Bord allows compulsory purchase by council of bitterly disputed city park

AN Bord Pleanála has given Dublin City Council permission to go ahead with the compulsory purchase of a park in Ranelagh, which has been at the centre of a bitter dispute between local residents and its owner.

However, Athlone businessman, Noel O’Gara has vowed to continue with a legal challenge to prevent the local authority from acquiring Dartmouth Square Park from him.

The defiant owner said yesterday he was prepared to take a High Court action to challenge the constitutionality of planning legislation which is forcing him to sell his property to Dublin City Council. “A CPO is a polite word for confiscation,” said Mr O’Gara.

He explained that he wanted to use the site to provide a car park, creche and gymnasium for “hard-pressed motorists” on the site of the two-acre park.

Mr O’Gara said he believed he was entitled to carry out such a development under the current zoning plan for the area.

Despite his objections to the CPO, the businessman is set to make a large profit from his ownership of the site which he acquired for just €11,000 last year.

Mr O’Gara has personally valued the park at €175m, although it is highly unlikely that Dublin City Council will be prepared to pay more than a fraction of that amount.

The council welcomed the An Bord Pleanála ruling and said its officials would now resume discussions with Mr O’Gara in an attempt to resolve the matter.

However, the bitter row between makes it likely that the size of the compensation due to Mr O’Gara for the CPO will be decided by a binding arbitration ruling.

An Bord Pleanála said its decision to confirm the CPO was based on the fact that the park in Dartmouth Square constituted “an element of an architectural set piece comprising of Victorian terraced houses”, which were also protected structures.