AN BORD PLEANÁLA has cleared the way for Harry Crosbie’s planned Vicar Street hotel scheme for Dublin 8 after invalidating the sole appeal against the hotel proposal on technical grounds.

Crosbie, a developer, has worked on many of Ireland’s large venues, including the 3 Arena and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, and is proposing to develop a hotel on Vicar Street in Dublin.

The appeals board invalidated the appeal after appellant and newly elected TD for Dublin South Central Maire Devine (Sinn Féin) enclosed the incorrect Dublin City Council procedural letter with the appeal.

Instead of enclosing the City Council acknowledgement of her objection, Devine’s appeal enclosed the City Council letter confirming that planning permission had been granted.

Deputy Devine said: “It was a stupid thing, a silly mistake to make, but it is very petty to invalidate an appeal for such a reason. The rules need to be revised.”

Deputy Devine said that the appeal was lodged with only two hours to spare at 3.30pm on the deadline day for appeals.

Deputy Devine said by the time An Bord Pleanála had informed her in writing that the appeal was invalidated a few days later, it was then too late to correct the error and lodge the correct Council letter as it was outside the time for lodging appeals.

Deputy Devine said that she is devastated that her appeal was invalidated. She said: “It is one battle lost but not the war.”

She said: “This wonderful community of the Liberties will stand firm – their vision for their community must be respected and supported. The very essence of what makes the Liberties “ a place apart” must be recognised and treasured”.

In an interview, Crosbie outlined the need for the hotel.

He said: “If you walk up Thomas Street on a night when Vicar Street is closed, it is like a derelict street. It is threatening and dark and unwelcome. What the area needs more than anything is people moving around the streets.”

Crosbie said that the objectors to the hotel scheme “keep talking back about the rare auld times. They are gone. What we are doing is bringing life back to the city. That is what I am hoping to do.”

Crosbie pointed to his record of delivering the 3Arena, the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, the National Convention Centre and Vicar Street.

He said: “Can you imagine Dublin without those venues?”

Crosbie said: “I do not understand why people object to modernity when it is done by someone like me who really loves and cares for this city.”

He said: “I am not a guy who builds big office towers, takes the money and runs away. What we are building is of a human scale and bringing trade and people back into an area that in my view is dying up the laneways off Thomas Street.”

On the timeline for the construction of the hotel, Crosbie said: “We have an advert looking for an investor and an operator and as soon as we get that we are off. Three to four months from now we will be in the ground.”