Ashford Castle owner secures planning permission for five-star Dublin hotel

The owner of Ashford Castle has secured planning permission for a boutique five-star 60-bedroom hotel for the capital.

An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to Red Carnation Hotels (UK) Ltd for the conversion and extension of a former Jesuit university students’ residence at Hatch Hall into the 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 allowed the scheme after concluding that the hotel development “would constitute an acceptable quantum of development in this urban accessible location”.

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The board also found the hotel would not detract from the mixed-use character of the area and would not seriously injure the amenities of surrounding properties.

The board concluded the hotel would not detract from the setting of the protected structure on site, Hatch Hall.

The board said it had regard to national planning policy that seeks to direct new development in cities into built-up serviced areas.

Mr O’Regan, of nearby Hatch Place in Dublin 2, employed BPS Planning Consultants to draw up the appeal which ran to 30 pages.

Brendan Buck of BPS Planning Consultants told the board that neither Mr O’Regan nor his family had any objection in principle to the proposed development, which is to be located between Earlsfort Terrace and Leeson Street.

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

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Mr Buck argued 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.

The appeal also 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.

Ms Fitzpatrick concluded “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”.

She said on balance “the proposed development is acceptable in terms of the cultural and built heritage of the site... and will contribute positively to the character and vitality of the area”.