4845/23
PROTECTED STRUCTURE: PERMISSION: RPS No. 7569. The development will consist of the change of use of the basement, a portion of the ground floor and the 1st - 3rd floor of the existing building from office (and small area of retail at ground floor) to hotel use, the construction of a one storey extension at roof level and a six storey extension to the rear to accommodate hotel bedrooms together with a four storey (over existing) extension to the rear to accommodate a new fire escape and lift core. The proposal includes roof plant and green (blue) roofs at 1st floor level and topmost roof level. The proposed development will result in a 111 no. bedroom hotel (the existing Post Office at ground floor level is retained by the development). The development will also consist of internal and external alterations, including, the removal of non- original office partitions to 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor, alterations to back of house Post Office area at ground floor, removal of the external fire escape stairs, removal of all partitions at basement level, removal of external walls and windows to rear of 3rd floor level, removal of the concrete flat roof and structural beams at 3rd floor level, reconfiguration of the ground floor entrance lobby, provision of a fire escape corridor within and to the side of the post office retail unit, replacement of ground floor window with double door, refurbishment of bronze and steel windows to front and rear, removal/relocation of 3 no. steel windows and reconfiguration of a further 2 no. steel windows all to the rear, removal of all protective steel grates from rear windows, redecoration and repair works to existing render facade to rear and removal of rooflights from 1st floor flat roof and all other associated works.
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development would result in a detrimental and irreversible impact on the special architectural character and integrity of a significant mid-20th-century Protected Structure and would negatively affect the character and setting of the surrounding Red-Hatched Conservation Area through overly dominant and incongruous additions.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The cumulative impact of the proposed internal subdivisions, loss of historic fabric (windows and rooflights), and major extensions would erode the intrinsic special interest of the Protected Structure.
- The additional fourth-floor level and rear extensions are visually overbearing and fail to respect the tight grain and low-scale character of the historic streetscape and adjoining period buildings.
- While hotel use is permissible under Z5 zoning, the specific quantum of development sought does not achieve a sympathetic balance with the building's architectural heritage or the residential amenities of neighboring properties.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
The applicant, Appalachian Property Holdings Ltd, sought planning permission for the change of use of a four-storey mid-20th-century building (a Protected Structure and former post office) at 19-24 St. Andrew's Street, Dublin 2, into a 111-bedroom hotel. The proposal included a one-storey roof extension and a six-storey rear extension. The site is located within a Red-Hatched Conservation Area and a Zone of Archaeological Constraint. While the Inspector disagreed with the Planning Authority's em...PDF Document Missing
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