Planning appeal over new Wetherspoons in Dublin

A local resident has lodged an appeal against planning permission for a new Wetherspoons superpub on Camden street in Dublin's city centre.

The € 4m superpub “would be an unwelcome milestone in the current trend to completely alcoholise Camden Street, ” local resident Barry Chambers said.

Mr Chambers’ appeal has, for now, put the brakes on JD Wetherspoon plc from proceeding.

He lodged the appeal with An Bord Pleanála against Dublin City Council's decision to grant permission.

A report lodged by the UK-based Wetherspoon with the Council shows that there are 12 pubs in the Camden Street/Wexford Street area.

Their super pub plan also includes a 98 bedroom hotel at the site in a scheme that will create 100 jobs if it gets the green light.

Mr Chambers has told An Bord Pleanála that allowing another pub in the area, "would be seriously detrimental to the residential amenity and character of the area".

He argues that “drink fuelled ever increasing noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour, ranging from the benign to the very serious which goes hand in hand with the drinking culture has already, regrettably, started to change the character of the area for the worse”.

Mr Chambers states: “The introduction of a super pub selling cheap alcohol into the melting pot does not bear thinking.”

Mr Chambers points out that the area is densely populated with young families and "it is sincerely hoped that we do not go further down the Temple Bar route - an area that has been blighted by the over concentration of pubs and late night drinking".

Referring to the Temple Bar late night experience, Mr Chambers states that “surely, it is incumbent on us as a city to learn from previous mistakes”.

Wetherspoons has also appealed a condition contained in the permission that excludes a court yard area.

In the appeal, Wetherspoon state that the plan provides for adequate protection of residential amenity pointing out that the level of noise from the development would be negligible in the context of city living.

The appeal states that the customers can eat and drink in a relatively low noise environment.

JD Wetherspoon also state that the bar is not intended as a late night destination with the latest opening hours to be 12.30am at weekends.

Wetherspoon states that it is fully committed to upholding the objectives of its own code in relation to responsible retailing.

A submission by the firm states that the venue will be focused on the service of food and will play no amplified music.

A decision is due on the appeals next April.