Dublin’s city council has vetoed plans for a seven-storey apartment hotel proposed for Thomas Street in the Liberties district. The 93-room scheme, proposed by Welthomas Property Ltd from Co Mayo, was met with opposition from local Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh and the local community.
In a planning report attached to the application, it was claimed that the development represented “the rejuvenation of a small, vacant urban brownfield site.” The report indicated that the current usage of the land as a car park was ineffective and unsustainable, especially considering the shortage of land resources in the city centre.
Although it was proposed that the scheme would significantly boost the city’s tourist accommodation offerings, the council rejected the plans. They cited the plan as being excessively prominent and out of place within the existing streetscape.
Moreover, the city council was concerned about the negative impact the development could have on the archaeological and historical interests along Thomas Street. It was also suggested that the plan could set a negative precedent for similar future developments in the area.
Another reason given for the refusal of planning permission was the applicant’s failure to provide an impact assessment report for the proposed basement construction’s potential environmental impact.
Councillor Máire Devine and Deputy Ó Snodaigh jointly argued against the construction of further transient accommodation while many local residents are struggling to find permanent homes. Long-term resident Niamh O’Beirne echoed these concerns, expressing that the Liberties district was already saturated with hotels, aparthotels and rented apartments through platforms like Airbnb. She claimed that such “development” negatively impacts the lives and living conditions of the community’s permanent residents.
Subscribe to the Business Today newsletter to receive current business updates and insights straight to your inbox every weekday morning. In addition, you can choose to opt into Business push notifications to get top news, in-depth analysis and comments directly on your phone. Don’t forget to check out our Inside Business podcast which is posted weekly. Search for the most recent episode here.