South Dublin County Council grants permission for data centre at Grange Castle Business Park, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin

In context

It is one of 3 data centre applications South Dublin County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 3 nationally. Of the 13 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 85% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 8 November 2023. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the South Dublin County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

Demolition of the existing single storey house of 'Erganagh' and the construction of a two storey data centre and delivery bays with associated three storey office block and services that will have a gross floor area of 35,426sq.m on an overall site of 9.2 hectares. The two storey data centre facility and delivery bay (32,419sq.m) will be separated into two adjoined blocks over two floors with a single data hall on each floor of each data centre with service and technical space around each data hall (4 data halls overall) with a two storey delivery bay attached to the east of the data centre block. A three storey office block and delivery bay (2,882sq.m) is attached to the west of the data centre block. The data centre will be served by services and plant to the north of the data centre blocks that will include 32 standby generators with 2 associated flues per generator (64 in total) and grouped into 16 towers of flour flues each (each 20m high). There are proposed to be 32 acoustically attenuated chillers located on the upper level plant gantries to the north of the data hall blocks (eight on each gantry). The development will also include a new substation with associated transformer yard and single storey transformer building (125sq.m) that will be located to the northeast of the site. The development will be accessed from the Grange Castle South Access Road from the north via the Baldonnel Road and will also include ancillary site development works, including 2 attenuation ponds, to connect to existing Grange Castle infrastructural services as well as fencing, signage, services road, entrance gate, 70 car parking spaces including 3 disabled car parking spaces, and 30 sheltered bicycle parking spaces. The development will be enclosed with landscaping to all frontages including a wetland to the west all on a site (9.2ha) located within lands in the Grange Castle Business Park South and the residential properties of Erganagh, Kent Cottage and Weston Lodge on land with the townlands of Aungierstown and Ballybane; Ballybane; and Milltown and bounding Baldonnel Road to the west and south and Grange Castle South Access Road to the north, Baldonnel, Dublin 22. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted with this application.