Planning permission has been granted for the demolition of a Dublin pub that is now a “disgraceful eyesore”, to be replaced with a new supermarket and apartments.
Dublin City Council granted permission for the plans, involving the demolition of the Cabra House on Faussagh Avenue, despite some local opposition.
In its place, under the plans, will be a four-storey building, with 18 social housing apartments on top of a single-floor retail space. The housing units will primarily be made up of single-bedroom apartments, with five two-bedroom homes.
Parking will be located to the rear of the premises in a gated laneway.
RM Block
The retail space, which is marked for a licensed supermarket, has been approved but with restrictions on the size and opening hours of the off-licence section.
The 0.16 hectare site was subject to a similar planning application by Amberground Limited in 2022, but that was rejected by Dublin City Council and, on appeal, by An Bord Pleanála.
Local independent councillor Cieran Perry described the old Cabra House building as a “disgraceful eyesore”. He said it was “hugely positive” that there was a proposal to address the site and welcomed the plan to construct additional housing.
Cllr Perry noted some concerns over the planned retail aspect of the development. He said the area was “oversubscribed with retailers selling alcohol”, with five such retailers within 500 metres of the development.
There was concern, he said, that another supermarket would “threaten the viability” of existing businesses on the stretch “without offering any alternative service to the local community”. He suggested a “chemist or medical practice” would be more beneficial.
Sinn Féin councillor Séamas McGrattan also opposed an element of the development – the opening of access to a currently gated alley running along the rear of the row of shops. He said the gates had been erected to “combat the serious antisocial behaviour and drug dealing that was happening in the lane”.
Two local retailers also submitted observations to the planning process.
Neil O’Hara, the owner of the nearby Spar shop in which post office is located, collected an 890-person petition opposing the development under the headline Save our Post Office.
Mr O’Hara said he did not object to the development of the social housing units but said the addition of another supermarket on the stretch would “affect our family business to the point of possibly not being sustainable”.
Sean Kenna, on behalf of the Centra located directly beside the development, said the new application had failed to address the reasons behind the rejection of the 2022 application, and that permission should not be granted.
