Planning for 560-bed tourism hostel on Abbey Street secured

A firm trading as Abbey Limited has secured planning for a nine-storey, 560-bed tourism hostel on Abbey Street in Dublin.

The development will see the demolition of several existing buildings on the 4,406 sq metre site on 35- 36 Abbey Street and Abbey Cottages.

HKR Architects lodged an appeal on behalf of Abbey when the original application was refused by Dublin City Council last year.

An Bord Pleanála overturned the council's ruling on the grounds the proposed hostel would "contribute positively to the animation of the area and will provide an active use in itself".

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The board also stated that “in line with the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022, the scheme demonstrates a positive response to context and architectural form and detailing contributes positively to the character and appearance of the area.”

Kola Ojeyomi of HKR Architects said the density of the proposed build represented an optimisation of the site’s value.

Several recent high-profile planning refusals for housing developments in the Republic have hinged on the density aspect – how many units can the site comfortably contain without compromising the aesthetic or overburdening the surrounding infrastructure.

Burkeway Homes was refused planning for a development in Bearna, Co Galway, last month by An Bord Pleanála under new fast-track planning legislation – brought in last year to tackle the housing crisis – on the grounds its proposal under-utilised the site.