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13th March 2018
10:52am GMT
Plans to build 500 homes in St Paul’s College in Raheny in north Dublin could be shelved due to migrating geese that live in the area during winter.
The Irish Independent reports that Dublin City Council chief Owen Keegan is recommending An Bord Pleanala to refuse the application by Crekav Trading partly because of the effect it would have on Brent geese, a protected species that migrate to the area every year.
Locals opposing the build had raised concerns that the housing development would mean the loss of sports pitches used by local clubs, and delivered a petition with more than 3,000 signatures asking Mr Keegan to make a submission to the board to oppose the plans.
In his 28-page chief executive’s report to ABP, Mr Keegan says: “It has not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the planning authorities that the St Paul’s lands can be developed without having an adverse impact on Brent geese due to the loss of habitat.”
More than 170 individual planning issues were raised on the report.
Crekav Trading has said that it plans to replace the pitches currently on the land with a gym and two all-weather pitches.
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