5046/23
PERMISSION & RETENTION: The development will consist of: 1. Planning Permission: a) The demolition of (i) recent (unauthorised) west walls to the carpark; (ii) timber-framed, glazed, garden room at lower ground floor (220sqm), roof profile to be modified as required at (b) below; and (iii) a previously existing roofed outdoor seating area at upper ground floor level (51sqm); b) The construction of a five-storey extension (1395sqm) to the south part of the existing two-storey building, containing public house/restaurant on lower and upper ground floors and boutique hotel bedrooms on first, second and third floors. Bedrooms to be provided with balconies/terraces facing east and west; public house/restaurant to have terraces facing east at both levels. Ancillary services to include waste storage at lower ground level with service lift to upper ground floor level (street level); c) Enclosed plant room to rear (east) on roof of existing public house (first floor level); d) Associated hard and soft landscaping, including drainage and works to public sewer and 8 No. of cycle parking spaces. 2. Retention Permission: e) Alterations to the west (front) façade to provide two no. shopfronts with names over, and two storey extension (21sqm per total) to the rear, facing east; f) New window to east elevation, lower ground floor; g) Steel pedestrian gate at north-east corner of site.
Core Reason for the Refused Part
The proposed development represents overdevelopment of a constrained infill site, resulting in significant intensification of use, excessive site coverage, and negative impacts on residential amenities through overlooking, overbearance, and noise. Additionally, the applicant failed to provide necessary ecological and technical assessments regarding the River Dodder Conservation Area and the structural impact of sewer diversion works.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The five-storey extension would significantly injure the residential amenities of the adjacent Millrace apartment complex by way of visual obtrusion, direct overlooking of private open spaces, and increased noise levels from the proposed elevated terrace.
- The absence of an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) and a detailed lighting plan means the proposal fails to demonstrate that it would not negatively impact protected species, specifically bats and otters, within the sensitive River Dodder ecological corridor.
- Insufficient technical detail was provided regarding the installation of secant piles and the diversion of a major combined sewer, posing an unacceptable risk to the structural integrity of neighboring buildings and public health.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
The proposal involves the demolition of existing timber structures and the construction of a five-storey, 22-bedroom hotel extension to Ashton's Pub on Clonskeagh Road, Dublin 6. The 0.1008ha site is located within a Z1 residential zone and the River Dodder Conservation Area, immediately adjacent to the River Dodder and the Millrace apartment development. While the Inspector found minor retention elements regarding the front facade acceptable, the main extension was deemed excessive in scale. Ke...PDF Document Missing
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