Dublin City Council’s planners have rejected the retention application for popular Giddy Dolphin superpub in Temple Bar, which had been operating without formal planning consent. Back in May, Clarence Hotel and Dollard House’s new owners, Keywell Dac, in collaboration with planning consultants Stephen Little & Associates, filed for retrospective approval to turn the retail (artisan delicatessen) location at Dollard House on Wellington Quay and Essex Street East, Dublin 2, into a fully licensed venue offering food service.
The application justification hinged on maintaining existing employment arrangements on-site as the Clarence and Dollard House enter the process of extensive planning application. Stephen Little underscored that Giddy Dolphin serves as Dollard House’s incumbent tenant.
However, Dublin City Council deemed the pub’s retention in its current shape as an addition to the excessive number of licensed businesses in the vicinity, upsetting the balance of other local services. The council failed to be convinced that the plan wouldn’t adversely affect the artistic and cultural facilities prevalent in Temple Bar or undermine its image as a diverse cultural quarter.
The council’s planners believe the proposed development could potentially diminish the site’s character, affect the aesthetics of the street, annoy neighbouring residents, set an unwelcome precedent for similar endeavours, and decrease the property value in the surrounding area.
Declan O’Brien, a Temple Bar resident and the lone objector to the proposal, argued that the approval would further diminish the retail diversity in the region. He criticised the existing overabundance of licensed premises and warned that the approval would cause significant damage to the area’s unique blend of businesses.
O’Brien advised the council to reject the application, cautioning that it would normalise the conscious disregard for existing planning permission conditions. Mr Little, on the other hand, maintained that the change of use complied with current land use zoning and would be in harmony with the authorised use of upper levels for micro-brewery, restaurants, and hotel operations.