Eamon Waters’s Sretaw Hotel Group is challenging Dublin City Council’s refusal of a 113 bedroom hotel planned for Baggot Street Lower.
The council last month refused planning permission for the scheme at 15-16 Baggot Street Lower after concluding that the scheme would cause serious injury to the special architectural character of the Georgian area.
The council also concluded that the proposed six story over basement scheme is inappropriate in terms of its extensive demolition of historic facades along Baggotrath Place and Fitzwilliam Lane.
Now, Peachbeach UC, a subsdiary of Srewtaw has lodged an appeal against the decision with An Coimisiun Pleanala, formerly An Bord Pleanala.
In the appeal drawn up on behalf of Peachbeach UC by director at Tom Phillips + Co, John Gannon, he states that “we fundamentally disagree with the planning authority’s reason for refusal and are of the opinion that the proposal has been sensitively designed and will not give rise to unacceptable impacts on the surrounding context”.
Mr Gannon contends that the proposed scheme seeks “to deliver a high quality, mixed use development on a site in the heart of Dublin city centre”.
Mr Gannon stated that the planned hotel site “is an ideal location for the proposed hotel given its proximity to the proximate numerous tourist attractions, activities and events located within 1km of the site”.
Mr Gannon also states that Peachbeach UC has addressed concerns around overlooking into the neighbouring site “and we wholly disagree that the proposal would set an undesirable precedent in the area”.
Mr Gannon contends the council has not supported its contention in its refusal that the development would devalue property in the vicinity.
He further argues that the proposal “will have a minimal impact on the surrounding buildings and will make significant improvements to the streetscape, enhancing the attractiveness of the area as a whole.
Mr Gannon said that it is noted that on review of council inter-departmental reports that no one department made a recommendation to refuse.
Mr Gannon said that there were recommendations to seek further information and the applicant would have been happy to respond to these issues, had there been an opportunity to do so through a further information request.
Last month’s refusal follows the council issuing a planning refusal to Peachbeach UC last year for the same site when the firm proposed a 66 bedroom hotel and 23 apartments as part of a six storey scheme.
A decision is due on the current appeal in October.
