Dublin City Council refuses planning permission for 11-storey Docklands hotel

Gordon Deegan

Dublin City Council has refused planning permission to plans for an 11-storey hotel adjacent to the Harbourmaster Bar in Dublin's Docklands.

In January, Sean Doyle’s Harbourmaster Bar Ltd lodged plans for the 96 bedroom hotel with Downey Planning and Architecture contending that the proposal "incorporates a stellar architectural design that can make a real contribution to the wider city”.

However, in a comprehensive refusal, the City Council has stated that the proposed development constitutes an over-bearing, excessive and out of scale development.

The Council concluded that the scheme would represent significant overdevelopment of this sensitive site to the rear of the Harbourmaster Pub, a protected structure.

The Council also found that the proposal would cause serious injury to the amenity, special architectural character and setting of the Protected Structure and also cause serious injury to the Conservation Area.

The Council also concluded that the proposed scheme due to its height, scale and massing would be contrary to the Dublin City Development Plan

They said it would adversely impact the amenity, special architectural character and setting of the Protected Structure and that of the Conservation Area of George’s Dock "a grouping of structures which are an important remnant of Dublin’s historic docklands and industrial heritage".

The planning report, which recommended refusal - found that the building appears to overwhelm and dominate the Harbourmaster pub.

The Council received only two submissions on the scheme and they were mainly concerned with noise issues from the planned 10th storey bar.

In documents lodged on behalf of the applicant, Downey Planning and Architecture told the Council that following recent planning permissions for the area ranging from 10 to 16 storeys in height the proposed 11 storey height for the hotel is well established in the area.

The report stated that the planned hotel "is a bespoke design to ensure that the scheme successfully integrates within the site's context".

It pointed out that high quality building design is "in keeping with the modern and mid to high rise location of the site". The Downey planning report stated that only a few years ago, the subject site was surrounded by derelict and abandoned buildings.

The applicants are seeking to build on a site currently occupied by a 1990s-built two storey extension to the Harbourmaster Pub.

The Harbourmaster Pub was built between 1820 and 1840 and served as the Harbourmaster Dock Office.

The Downey report contended that the planned hotel scheme "will contribute to the establishment of the Protected Structure as a landmark within the area".

The report stated that the hotel design took into account the architectural character of the existing Harbourmaster Pub and it will enhance the character of the pre-existing buildings in the area.

The planning report further contends that the scheme will provide high quality tourism capacity that supports Dublin's profile as a place to visit.