Permission granted for controversial Rhebogue homes purchased by UL for over €12m

University of Limerick was accused of 'throwing money around like confetti'

Limerick City and County Council has granted retention permission following an application by Plassey Trust Company relating to homes in the Drominbeg estate in Rhebogue, over 3km from the main UL campus. File picture

The University of Limerick (UL) has been granted planning permission to convert 20 houses into student accommodation. 

Limerick City and County Council has granted retention permission following an application by Plassey Trust Company relating to homes in the Drominbeg estate in Rhebogue, over 3km from the main UL campus.

The properties were purchased by UL in 2022 for €12.58m, an average of more than €629,000 each, in a deal later criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General as involving an overspend of €5.2m.

Three-bedroom homes in the estate are currently advertised for between €295,000 and €359,000, according to Daft.ie.

The purchase sparked widespread controversy because the homes were bought without planning permission for student accommodation. UL was accused of “throwing money around like confetti”.

Former UL president Kerstin Mey later stepped down amid the fallout from the affair.

UL has incurred costs of €1.339m related to the purchase over the past two years.

The proposal previously prompted concern among local residents, some of whom said they feared student accommodation in the estate could result in increased antisocial behaviour. 

The planning application for the houses at the Drominbeg estate notes the development for retention involves 80 bed spaces and the retention of “as-built” development works.

A third-party submission had called for the estate to be used as a family and community area, instead of student accommodation, which it said should be located near the university.

Planning permission was granted by the council on Monday, subject to a number of conditions.

These include requirements for the university to put in place arrangements for the long-term maintenance of public open spaces, roads, services, and communal areas.

The council also stipulated the development must be operated in line with a finalised student accommodation management plan, and that individual student housing units could not be amalgamated or combined.

In addition, the 20 properties must be used solely as student accommodation and cannot be used for commercial purposes, including short-term letting, without further planning permission.

UL declined to comment when contacted by the Irish Examiner.