Cairn Homes has lost an appeal against a requirement to contribute almost €1 million towards a previous Luas line extension if building 131 homes within walking distance of the tram track. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council last February granted planning permission for the company to develop the housing scheme in Carrickmines, south Dublin. A condition of the approval was that Cairn must pay an additional development contribution of €984,000 on top of a standard fee of about €6.5 million. The council said the supplemental contribution would go towards the cost of previously extending the Luas green line from Sandyford to Cherrywood.Appealing to An Coimisiún Pleanála over the requirement to pay towards the Luas line, Cairn contended the development site was about a 1.5km walk from the nearest Luas stop, Ballyogan Wood, with just a small portion of the land falling within the zone around the line to which the additional development contribution applies.The developer argued that bus stops were significantly closer, and residents of the development would choose buses over a 25-30-minute walk to the Luas. [ Fund Dart+ South West now and unlock potential for 65,300 new homes, says CairnOpens in new window ]The development contributions, which together amount to €56,900 per dwelling, were not proportionate to the level of benefit arising and were higher than those applied to comparable Dublin developments, Cairn claimed. It said national guidelines on development contributions emphasise that such levies must be proportionate and should not discourage development.An Coimisiún Pleanála’s planning inspector said the 1.5km walk to the Luas stop was a “reasonable walking distance”, while the site was “clearly” within the catchment area of the additional contribution scheme.The inspector did not agree with the contention that the development would not materially benefit from the Luas infrastructure. He said the Luas would be a “significant attraction” to residents, who, if of average fitness and health, could walk to the Ballyogan Wood stop within 20 minutes. Cairn’s suggestion that the journey on foot would be 25-30 minutes was a “significant over-estimation” the inspector said.The commission upheld the council’s imposition of a supplemental development contribution.