The owners of two well known properties close to St Stephen’s Green in Dublin are objecting to plans by the operator of the five-star Conrad Hotel to add 192 bed rooms as part of a “significant investment” in the hotel.
Last month, Earlsfort Centre Hotel Proprietors Ltd lodged plans which includes a new eight storey extension over existing event space, resulting in a 10-storey building.
The plan also includes a seventh floor extension to Earlsfort Terrace and an additional floor to the existing hotel resulting in a nine storey building with a set back to Earlsfort Terrace.
Cedrela Ltd owns the nearby Dolmen House and St Stephen’s Green House at Earlsfort Terrace. In a submission on behalf of Cedrela to the city council, planning consultants, Brock McClure state the proposed development “significantly impacts the potential for the future redevelopment of Dolmen House and St Stephen’s Green House”.
RM Block
The most recent accounts for Cedrela state that the company is controlled by the co-owners in The Osborne House Co-Ownership and it lists former Davy deputy chairman and former Ryanair non-executive director, Kyran McLaughlin as a 25 per cent shareholder.
The Brock McClure submission states that both Dolmen House and St Stephen’s Green House “are high profile, aging commercial developments which will require either a redevelopment of the entire site or an upgrading of the existing building stock”
Senior executive planner with Brock McClure, Vitalija Janusonyte states that “either way, our clients would like to see their ability to deliver residential development, by way of a future mixed use scheme, or repurposing of existing buildings be maintained by any adjoining development”.
Ms Janusonyte has told the council that the Conrad Hotel proposals “would substantially constrain such future redevelopment potential by building an 8-storey over ground floor extension to the boundary of the adjoining properties to the north”.
Ms Janusonyte contends that “the proposed development would seriously and adversely impact amenity for the neighbouring commercial offices operated by our client, through increased enclosure, loss of daylight, and an overbearing relationship with the adjoining buildings”.
Ms Janusonyte states it would be inappropriate to grant permission for such a significant increase in height, scale and proximity “as it would prejudice both existing amenity and future development potential on these lands”.
A planning report lodged with the application states that “the proposed works will significantly improve the hotel’s presence on Earlsfort Terrace and improve internal amenity for guests”.
