare County Council, Aras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co Kildare, during public opening hours. 

Submissions or observations on the application can be made in writing to the Planning Authority for a fee of €20 within five weeks of its receipt. 

The application has been submitted on behalf of the applicant by Murphy Design & Build Solutions, Kilcullen.

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Planning permission refused for 74-homes development

Planning permission has been refused to Rivermanor Developments Ltd for a proposed 74-home development adjacent to Riverside Crescent and Bentley's Lane, writes Brian Byrne. The reasons for refusal relate to the proposed use of underground attenuation tanks, street design, and the prior removal of existing hedgerows and trees.

According to Kildare County Council, the application, as submitted, would materially contravene objectives of the Kildare County Development Plan 2003-2029 and the Kilcullen Settlement Plan. The reasons for refusal noted, inter alia, an absence of clear permeability through the site for pedestrians and cyclists, an absence of quality and usable public space, and design without any consideration of the natural character and context within which the site is set, located in proximity to the River Liffey.  

The developer has four weeks to appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

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Planning permission granted for 70-house development

Planning permission has been granted for a 70-home development between Moanbane Park and the Kilcullen Industrial Estate, writes Brian Byrne. The application was made by Kilcullenbridge Developments Ltd. 

Several submissions from residents of neighbouring estates related to the proposed boundary treatments, particularly wall heights, in relation to privacy concerns.

The permission is subject to 44 conditions. A contribution levy of €464,059 has been assessed for the development. 

A fully segregated cycle facility and a separate footpath will be provided by the developer on both sides of the R448, extending approximately 130 metres along the site’s front boundary. 

Dual EV charging points will be provided at every house where car parking is within the curtilage, and there will be two on-street parking spaces with EV charging points.

The development will include a new site entrance onto the Naas Road.

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An Coimisiún Pleanála re-examining Ballyshannon case

The first Ballyshannon public meeting was held in 2019, on the proposed quarry.

The Ballyshannon Action Group has been informed that An Coimisiún Pleanála is re-examining their case against the planning permission granted to Kilsaran for a quarry by the commission (then An Bord Pleanála), writes Brian Byrne. This follows the overturning of that 2021 decision by the High Court this past summer. 

This judgment came after An Coimisiún Pleanála advised the court that it could no longer stand over or defend the original decision. Their legal team has assured Ballyshannon Action that this is an expected and normal part of the process.

The move does offer the group the opportunity to make a further submission, which it will be doing. The submission will reiterate concerns raised in previous submissions in 2021, as well as include further up-to-date relevant information.

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Planning application for 74 more homes at Riverside

A planning application has been submitted for the development of 74 homes adjacent to the existing Riverside Crescent estate, writes Brian Byrne. The applicant is Rivermanor Developments Ltd. 

The homes will be built on a 1.92-hectare site and include 16 three-storey duplex units, eight of which are two-bed and eight three-bed. Additionally, there will be eight four-storey duplexes with three bedrooms, 29 two-storey houses with three bedrooms, and 14 two- and three-storey homes with four bedrooms. 

The development will have vehicular, pedestrian, and cycle access from multiple points on the existing estate road at Riverside Crescent. Provision is made for 2,347 sq m of public open space. 

There are plans for 115 car parking spaces and 126 bicycle spaces to serve the development. 

As of now, the application is not yet listed on the Kildare planning portal, but submissions will be accepted for five weeks from the lodgement date.

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Application for 70 homes development in Kilcullen

A planning application has been lodged with Kildare County Council for a 70-home development between Moanbane Park and the Kilcullen Industrial Estate, writes Brian Byrne. The site is 1.77 Ha and the application is by Kilcullenbridge Developments Ltd.

The development will comprise 4 one-bedroom maisonettes in a two-storey block; 43 two-storey houses (15 two-bed units and 28 three-bed units); 13 two-storey with dormers houses (four-bedroom units); and 10 three-storey houses (four-bedroom units). 

The development will also include the provision of a new site entrance onto the Naas Road; internal roads and footpaths; 105 car parking spaces; bicycle parking; bicycle and bin store; hard and soft landscaping; boundary treatments; lighting; and all other associated site and development works above and below ground.

The file number is 2560804 and submissions may be made up to the 19th of August.

The site was previously the location for an application to build an older persons’ nursing home and apartments, in 2021, which was subsequently withdrawn after a high level of objections from housing estates surrounding the proposed development and from other parts of Kilcullen, and from councillors. 

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New town for mid-Kildare mooted by councillor

The concept of building a complete new town in mid-Kildare, somewhere along an axis line between Kilcullen to Caragh, has been floated at Kildare County Council, writes Brian Byrne. The idea was raised in a motion by longtime Naas-based councillor Seamie Moore, at the recent meeting of the full council.

Cllr Moore says building a new town with appropriate community infrastructure would be an alternative to continuing to add populations to the existing main towns of Naas and Newbridge, where sports and social infrastructures are already way behind the needs of their communities.

"It's not a new idea," the councillor told the Diary, recalling the 'Myles Wright Triangle' in town planner Prof Wright's Advisory Plan for the Dublin Region of 1967, which envisaged managed equal growth for Naas, Newbridge and Kilcullen to partly offset the expansion of Dublin. That subsequently didn't happen for Kilcullen because links to the county sewerage system were not provided to the village until 2001.

Cllr Moore's motion included the idea of designating an Economic Corridor between Naas and Newbridge, along the commuter catchment route of the M7/M9 and the Dublin-Cork Rail Line, and that the council should write to the National Development Planners and East Midland Regional Authority, asking them to consider the overall proposal. "This would reduce the indicative expectation of future population overload of Naas and Newbridge and allow community amenities and community infrastructure facilities to be developed in those already overpopulated towns."

The councillor has been highlighting the fact that the larger towns have insufficient capacity in clubs such as GAA and other amenities, forcing families to bring their children to outlying areas to get some playing time. "If we are loaded with a population increase that's expected to be maybe 10,000 or more for Naas over the next ten years, and similarly for Newbridge and Celbridge, these areas face serious social problems because they won't have the community facilities."

By taking the expansion of existing towns 'out of the equation', the councillor says the new town idea would ease the pressure on existing ones. He says he doesn't want to specify a particular location for the new town, but 'somewhere along the M7-M9 commuter corridor' and 'not too far removed' from the Dublin-Cork railway line. "I'm trying to broad-brush the idea, to put it up for discussion."

He references previous examples of the new town at Shannon, initiated in the 1960s, and more recent new town constructions in the Dublin area. "Some of these didn't initially work out as planned, but they are more on stream now."

Cllr Moore says his idea has received positive reaction, both cross-party from his council colleagues and from KCC planners.

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Bord Pleanala appeals on Oakway Homes New Abbey permission

Appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala in relation to the planning permission granted to Oakway Homes for their proposed 180-home development at New Abbey Road, Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne. The case is due to be decided by 6 October 2025. 

A first-party appeal by the developer takes issue with 13 of the conditions attached by Kildare planners to the permission, while a third-party appeal by residents of Sunbury Close objects to both the overall design of the development and to the proposal to introduce a pedestrian-cycle link through their estate. A third appeal by Liam and Maureen Keogh was deemed invalid by the Bord. 

The Oakway appeal submitted by David Mulcahy Planning Consultants refers to conditions which the applicant describes as 'very ambiguous, unreasonable, or entirely unworkable or enforceable' and which should be omitted or amended.

They include the requirement to lower the height of a four-storey commercial block, which the consultants submit is contrary to national planning policy on building height guidelines for urban areas.

A condition on the phasing of the development and provision of childcare facilities is described as ambiguous and unclear.

A tree and hedgerow bond of €50,000 for a duration of eight years is 'excessive and unjustified', according to the submission.

The developer wants a condition that includes a €1.5 million special development levy contribution towards the design and cost of a Relief Road objective to be removed entirely, being 'wholly unreasonable and unworkable' and 'legally impossible' to impose on the applicant.

A condition requiring the provision of a two-metre footpath towards the cemetery at McGarry's Lane, at an estimated cost of €325,000 to the developer, is described as 'unreasonable'.

A requirement to provide footpath works between the two New Abbey Road entrances to the estate, at an estimated cost of €141,000, is considered unfeasible both because of the road geometry and requiring access to lands not in the ownership of the developer.

The applicant also takes issue with the condition relating to the design of proposed permeability link(s), as being both 'highly ambiguous' and 'unreasonable', and that the 'highly likely' position of agreement with affected residents not being possible, will 'hold up the entire development' as the condition requires that the issue be resolved before any occupancy of the development. The developer also says that a further condition requiring them to liaise and cooperate with the local authority and third parties in the creation of safe routes for cycling and walking is 'unclear, vague, and ambiguous'.

The submission also says the developer should not be required to pay the full estimated €280,000 cost of an upgrade of the signalised junction at Main Street, when a similar financial requirement was not imposed on the planning permission given to Cross & Passion College for their school extension, a project that also recommended upgrades to the junction.

A condition requiring the developer to provide two new Toucan crossings on the R448 is claimed to be 'entirely unreasonable' on the basis that these are part of the overall Active Travel design for the Cross and Passion school, and that one is already in place as the existing pedestrian crossing at the Daybreak shop.

The developer also wants clarifications on two conditions requiring Road Safety Audit, and change to one about Surface Water Run-off. The removal of a timeframe in a Taking in Charge condition requiring a €360,000 bond lodged with the council is also requested because other conditions imposed make such a timeframe outside the applicant’s control.

The applicant also takes issue with the calculation of €1,407,471 as a Development Contribution, saying it did not take into consideration a 33 percent exemption for lands zoned Town Centre.

There's also a request to replace a condition on electric vehicle charging points, to remove ambiguity.

The third-party appeal by Sunbury Close residents was submitted by Marston Planning Consultancy. It states an opinion that the overall design of the development is 'poor' in position, size, and orientation, and amounts to an overdevelopment of the site. The submission raises issues with poorly considered phasing and inadequate public space, and seeks an overturning of the permission given by Kildare County Council, on the grounds that the development is contrary both to policies and objectives of the Kilcullen Settlement Plan and to proper planning and sustainable development of the area. If the Board is favourably disposed to granting the permission, the Sunbury Close submission asks that conditions are attached to reduce the number of units and provide a more appropriate layout, so as to achieve the required public space requirements of the County Development Plan, and that the pedestrian-cycle link to the estate be omitted.

The full appeals documentation can be accessed on Kildare County Council's planning portal.

READ: All posts on the Oakway development here.

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Council warned of 'life and limb' dangers of Liffey View House

The owner of Liffey View House, which was demolished over the weekend, had previously informed Kildare County Council that there was a 'danger to life and limb' over the structural state of the building, writes Brian Byrne. The hazard related both to his family residing in the adjoining Liffey Bank House and to 'trespassing local youths'.

On 4 March of this year, Professor Mark Dyer contacted Kildare County Council's Planning Department with an urgent request for permission to demolish 'the remaining part' of Liffey View House. He stated that the building had partially collapsed and become structurally unstable.

Prof Dyer, who is a chartered civil engineer and former McNamara Chair in Construction at Trinity College Dublin, cited health and safety hazards posed to his family residing in the adjoining Liffey Bank House. Ongoing ‘trespassing by local youths' was also a concern, and Prof Dyer told the council he had alerted the Garda about the danger to those youths. 

The council responded on 5 March saying that planning permission would be required for demolition. The planners also noted that the building was listed on the Record of Protected Structures in the County Development Plan. Prof Dyer expressed his surprise at the council's response and asked again that matters be ‘expedited’ so he could urgently organise demolition and 'avoid danger to life and limb'.

In their further response, the council referred to 'some confusion' over which of two buildings was protected and said they had referred the matter to the Heritage Department for investigation. 

Prof Dyer was also told that he could apply to the planning authority to declare the property a Section 5 Exempted Development. This category under the 2001 Planning and Development Regulations normally applies to developments of a minor nature, such as small extensions to houses, garden walls, and so on. However, if the property is in an Architectural Conservation Area, Special Amenity Area Order, or is a protected structure/listed building, such exemptions do not apply.

The building was demolished on Saturday.

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Liffey View House demolished

Liffey View House on Kilcullen's lower Main Street has been demolished this morning, writes Brian Byrne.

According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the building dates from between 1700 and 1837. It has been derelict for many years.

The combined properties of Liffeybank House and Liffey View House were originally acquired by Sir Anthony O'Reilly of Castlemartin in 2007, when planning permission was sought by Arquette Limited for a mixed restaurant, cafe, retail and commercial, and apartments complex. Both were noted to be Protected Structures. Permission was granted in April 2008, but the development was not able to go ahead, because of Kildare County Council's failure to upgrade the Osberstown Sewerage Treatment plant, a condition in the permission. An extension of planning permission duration was granted to Arquette in 2013.

In March 2018, an application for an extension of duration of planning permission had been lodged by Mark Dyer and Drinda Jones. That application was refused by Kildare County Council on 2 May 2018. In October 2018, the combined property of Liffey View House and Liffey Bank House in Kilcullen was put up for sale as a development opportunity.

A barn on the property known as Brennan's Loft, the original home of boxing in Kilcullen, was demolished in 2006. 

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