Ireland: Planning permission submitted by Peninsula Suite Holdings for a 37-bed Dublin aparthotel in Liberties has been rejected due to an “over concentration” of hotels in the area.
Dublin City Council refused the application, arguing that the proposed development would “exacerbate the existing over-concentration of tourist and visitor accommodation in the area”.
Plans for the site, located on the corner of 92-93 Francis Street and 1-3 Mark’s Alley West, included a four-storey aparthotel consisting of a ground floor cafe or community space with 37 rooms above.
The demolition of two buildings which are in “severely dilapidated condition” were necessary for the development.
A planning officer at the city council said: “The applicant has failed to justify their demolition and has not provided a Demolition Justification Report, nor addressed the proposed demolition in their Energy Impact Statement, and no attempt has been made by the applicant to justify their demolition in spite of City Development Plan policy to retain and re-use older buildings.”
The planning report said that the project would be “detrimental” to the objection of “providing a rich and vibrant range of uses in the city centre including residential, social, cultural and economic functions”. It also said the buildings located at 2-3 Mark’s Alley West “contribute positively” to the character of the area and are historic structures dating from 1847.
In 2021, Dublin City Council refused plans for an aparthotel to be built at 92-93 Francis Street. According to the planner’s report at the time, 907 hotel rooms already existed within about 500 metres of the site, and planning applications for a further 882 rooms had been “consented”.
