Judge strikes out Clontarf residents' case against minister

A designation of special protection area for wild birds would render the building of housing 'highly unlikely'

The judge struck out the challenge by Glonres. Stock image

A residents' association in Clontarf is out of time to challenge a ministerial failure to designate former playing fields at St Paul’s school in Raheny, where a developer wants to build 657 apartments, as a special protection area (SPA) for wild birds, a High Court judge has ruled.

An SPA designation would render the building of housing on the site “highly unlikely, if not impossible", Mr Justice Michael Twomey observed today when striking out the challenge by Clonres CLG.