UK retail giant, Hammerson has secured planning permission for 10 padel courts at its Swords Pavilions shopping centre in north Dublin.

The temporary grant of permission for five years by Fingal County Council for the courts at the shopping centre on the Malahide Road, in Swords reverses a refusal imposed by the council only five months ago.

In its March refusal , the council said the proposed development, if permitted, would be prejudicial to the construction phase of the MetroLink project at the location.

However, in the new application, the applicants enclosed a submission from MetroLink that the lands will not be required for it and that it supported the Padel application.

The council has granted permission after concluding that the proposal would regenerate a vacant space within a town centre location whilst contributing to the available sports and recreational facilities in the wider area.

The applicant has provided sufficient information to demonstrate the proposed layout would not conflict with or prejudice the construction phase of the MetroLink project.

Planning consultant for Hammerson, Stephen Little & Associates, told the council that “the refusal arose from a misunderstanding regarding the extent of lands required for the delivery of MetroLink works to the north-east of the site”.

Little said that clarification has been provided as part of the current application “to demonstrate that the proposed development would not prejudice the delivery of the MetroLink project.

The applicant has liaised with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) prior to the making of the new application, who is satisfied that the proposed padel court facility will not prejudice the neighbouring MetroLink construction works, he added.

The new plan includes a 10m landscape buffer so the courts are set back an appropriate distance from the adjacent lands required for the MetroLink R132 footbridge removal works.

The padel courts were subject to a single objection from Michelle Hickey of The Fairways, Donabate.

Hickey told the council that “we do need more sports facilities, but not ones that are not thought out and make everyone else’s life more difficult”.

“There are major traffic issues at this shopping centre already, and it’s very difficult to get in and out to do basic shopping or to access Swords Main Street,” she added.