Ireland: Esprit Investments, a property company owned by Eric Kinsella, has been granted planning permission to develop a nine-storey aparthotel in Sandyford, Dublin.
The news comes after Kinsella appealed the project’s initial refusal by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in June 2021. At the time, the planning committee had concerns over the property’s room sizes, open space and access to daylight.
Proposals involved the construction of a 124-suite aparthotel in replace of a two-storey warehouse and office building at Grafton House in the Sandyford Business District of Dublin. Plans also included a 37-space car park and 36 bike spaces.
An Bord Pleanála, an independent planning body, has now cleared the project. It stated the aparthotel would “constitute an acceptable form of commercial development” and would “not seriously injure residential or visual amenities of the area”.
The project is however subject to certain conditions. This includes planning permission for a change of use from commercial short-term accommodation to residential. Stays at the aparthotel cannot exceed 60 days, and it also cannot be used as student accommodation.
An Bord Pleanála added that Esprit must pay fees to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council for the development of local services in the area, such as the Luas (tram) line.
“The contribution shall be paid prior to the commencement of the development or in phased payments and shall be subject to any applicable indexations. Details of the terms of the scheme shall be agreed between the planning authority and developer,” it said.
Kinsella was the former chairman and majority shareholder of development firm Jones Engineering before it was acquired by US group Cathexis Holdings last year.
