Publican Charlie Chawke has confirmed his intention to lodge revised plans for an apartment scheme on the site of the Goat Bar and Grill at Goatstown before the end of the year.
In June, An Bord Pleanála refused Mr Chawke planning permission for a €186 million 299-unit scheme after locals voiced their opposition. They were supported by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council which recommended a refusal for the eight-storey scheme.
In an interview on Monday, Mr Chawke stated: “I don’t know if it is easy to appease the objectors but we’ll have to have a stab at it anyway and have a go at a nicer, agreeable plan for the area.
“We’ll see if the architects can come up with a nice design and if they come with that, we will go with it.”
Mr Chawke said the aim was to lodge plans before the end of the year. The Government’s current fast track Strategic Housing Development system that allows developers bypass local authorities and lodge applications directly with An Bord Pleanála is due to expire next February.
Mr Chawke said that he was ‘optimistic’ that any new plan will find favour with planners.
Mr Chawke was talking as new accounts show combined sales at a number of pubs in his group slumped by 43 per cent last year to €5.7 million due to the Covid-19 impact on business.
The accounts for Milltown Inns Ltd and subsidiaries showed a pre-tax loss of €279,081. They cover the performance of Ireland’s most expensive pub, the Old Orchard in Rathfarnham which was purchased for €22 million in 2005 and the Dropping Well pub in Milltown.
Mr Chawke said business at his various pubs in the suburbs around Dublin has recovered to around 70 per cent of pre-Covid revenues while his city centre pubs were not as performing as strongly as that.
“We are happy enough with where the business is at the moment. We are hoping for a good run up to Christmas,” he said.
He said that getting staff, especially kitchen staff, is currently one of the biggest challenges facing his business.
