The Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has granted planning permission for the proposed expansion of NovaUCD. The home of UCD’s start-ups, located in the historical Merville House, is near full capacity and in need of extra space.
UCD is going to demolish the south wing of Merville House and replace it with a new two-storey structure, while carrying out renovation work in the other three wings. The expansion will add another 1,066 square metres of floor space to the building, just over 100 sqm smaller than the original proposal.
Planning permission has been granted, subject to 20 conditions. Parking is at the forefront of the conditions. Before work begins, the Council wants an unauthorised car parking area near the site discontinued, and wants to see ‘revised drawings and details’ for the ‘written agreement of the Planning Authority showing the proposed and existing development served by a maximum of fifty-five car parking spaces.’
Since the building is a protected structure, compliance conditions designed to protect its historical and architectural heritage are included. UCD needs to photograph the roof before altering the slates, while the re-slating process is to be carried out using the roof’s own salvaged slates.
Issue 2 of the Tribune covered UCD’s second application to expand the site. The original application was rejected for straying too close to land reserved for the Dublin Eastern Bypass Corridor project. Before work begins, UCD must contact the Council to ‘set out and agree the line’ of the Dublin Eastern Bypass Road Reservation Corridor.
On the financial side, UCD must lodge a €50,000 Tree and Hedgerow Bond with the Council. UCD must pay the Council €2,169.76 for expenditure incurred for the provision of Surface Water Public Infrastructure and Facilities. It must also pay € 49,734.08 to the Council as a contribution towards expenditure that was or is proposed to be incurred by the Planning Authority in respect of the ‘provision of the Roads Public Infrastructure and Facilities benefiting development in the area of the Authority.’
A further €32,273.76 is for the Planning Authority as a contribution towards expenditure that was or is proposed to be incurred by the Planning Authority in respect of the ‘provision of the Community & Parks Public Infrastructure, Facilities and Amenities benefiting development in the area of the Authority.’ There must also be an agreement between the sides, in writing, over UCD’s payment of development contributions.
Cian Carton – Editor
