OBJECTORS to a proposed 900-unit development near Adamstown in west Dublin have been left waiting more than 44 weeks for a response from An Bord Pleanála.


A number of residents appealed the development in Clonburris, Co Dublin, which is being pioneered by developer Gareth Kelleher, in March 2010 when they had their request for an oral hearing refused.


Local councillor William Lavelle said the project was unfeasible and said An Bord Pleanála had failed to acknowledge objections lodged by local residents.


"Appeals are supposed to be dealt with in less than 16 weeks and yet there has been no response to date and it is looking like we might be left waiting all year. The planning board say they deal with all objections on time but this delay is questionable.


"The request for an oral hearing was turned down, even though the development would be on the same scale as the proposed development in RTÉ, and the few objectors to that were granted a hearing within weeks."


Kelleher, previously known as the driving force behind the stalled 2,000ft Chicago Spire, was last year granted permission by South Dublin County Council to go ahead with the construction of the site, which was also to include provisions for a retail development.


Some of the objections lodged by locals in Clonburris detail issues such as the proximity to the nearby model town of Adamstown, which is stall­ed, traffic management and problems related to the proposed six-storey buildings being built next to existing two-storey suburban housing.


Clonburris is being developed as a strategic development zone, where a masterplan is created for the whole town, with schools, shops, leisure facilities and transport infrastructure, along the same lines of Adamstown.


Many units in nearby Adamstown have been left empty or incomplete due to the downturn in the construction sector.


"It is incredibly surprising that this would go ahead in the first place given the situation in Adamstown. It is not feasible for the area and we are looking to have our issues addressed by An Bord Pleanála and not be left waiting," said Lavelle.


According to a spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála, the appeal is still with a planning inspector. "Because the scale of the development is so huge, it is not unusual that it would take some time to process an objection like this. We would expect progress any day – there is no timeframe in place though."