Ireland: Plans for an aparthotel in Dublin’s Phibsborough neighbourhood have been successfully opposed by local residents who claimed such a development was unsuitable for the area.
Dublin City Council has refused planning permission to developer Copperdale Estates for its proposal for a change of use of two vacant, listed buildings on Royal Canal Terrace to a 22-key aparthotel.
The plans also provided for the construction of a three-storey extension to the buildings, which were previously used as a hostel.
Council planners said the use of the buildings as an aparthotel was neither open for consideration nor permissible under the existing zoning of the site under the Dublin City Development Plan, which was to protect and improve the amenities of “residential conservations areas”.
The council said the proposed development would materially contravene the zoning objective of the area and set an unwanted precedent for similar-type development, if approved. It also ruled the design of the proposed extension was not of “adequate architectural quality” as well as being “visually obtrusive”.
Plans for the proposed aparthotel were strongly opposed by the Royal Canal Terrace Residents’ Association.
