New ‘large scale’ residential development plan expected for €107m RTÉ Montrose site

Cairn Homes has confirmed it is to lodge a new Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) planning application with Dublin City Council for its €107.5 million former RTÉ site next year.
An Bord Pleanala granted a ten year planning permission to Cairn Homes Montrose Ltd in July, 2023 for a €345 million, 608-unit apartment scheme on a former part of the Donnybrook campus in Dublin 4.
However, in a split decision the appeals board refused permission for a “landmark” 16-storey tower component of the scheme that was to include a 192-bedroom hotel and 80 apartments.
Now, in a submission to An Bord Pleanala, Cairn Homes Montrose has stated it has not been possible to proceed with the 2023 permission without first securing permission for the reinstatement of Block 5, the 16 storey tower containing the planned hotel.
In its submission, it told the appeals board it intended that a new LRD application would be lodged in the first quarter of 2025 for this reinstatement, “albeit with reduced height, amended design and potentially amended uses”.
Its plans for the former RTÉ site have met with strong local opposition. The developer told An Bord Pleanala “there is a high risk of litigation against a future grant of permission, having regard to the history of litigation against a previous permission”. Its experience, it said, is that decisions subject to judicial review can take up to 18 months.
As part of its unsuccessful appeal to An Bord Pleanala against Dublin City Council’s decision to subject the former RTÉ landbank to the Residential Land Zoned Tax (RZLT) – which aims to reduce land-hoarding by landowners – Cairn Homes revealed its intentions to lodge new plans for the site.
It told An Bord Pleanala that “given the likely risk of objection to the forthcoming application and consequential delays to implementing the wider permission, there continues to be impediments in securing the development of these lands, implying the application of RZLT is inappropriate and unreasonable”.
However, An Bord Pleanala upheld the Council decision that the lands be subject to the tax. Its inspector, John Duffy, found the lands were located within an established urban area and were considered to be vacant or idle within the meaning of the Act.
Cairn purchased the lands for €107.5 million in 2017, and in March 2019 chief executive Michael Stanley said the company hoped to commence construction in 2020.