Section 13 Amendment to the Local Area Plan – Dundrum House

“That this Council, in accordance with Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), initiate a material amendment to the Local Area Plan (LAP) to rezone the lands comprising Dundrum House, including the manor, outbuildings, and adjoining golf course, to reflect a zoning designation of ‘Tourism and Leisure’ and ‘Amenity and Conservation.’

This amendment will prohibit any future development or material change of use of the said lands for ‘Institutional or Community’ purposes, including but not limited to the use of the property as an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre, Direct Provision centre, or any form of institutional or emergency accommodation.

The purpose of this amendment is to safeguard the heritage, cultural, economic, and tourism value of Dundrum House and ensure its sustainable future use in line with community needs and the Tipperary County Development Plan 2022–2028.”

Draft LAP Amendment Text

Amendment Objective [DH-01]:

"The lands comprising Dundrum House, including the Manor House, associated structures, and golf course lands, shall be designated for use exclusively under the following zoning objectives:

· Tourism and Leisure

· Amenity and Conservation

Any development proposal involving institutional residential accommodation—including, but not limited to, IPAS centres, emergency accommodation, direct provision centres, or similar institutional uses—shall be expressly prohibited.

The zoning intent is to protect the heritage value, tourism potential, and community function of the site."

Zoning Category Applied:

T/L – Tourism and Leisure
A/C – Amenity and Conservation

Zoning Exclusions:

I/C – Institutional/Community uses, including IPAS, Direct Provision, or similar institutional models.

Summary Rationale for the Amendment

Preserving Dundrum House: A Heritage-First Planning Amendment

The Dundrum Heritage Group recognises the State’s legal and humanitarian obligation to provide accommodation to International Protection Applicants (IPAs). However, Dundrum House is not a suitable location for such a facility. The decision to use this nationally significant heritage property as an IPAS centre undermines both the cultural identity of the area and the long-term viability of the building as a functioning hospitality asset.

Dundrum House is a 300-year-old manor listed as a protected structure. It has historically served as a hub for leisure, tourism, dining, events, and golf in the region. Its restoration and reactivation as a tourism destination is not only viable, but crucial for regional economic revitalisation and community well-being.

Placing a long-term institutional accommodation facility on the site:

Blocks heritage restoration efforts.
Eliminates vital community amenities.
Introduces planning and legal irregularities.
Contravenes the intended land use for tourism and leisure.

This amendment to the Local Area Plan is designed to ensure that planning law reflects the cultural and economic value of Dundrum House. It will reserve the site for tourism, leisure, and conservation uses and explicitly prohibit conversion to institutional residential accommodation, including IPAS.

Section 13 Legal Procedure and Timeline

Legal Basis: Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended)

Statutory Steps:

Initiation of Amendment

Proposed by councillors (requires a majority resolution)
Timeline: Immediate upon council meeting

Preparation of Chief Executive's Report

CE must prepare a report within 4 weeks

Public Consultation

Minimum of 4 weeks for public submissions

Chief Executive’s Report on Submissions

Must be prepared within 8 weeks of consultation closing

Council Consideration

Elected members must vote on the amendment within 6 weeks

Estimated Total Duration: 12 to 24 weeks

Relevant Quotations from the Act:

Section 13(1): "A planning authority may at any time amend or revoke a local area plan."
Section 13(3): "Where a planning authority proposes to make an amendment to a local area plan and is of the opinion that it would, if made, be a material alteration, it shall publish notice of the proposed amendment…...."
Section 13(4)(a): CE must report within 8 weeks of consultation
Section 13(5)(a): Elected members vote within 6 weeks of receiving CE report

FAQs on the Section 13 Planning Amendment

Q1: What is the Section 13 amendment?

A: It is a legal amendment to the Local Area Plan (LAP) that changes the zoning rules for Dundrum House to restrict its use to tourism, leisure, and heritage purposes, and to prohibit conversion to an IPAS or other institutional use.

Q2: Why is this amendment needed?

A: Without it, the Council could permit a change of use that would permanently convert this historic property into long-term institutional accommodation, undermining its restoration as a tourism and heritage site.

Q3: Are we opposing IPAS accommodation entirely?

A: No. The community recognises the State’s obligation to house IPAS residents but believes Dundrum House is the wrong location due to its heritage value and loss of public facilities.

Q4: Can private property be zoned like this?

A: Yes. Local Area Plans regularly apply zoning restrictions to private lands. Zoning is about the use of land, not who owns it.

Q5: What happens next?

A: The Council must formally publish the draft amendment, accept public submissions, and vote on the final proposal. Everyone will have a chance to participate.

Q6: What can I do?

A: Submit your support during the public consultation, attend Council meetings, and help us spread the word—online and in the community.

High Court Judicial Review

Update 17 June 2025

Tipperary County Council will not contest Dundrum Heritage’s Judicial Review of Dundrum House Section 5 Declaration.
Tipperary County Council to pay Dundrum Heritage costs.

Date: 24 March 2025

DUNDRUM, CO. TIPPERARY – The Dundrum Heritage Group (DHG) has today been granted leave in the High Court to pursue a Judicial Review of the Section 5 Declaration approved by Tipperary County Council on 10 January 2025. The declaration was issued to Brogan Capital Ventures Ltd. concerning a proposed material change of use at the historic Dundrum House Hotel.

The Section 5 Declaration, as approved by the Council, pertains solely to a change of use and does not encompass any physical works.

The Judicial Review application by DHG is based on several key grounds:

Lack of Planning Permission for Bedrooms: The group contends that no planning permission was ever granted for the additional bedrooms referenced in the change of use application. As such, the Section 5 Declaration cannot lawfully regularise a use for structures that were never granted permission in the first instance.
Protected Structure Considerations: Dundrum House is a protected structure. DHG argues that any development within its curtilage, including internal or associated changes, should have been subject to a full planning application rather than a Section 5 process.
Environmental Concerns: The group has raised issues relating to the existing sewage infrastructure on the site, asserting potential non-compliance with the EU Habitats Directive.

The High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for 28 April 2025.

Dundrum Heritage Group

Dundrum Heritage Group is a community action group open to all members who want to help save and preserve Dundrum House.

Please become a supporting member of the Dundrum Heritage Group by adding your details to the contact form.

Our email address is dundrumheritage@gmail.com

Thank you.

Donate Now on GoFundme

To challenge this decision in the High Court Judicial Review, we urgently need to raise €20,000.

Please support this fight to protect our heritage by contributing:

🔹 Via GoFundMe: GoFundMe.com

Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to saving Dundrum Manor House.

Thank you for standing with us.

Urgent Appeal: Help Save Dundrum Manor House

Ger Crosse. Paddy Kelly, Lucy Kelly, William Crowe, Raymond Heney, John Fennessy, John Winters, Liam Kelly, Mike Hennessy, Vinny Downey, Maura Tynan, Liam Coen, Allan Beechinor, Eamon Mahoney, Thomas Hennessy, Donal Hennessy, Pat Twomey, Steph Rawlings, Michelle O’Regan, PP & Nora O’Dwyer, Arnold O’Dwyer, Peter O’Dwyer, Vera Heffernan, Bart Murphy, Michael O’Dwyer, Adrian Crosse, John Hennessy, Sandra Connors, Tom & Minnie Comerford, Pauline Burke, Donal Morrissey, Seamus Hennessy, Kieran O’Dwyer, Dave O’Meara, Denis Kelly, Marie Corcoran, Oliver Browne, Mary Sarath, Alison De Vere Hunt, Fran O’Dwyer, Mary Twohig, Cora Crowe, Andrew Fryday, Mairead Fogarty, Peter O’Dwyer, Fiona Kennedy, Anette Hunt, Bernadette Kelly, Valentine O’Gorman, Michael Murphy, Pauline Burke, Claire O’Mahony, John Farrell, Sheamus Walsh, TJ Heffernan, Claire Ryan, Margaret O’Carroll, Seamus Quirke, Padraig O'Donnell, Mike and Marie Cummins, Karen Cummins ………..plus anonymous contributions (84 donations so far).

Supporters (so far - Thank You)

Total GoFundme Contributions: €13,255

Direct Contributions: €2,000

Total Contributions: €15,255 (76%)

Dundrum House: A 300-Year-Old Legacy in Peril

Once the social heartbeat of Dundrum and West Tipperary, Dundrum House Hotel stood as a landmark of heritage, hospitality and prestige.

That legacy is now in serious jeopardy.

A fire in 2015 forced the closure of Dundrum House Hotel, and despite Tipperary County Council granting planning permission in 2019 for its full restoration, no work was ever carried out. Those plans expired in July 2024, leaving the Manor House to rot.

At nearly 300 years old, Dundrum Manor House is a nationally significant heritage site, recognized for its Architectural, Artistic, Historical, and Social value. Yet today, it stands empty, unheated, and deteriorating—a historic treasure on the brink of irreversible decay.

While a Section 5 change of use has been approved for parts of the Dundrum House site to accommodate up to 277 IPAS residents, the Manor House itself has been excluded. This means no preservation plans exist, and without urgent action, the building will deteriorate beyond repair.

If we don’t act now, this piece of our shared history will be lost forever.