An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has rejected plans by Eamon Waters’s Sretaw Hotel Group for a 113 bedroom hotel planned for Baggot Street Lower in Dublin 2.
ACP has refused planning permission for the six storey hotel at 15-16 Baggot Street Lower after concluding that the scheme would be overbearing on a protected structure, and would seriously injure the special architectural character and setting of the area.
The ACP ruling upholds a refusal issued earlier this year by Dublin City Council. The applicants, Mr Waters’s Peachbeach UC, had lodged an appeal contesting the refusal.
In its decision, ACP also concluded that the proposed scheme “would be incongruous with the established streetscape of Baggot Street Lower and would be visually detrimental to the adjoining protected conservation area”.
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The planning commission also found that the proposed development would be contrary to the Dublin City Council Height Strategy insofar as the proposed development would detract from the setting of adjoining protected structures, and would be contrary to city development plan policy.
General manager at the nearby five-star Merrion Hotel, Peter McCann was one of three parties to make observations to ACP on the appeal.
In his observation, Mr McCann described the scheme as “over-scaled” and pointed out that the right to service by the Merrion Hotel must not be impacted.
Mr McCann expressed concern over the impact the construction phase of the new hotel would have on the servicing of the Merrion Hotel.
Mr McCann said that a daylight assessment lodged by the applicants accepted there would be a moderate impact on the Merrion Hotel.
At the end of her 49 page report, the ACP inspector, Kathy Tuck recommended a refusal to the hotel plan.
In the appeal drawn up on behalf of Peachbeach UC by director at Tom Phillips + Co, John Gannon, he stated 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 contended 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 said 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 stated 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”.
