Watch this Space

Planning stories to keep an eye on

Oral hearing for Killiney hotel

• An oral hearing will take place next Tuesday to decide if the Killiney Court Hotel will be turned into 48 luxury apartments. The hearing will take place in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire at 10 a.m.

Planning permission granted to Rhode (Ireland) Ltd in October was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by two parties.

One of the appellants pointed to the inappropriate scale, bulk, and design of the apartment blocks on a scenic coastline "which is inconsistent with established pattern of house".

The appeal was critical of the proposed design, describing it as an "inappropriate pair of dull monolithic blocks".

In November An Bord Pleanála notified the owner of the Killiney Court Hotel that the site notice of its planning application to build 48 apartments did not comply with statutory requirements and has instructed it to erect a new notice in a conspicuous position near or at the main entrance.

Restoration gets permission

• The owner of the Royal Dublin Hotel has been granted planning permission to restore a Georgian protected structure at number 42 O'Connell Street and change its use from hotel to office use.

Last April the Fitzwilliam Group got permission for a complete revamp and extension of its premises at numbers 40 and 41 Upper O'Connell street - despite an objection by An Taisce regarding its proximity to the Georgian townhouse. Its ground floor is part of the hotel's foyer reception area while its upper rooms are not in use.

It is a four-storey over basement townhouse built in the mid-18th century and is the last representative example on the street of the original Sackville Mall Mansion House.

The restoration involves the re-instatement of a timber staircase and the repair of sash windows. Existing one and two-storey 20th century extensions will be demolished to the rear to allow the restoration of the garden. There will also be alterations and additions to the existing 19th century building to the rear fronting Moore Lane, and a three-floor office extension over the O'Connell Hall building.