Peter Woods Plans Dalkey Home Demolition Over Dangerous Radon Levels

A residential property purchaser who bought a coastal home in south Dublin for €2.5 million last year has lodged plans to demolish the structure after radon surveys revealed dangerous levels of the radioactive gas inside, The Irish Times reported. Peter Woods acquired Nirvana on Coliemore Road in Dalkey in February 2025 with the initial intention of renovating the building. Following specialist tests, however, the structure has been classified as uninhabitable and exempted from local property tax by the Revenue Commissioners.

Demolition Plans Filed for Coliemore Road Site

Woods has submitted an application to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council seeking permission to clear the existing 1958-built dwelling and construct three new homes in its place. The proposed development consists of a 349-square-metre, three-storey, four-bedroom house equipped with a sauna at the rear of the steeply sloping site. Two smaller, two-storey, three-bedroom houses measuring 124 square metres each would sit closer to Coliemore Road. ODAA Architects designed the new scheme, while Kiaran O’Malley acted as the planning consultant for the application.

Radon Testing Reveals High Radiation Levels

Radon is a naturally occurring, colourless, odourless, and tasteless radioactive gas that can only be detected with specialised equipment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the gas is classified as a group-one carcinogen and ranks as the second-biggest cause of lung cancer in Ireland, claiming approximately 300 lives annually. Tests conducted at Nirvana by Cora Consulting Engineers between May and July 2025 found radon concentrations exceeding five times the maximum limit for domestic residences and reaching 13 times the national average. In his planning report, John Casey of Cora Consulting Engineers stated that the only feasible remedy was to demolish the building and construct a replacement featuring continuous radon membranes extending from the inside to the outside.

Council Decision Expected in December

Planning consultant Kiaran O’Malley noted that despite multiple surveys and remediation attempts, the indoor radon concentration could not be reduced to safe thresholds, leaving demolition as the sole recommended course of action. Following submission of the radon test results, the Revenue Commissioners confirmed in writing that the vacant property qualifies as uninhabitable, granting an exemption from local property tax. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is scheduled to issue a ruling on the demolition and redevelopment application in December.