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30 Mar 2026
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30 Mar 2026
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Limerick Lawn Tennis Club has appealed against a decision to impose a development fee for its new padel court scheme
LIMERICK Lawn Tennis Club is making a bid to be exempted from paying a development fee of more than €35,000 to the local authority.
Planners gave permission to the northside club to divide two of its existing tennis courts to four padel courts.
But this decision was made subject to a number of conditions, including that the club pays €35,640 in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area.
Fees like this are normally charged on developments across Ireland - but a number of categories of development do not have fees charged on them.
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Limerick Lawn Tennis Club is arguing that it is in an exempt category and have asked An Coimisiún Pleanála to intervene.
In a letter to the planning appeals body, club president Diarmaid Mulholland and member Michael Ryan referenced Limerick City and County Council’s own development contribution scheme.
They pointed to a list of situations where development levies are not payable.
These include where a planning application consists of a development designed to be used for social, educational, recreational or religious purposes, where it is not to be used for profit or gain, and also where it benefits people with disabilities.
“By any objective criteria, we consider that Limerick Lawn Tennis Club are in a number of these exempt categories,” the letter states.
They also pointed to three padel court applications across the country which were exempt from development fees.
“The cost of these four padel courts is in the region of €300,000. This considerable sum will have to be raised by the members with hopefully some Government grant aid. We consider this financial contribution of €35,640 conditioned by Limerick City and County Council to be unfair. We trust that An Coimisiún Pleanála will agree with us,” the letter concludes.
A decision is scheduled to be made by the appeals body on or before Tuesday, June 9 next.
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