RefusedCommercialDecided 10 November 2020

Merrion Road/Rock Road, Booterstown, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Construction of a new five-storey recreational and interpretive centre with a crèche, cafe, and members area in Blackrock.

4514/19 · Dublin City Council · Lodged 22 November 2019

Reference: 4514/19
Authority: Dublin City Council
Register status: Appealed
Type: Permission
Received: 22 November 2019

Summary

AI-generated

The development on a 1.17-hectare site will feature a new 6,329 sq m building rising to five storeys. It will include an interpretive centre, a crèche with an outdoor play area, a cafe, a members area, and associated biodiversity proposals.

Commercialcrechecaferecreation

Storeys: 5
Floor area: 6,329 m²

Generated from the description above by an AI model and may contain mistakes. The council’s description is the authoritative record.

Official record

Development description

Permission for development on a site of c. 1.17 ha at merrion road/rock road, booterstown, blackrock, co. Dublin (the site is bounded to the north by greenfield lands and an existing car park; to the south by greenfield lands within the administrative boundary of dun laoghaire rathdown county council; to the east by the nutley stream and rail line; and to the west by merrion road/rock road r118). The proposed development shall provide for a new recreational and interpretive centre building (total gfa c. 6,329 sq m) and a range of associated biodiversity proposals. The overall proposal shall comprise the following development over 5 floor levels (overall building height c. 18.55m parapet)
Main external entrance area (c. 334 sq. M) at upper ground floor level
An interpretive centre (c. 500 sq m gfa) at upper ground floor and mezzanine floor levels and associated external terrace area at mezzanine floor level only (c. 165 sq m)
A crèche facility (c. 278 sq m gfa) and associated outdoor play area/external terrace area (c. 440 sq m) at upper ground floor level
A members area at upper ground floor level (c. 190 sq m gfa)
A cafe/reception area (c. 340 sq m gfa) and associated shared wc facilities (c. 52 sq m gfa) at upper ground floor level. 6.6 no. Health studios (c. 842 sq m gfa) and 2 no. External health studio terrace areas (c. 75 sq. M and 40 sq m respectively) at upper ground floor and mezzanine floor levels
A gym facility (total gfa c. 630 sq m) and an external gym terrace area (c. 135 sq m) at first floor level
A 20m internal swimming pool, jacuzzi and hydro pool area (c. 575 sq m gfa) and external pool terrace area (c. 230 sq m) at first floor level
Service/changing facilities (including circulation space) for the health studios, gym and pool area (c. 876 sq m gfa) at upper ground floor, mezzanine floor and first floor levels
A spa facility (c. 687 sq m total gfa) comprising (a) a reception area, treatment rooms, sauna, salt room, steam room, relaxation rooms and circulation areas (c. 547 sq m gfa); and (b) spa changing facility and wc (c. 140 sq m gfa) at second floor level. An external spa area (total c. 568 sq m) comprising a relaxation terrace area (c 88 sq m); a spa jacuzzi and external pool area (c. 100 sq m); and pool run around area (c. 380 sq m) is also proposed at second floor level and within the main building envelope
A restaurant (c. 452 sq m total gfa) comprising restaurant floor space (c. 344 sq m gfa) and ancillary areas (c. 108 sq m gfa) and ancillary areas (c. 108 sq m gfa) at second floor level. An external restaurant terrace area (c. 300 sq m) is also proposed at second floor level
Service areas (c. 271 sq m gfa) comprising (a) a bin store, acid store, alkaline store, delivery area and water storage and pump area (c 184 sq m gfa); (b) ict room (c. 6 sq m gfa); (c) esb sub station and low voltage switch rooms (c. 26 sq m gfa); and (d) water treatment plant (c. 55 sq m gfa) at lower ground floor, upper ground floor and mezzanine floor levels
Recessed car parking area, circulation and ramp space (c. 1,910 sq m) at lower ground floor level
Shared circulation space including fire-fighting cores (c. 636 sq. M gfa) at lower ground floor, upper ground floor, mezzanine floor, first floor and second floor levels. A total of c. 4,197 sq m external areas (external terraces/run around areas/car parking areas) are proposed. The proposal also provides for open landscaped space, which forms part of an overall biodiversity plan for this site and the adjoining dun laoghaire rathdown county council lands to the south (a number of biodiversity proposals are the subject of a separate planning application lodged concurrently to dun laoghaire rathdown county council). Biodiversity proposals for this site include (1) a portion of the new coastal meadow; (2) a coastal tree belt; and (3) coastal grass and shrub internal garden. An access ramp to the overall development is proposed at lower ground and upper ground floor levels. A second access ramp leading to a mown grass path is also proposed to facilitate a new bird hide on the adjoining site to the south (which is the subject of a concurrent planning application to dun laoghaire rathdown county council). Vehicular access (entry point) to the overall development is proposed via merrion road/rock road (r118) in the form of a priority controlled junction with an associated right turn lane opposite bellevue avenue. A separate vehicular access (exit point) to serve the development along merrion road/rock road (r118) is the subject of a separate planning application lodged concurrently to dun laoghaire rathdown county council. A total of 68 no. Car parking spaces; 92 no. Bicycle spaces; and 3 no. Motorcycle spaces are proposed. Pedestrian access is also facilitated at 2 locations from merrion road/rock road (r118). The associated site and infrastructural works proposed include provision for water services; foul and surface water drainage and connections; attenuation proposals; all landscaping works; boundary treatment (including the provision of steel gates along the boundary frontage of the site at merrion road/rock road r118; internal roads and footpaths; and electrical services. An environmental impact assessment report (eiar) and natura impact statement (nis) will be submitted to the planning authority with this planning application. An environmental impact assessment report (eiar) and natura impact statement (nis) will be submitted to the planning authority with this planning application

Land-use zoning

What this land is zoned for

Z9: Amenity/Open Space Lands/Green NetworkOS

“To preserve, provide and improve recreational amenity, open space and ecosystem services.”

National zoning type: Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other

Objective set by the Development Plan 2022-2028 (2022–2028). The planning authority decides each application on its own merits — this is the zoning context, not a compliance assessment.

Read the zoning objectives in the development plan

Built & sold

What happened next

Beyond the decision: whether this development was built, and what property here has sold for.

Recent sales nearby

within 500 m

Residential Property Price Register sales within 500 metres of this site
Address	Date	Price	Distance
221 Llandaff Terrace, Elm Park, Merrion	Jan 2026	€790,000	127 m
219 Llandaff Terrace, Merrion Road, Dublin 4	Jan 2025	€1,050,000	131 m
3 Trimleston Ave, Booterstown, Dublinnot full market price	Jun 2026	€370,000	170 m
23 Bellevue Court, Booterstown, Dublin	Jan 2026	€436,000	201 m
25 Bellevue Court, Dornden Park, Booterstownnot full market price	Jun 2025	€251,674	201 m
36 Dornden Park, Booterstown, Dublin	Sept 2025	€1,311,000	280 m
8 The Bay Elm Park, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge	Jul 2025	€387,000	413 m
4 Booterstown Court 126, Booterstown, Rock Rd	Jan 2026	€500,000	415 m

Nearby properties, not this site — a guide to local values.

Sources: Building Control Management System (commencement notices) and the Residential Property Price Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Records are matched to this application by location and may not be exhaustive; always confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Key dates

Timeline

Application received22 November 2019
Further information requested16 June 2020
Further information received16 September 2020
Decision due10 November 2020
Decision issued10 November 2020
Grant issued5 July 2023
Appeal submitted8 December 2020
Appeal decided5 July 2023

In the area

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