Following approval from Dublin City Council, Harry Crosbie, a business tycoon, is slated to add a four-star 182- bedroom “Rock and Room” hotel to Dublin’s Liberties, bringing a significant bolster to the area. Despite around 40 objections, one of which stemmed from Fr Paddy O’Reilly, a priest at John’s Lane Church, Vicar Street Hotel Ltd was granted planning approval for their eight-storey hotel.
Fr O’Reilly expressed concerns that the growing presence of hotels and student accommodations in the Liberties was causing local families to relocate, threatening the heritage and stability of the longstanding community. Nevertheless, an 18-page council planner’s report advocating for the hotel’s approval affirmed that it posed no threat to the neighbouring residences or the greater community’s amenities.
According to the council planner’s report, the hotel fits perfectly with the Vicar Street Venue, noting a complementary relationship between the two. Additionally, the report suggested that the hotel’s planned site might be more suitable for this than for residential property, given the nature of the Vicar Street venue.
However, the creation of the hotel was not without its roadblocks. Mr Crosbie has been endeavouring to get it off the ground since its first planning approval in 2008. Nevertheless, the global economic downturn and the Covid-19 pandemic impeded his plans.
Mr Crosbie welcomed the council’s approval, saying that the hotel would bring much-needed vibrancy to the area, particularly during the darker hours when Vicar Street is typically closed. He added that currently the area is poorly lit and unwelcoming at night, but the hotel would drastically change this and also become the closest accommodation to the new Guinness Quarter.
The council’s Transportation Planning Division (TPD) initially suggested denying planning permission due to apprehensions concerning the service and delivery provisions for the project. However, these worries were overruled, and it was decided that these would not pose a traffic safety risk.
To support public infrastructure, one of the 16 conditions tied to the permission entails a fee of €769,595 as a development contribution to be paid by the applicant to the council.
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