Majority of Fine Gael councillors vote against recommendation to rezone land for 698-bed student accommodation beside UCD
All but two Fine Gael councillors in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) have voted against a recommendation to rezone a site beside University College Dublin (UCD) into residential land to build accommodation that would house 698 students.
At a vote held yesterday, only 11 councillors voted to support a recommendation from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) to rezone Our Lady’s Grove in Goatstown – a plot of land just 850 metres away from UCD.
Our Lady’s Grove was the subject of a High Court case last year after developer Colbeam Ltd unsuccessfully challenged DLRCC’s decision to dezone the land despite it being sold to the company.
When the land – which had been part of a campus that included Our Lady’s Grove primary and secondary schools – was purchased by the developer in 2017, they had secured planning permission from An Coimisiún Pleanála to provide the student accommodation.
Fine Gael councillor Jim O’Leary voted against the OPR recommendation, saying it was necessary to retain 25pc of the land as publicly accessible space.
In the absence of private space, there will be a need for access to public spaces
“The council deemed it necessary to downzone a portion of this land by 27 votes to four in December 2020,” he said.
“In 2025, we agreed unanimously to defend this decision in the High Court when subjected to judicial review. Allegations were made that we as councillors had material regard to irrelevant considerations and non-regard to relevant considerations. Both allegations failed and were dismissed.
“The Our Lady’s Grove site has been designated as institutional land and it has been council policy since 2012 that 25pc of these types of land be retained as open space to respect the open character and recreational amenities of the sites.
“This is to support the relevant institutional expansion – in this case, a school. A development intensifies apartment dwellers and, in the absence of private space, there will be a need for access to public spaces.”
Making a recommendation to rezone the site, DLRCC’s senior planner Louise McGuaran said: “We feel it has the physical site characteristics that would lend itself to be rezoned to allow for residential development.
“It can meet the national strategic outcomes that are set out in the national planning framework. It’s obviously very close to schools – primary-, secondary- and third-level institutions – and it’s close to other amenities, so it certainly meets the criteria as set out by the OPR.”
The point of a debate is, if people are undecided, they might be swayed. This skews the debate
When asked by a councillor, Ms McGauran also confirmed that the site is currently “boarded off” and not in use.
Some councillors questioned why arguments in response to the recommendation were made by two Fine Gael councillors who had the same view about the matter.
“The point of a debate is, if people are undecided, they might be swayed. This skews the debate,” said John Hurley, Social Democrats councillor, who voted in support of the reccommendation.
Fine Gael councillor Barry Saul said he “rejected the advice”, citing the need for open spaces on the site.
“I support Councillor O’Leary and rejected the advice,” he said. “Going back a number of years, a threat to school lands and open spaces has been discussed across all parties.
“We need to protect neighbourhood infrastructure, including school lands, and we’ve given clear planning reasons, including the protection of 25pc of open space.”
The recommendation was ruled out, with 28 councillors voting against rezoning and 11 councillors voting in favour.