Council invalidates Conor McGregor’s application for an extension to Kildare home after site visit

The council has invalidated the planning application lodged in April to allow McGregor complete his large-scale extension to his €3m Paddocks home near Straffan after a council planner visited the site earlier this month.

In the letter to McGregor care of his architect, Tom O’Loughlin in Kildare, the council said: “The application is invalid as it does not comply with the requirements of the regulations and, therefore, cannot be considered by the planning authority”.

The council states that it was noted arising from the site visit on May 7 that the existing site layout plan submitted with the application does not accurately depict what is currently on site.

This includes an existing “significantly sized marquee-type structure which appears to comprise a sports-related facility” and its associated hard surfacing, outdoor shower/toilet structure and connections and a security hut.

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The council also stated that the site layout plan did not accurately depict an existing internal road network; an accurate layout of the existing projecting decking area including access points to the River Liffey and its associated water-based activities and shipping containers and a site compound area within the site boundary.

The letter states that “the applicant is required to ensure that the application documents, including but not limited to the plans and particulars, reflect what is existing on site.”.

It adds that “if retention permission is required for any existing development on site, this should be considered as part of any future application, and the application documents should reflect same”.

The council says “the drawings submitted are misleading and incorrect, and information has been omitted. Therefore, the planning application is deemed invalid”.

In the planning application lodged with the council for the extension, architect Tom O‘Loughlin pointed out that the application to all intents and purposes was the same that had been granted planning permission by the council in 2022.

McGregor has pressed ahead with the extension to his existing Paddocks home after An Coimisiún Pleanála delivered a knock-out blow in July of last year to plans by McGregor to demolish his five-bedroom Paddocks home and replace it with a sprawling ‘historic stately home’ style house complete with a cinema, bar and two swimming pools.

The home that Mr McGregor is partly demolishing covers 7,964 sq ft (739 sq metres) and the permitted extension is 13,131 sq ft (1,220 sq metres).

The 2022 permission comprises alterations, including demolition works, as well as extensions to an existing dwelling and Mr O’Loughlin of Kildare firm O’Loughlin Architects confirmed that the original planning permission was “now in the process of being implemented”.

House plans show that the home contains a play-room, cinema room, a bar, a dining room, a family room and a butler’s pantry.

The permitted plan also includes building a partially sunken basement under the relocated tennis court to contain a car-park, gym and ancillary rooms.

The current planning permission for the house extension will expire in early 2027 and the present application “is a slightly modified version” of the 2022 permission.

In the new plans lodged on April 3, Mr O’Loughlin told the council that the application simply seeks permission to carry out and complete the development after the 2027 expiry date and “is prompted by the fact that whilst the applicant's obligations require his presence abroad, he would prefer to be on-hand to personally deal with any on-site issues which may arise”.

Mr O’Loughlin states that because a year or so remains before the parent 2022 permission withers, it is still possible for McGregor “to complete this permitted development”.

“Although we forecast that substantial works are likely to have been completed before this expiry date, the present application seeks a greater degree of certainty, in order that plans can be made to complete the development in 2027 (and possibly into the year 2028), if the need arises.”

Mr O’Loughlin states that, in line with the 2022 planning permission, McGregor has already demolished part of the existing dwelling on the land and has removed the tennis court from the property.

McGregor paid out €3m for The Paddocks in 2019 and €1.65m in June 2022 for the adjacent No 5 Castledillon.

In 2024, McGregor was ordered to pay Nikita Hand €250,000 in damages after a High Court jury found he had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel. Last July, he lost his appeal against the jury finding in favour of Hand.

McGregor is due to return to action as a MMA fighter for the first time in five years in the Octagon when he faces Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11.

The 37-year-old has not fought since breaking his leg in a defeat by Dustin Poirier in 2021.

It is now open to McGregor to lodge a new application that may include a retention application for some of the items listed by the council.

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