An oral hearing on plans for a pedestrian plaza on Dublin's College Green has been postponed in the latest delay to the €10 million project.
An Bord Pleanála was due to begin the hearing next Tuesday but has decided that the original newspaper notice inviting further submissions did not meet the terms of the relevant EU directive.
The board has decided that a 30 day consultation period is required instead of 21 days so new notices will have to be published for another opportunity for submissions, meaning it could be two months before a new hearing.
The board also said that the original newspaper notice did not specify the submissions were for an Environmental Impact Assessment.
Plans for a plaza on College Green and a ban on east-west traffic movements were originally welcomed by most business groups, transport bodies and city councillors.
But concern has grown about the impact on access for private cars to the city and Dublin Bus in particular is opposed to the ban on access tthrough College Green from Dame Street.
The city council originally intended to have the plaza ready for the introduction of the Luas Cross City but agreed to a seek an EIA from An Bord Pleanála after a group of city businesses threatened to go to the High Court.
The council then had to provide additional information and go for further public consultation when Dublin Bus, the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland made submissions on details of proposed traffic changes
