COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
QUESTION NO. 17
QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle
"To ask the Chief Executive, for an update on any subsequent examination of proposals made during discussions at the December 2015 meeting regarding my motion (47406) on the 'Old Schoolmaster's House' and site in Lucan Village, particularly in relation to proposals that SDCC look at the feasibility of
- acquiring the 'Old Schoolmaster's House' and site but not developing the building and instead focussing on landscaping and managing the curtilage with a view to enhancing the attractiveness and amenity of the Village and further boosting Lucan's performance in the national Tidy Towns competition;
- acquiring the site and adjoining sites to the south, along Adamstown Road, with a view to assembling a parcel of lands that would present viable opportunities for development of community or cultural facility by the Council?"
REPLY:
The motion 47406 report was revisited in the context of discussions at previous Lucan ACM. All of the previous constraints still apply ie “The "Old Schoolmaster's House" and site in Lucan village is in private ownership and is a listed building for the purposes of the Planning & Development Acts. Given that the building and site have been vacant for a long period of time, the absence of space for car parking, its close proximity to a busy road junction and compromised access, the development potential is very limited when considered alongside the potential costs”.
The potential costs involved and potential use have been given further consideration :
- in the context of purchase value – (quoted as reduced to €600,000 - http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/lucan/the-old-school-house-2-derelict-cottages-lucan-dublin-1161103/),
- refurbishment costs in the context of the listed nature of the building – (difficult to estimate without full examination but given the current state of the building having been closed for many years - roof, services, insulation, sanitary, provision of disabled access etc minimum €250,000).
- A conservation architects report would be required prior to any works at c €15,000.
- Utilisation of building for community purposes – limited space for meeting room / event space, provision of disabled access etc.
- Previous planning SD04A/0349 required the elimination of the three proposed parking place to the front curtilage for road safety issues
- This site is not registered with the Property Registration Authority therfore it is unclear as to what title exists in registy of deeds.
Accordingly, having examined the proposal again it is considered that the cost of acquisition and works required to bring the "schoolmasters house" to a standard suitable for community and or cultural use would be prohibitive taking into account the limited development/use options which the site presents and the cost associated with same.