THE OWNERS OF Ashford Castle have secured planning permission for a ‘boutique’ five-star 60 bedroom hotel for the capital.

This follows An Bord Pleanála granting planning permission to Red Carnation Hotels (UK) Ltd for the conversion and extension of a former Jesuit university students’ residence at Hatch Hall into a 60-bedroom hotel.

The plan – which includes a new eight-storey extension – was put on hold last year after resident, Brian O’Regan lodged an appeal against the Dublin City Council decision to give the project the green light.

However, the appeals board has now granted planning permission for the scheme after concluding that the hotel development “would constitute an acceptable quantum of development in this urban accessible location”.

The board also concluded that the hotel would not detract from the mixed use character of the area and would not seriously injure the amenities of surrounding properties or the visual amenities of the area.

The board also granted planning permission after finding that the hotel would not detract from the setting of the protected structure on site, Hatch Hall.

In making its decision, the board stated that it had regard to national planning policy that seeks to direct new development in cities into build up serviced areas.

Living close to the proposed development site, O’Regan of Hatch Place, Dublin 2 has employed BPS Planning Consultants to draw up the appeal which ran to 30 pages.

Brendan Buck of BPS Planning Consultants told the board that O’Regan nor his family have any objection in principle to the proposed development, which is located between Earlsfort Terrace and Leeson Street.

However, the appeal argued that the proposed development should be refused permission across seven separate headings.

In the appeal, Buck argued that the eight storey tower element of the hotel would have an adverse impact on the O’Regan property, on the streetscape and the Georgian context within the area.

Buck contended that the tower’s density, height, scale, massing and bulk are such that it would represent a visually obtrusive and visually dominant addition to the skyline of the area.

The appeal stated: “The proposed development would remove all our client’s privacy and reduce their potential for privacy into the future.

The appeal added: “Our client has children and he does not want residents of this hotel to be able to look down into his property and watch his children playing.”

However, board inspector, Pauline Fitzpatrick recommended that planning permission be granted.

Fitzpatrick concluded that “the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area to such an extent that would adversely affect the enjoyment or value of property in the vicinity”.

In her conclusions, Fitzpatrick accepted that the redevelopment of the site presents certain challenges due to its location and context and that a balance needs to be achieved between maximising the development potential of this important city centre location and its architectural and cultural heritage and that of the surrounding area.

However, Fitzpatrick found that on balance “the proposed development is acceptable in terms of the cultural and built heritage of the site, would not detract from same in terms of its form and integrity and will contribute positively to the character and vitality of the area”.

Director at CBRE John Hughes told Dublin City Council that while Dublin has a strong ‘pipeline’ of hotels, only 3% is classified as being in the 5-star category.

Hughes stated that currently there is limited supply of five star hotels in Dublin making up just 12 of the 214 hotels in the capital equating to 1,793 bedrooms or a share of 8%.

Hatch Hall is a protected structure and planning consultant for Red Carnation John Spain stated that the use as a five star hotel “would ensure that the building is restored and conserved, protecting it into the future with a viable use”.