Local residents have stalled plans by hospitality firm The Raglan Townhouse Hotel Ltd for a new hotel for Baggot Street Upper in Dublin 4.
This follows three separate third-party appeals being lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) against the green light to the company for a 78-bedroom hotel at 46, 48 and 52-54 Baggot Street Upper, and 46, 48, 50 and 52-54 Eastmoreland Lane, fronting onto Eastmoreland Place.
The hotel firm, when lodging revised plans in January, had sought planning permission for an 87-bedroom hotel.
However, Raglan Townhouse scaled back the scheme in response to Dublin City Council concerns in revised plans lodged.
READ MORE
The three to lodge appeals with ACP were Susan McCarrick, William Doran and Seán McConnon.
In his appeal, Doran claimed the applicant had failed to demonstrate why there was a need for a hotel at this location, and failed to demonstrate how a hotel there would have no impact on the residential amenity of the adjoining and surrounding area.
Doran claimed the hotel was unsuitable for the proposed location due to its scale, bulk, and traffic movement and hazard, and “would devalue property in the area and will impact on the residential amenity of this architectural conservation area”.
In her objection lodged with the council, Susan McCarrick said: “This area does not need a hotel. It does need increased residential accommodation, and this building could provide ‘living over the shop’ as it were... The insertion of large-volume commercial buildings into this architecturally cohesive area should be resisted.”
Seán McConnon of Pembroke Road told the council the scheme would materially injure the special architectural character of the protected structures, fail to preserve or enhance the character of the conservation area, and result in unacceptable cumulative operational, servicing and residential amenity impacts within a confined and sensitive urban block.
The grant of permission reversed a previous Dublin City Council refusal in June 2024 when the council turned down plans by The Raglan Townhouse Hotel Ltd for a 100-bedroom hotel at the same site.
The council’s planner’s report recommended that planning permission be granted to the revised scheme after concluding that the proposed development would “result in refurbishment and reuse of currently vacant structures”.
The council stated that the hotel use would “provide activity and vibrancy to a long-vacant corner site, which is to be welcomed”.
