Trinity College plans to convert Temple Bar buildings into new pub denied

TRINITY College Dublin has been denied planning permission to convert buildings in Temple Bar into a pub and new college units.

Dublin City Council refused to give the college the green light to go ahead after it deemed the development would be damaging to the area.

"The proposed development for a large public house and restaurant at this location would lead to an excessive concentration of such uses in the area, resulting in an unacceptable negative impact," said the council.

The development was to stretch across seven buildings in total, taking over former banking buildings in Anglesea Street and Foster Place.

An Taisce voiced its concern about the plans to the council in documents seen by the Sunday Tribune.

"While the repair and bringing into use or renewed use of these buildings in some form is welcome, we are concerned about the large licensed premises element of the proposal and its impact on the Temple Bar area," said Kevin Duff. Planning and development consultant Liam Tobin also raised issue with the proposal, as did Charlie Chawke, owner of Dame Street pub, The Bank.

In his objection, put forward by consultants Architectural Construction Technology, Chawke claimed the drawings of plans for the renovations could be "misleading to the public" and said that they were "entirely inadequate".

He also expressed his fear the development may lead to the area becoming similar to Benidorm in Spain, an area which "got a name for cheap alcohol-fuelled holidays and stag and hen nights".

He concluded there was "no provision for parking at all, or for a drop-off/pick-up point" and pointed towards a lack of fire regulations and crowd planning.

Chawke was not the only local publican to raise issue with the plans. Owner of popular watering hole The Stag's Head, Louis Fitzgerald, also lodged a complaint about the application.

According to the planner's report on the building "the application contains three main issues. The first is the changes of uses, the second is the new build and the third is the works to the existing buildings. All have serious problems associated with them."

Trinity College may now lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanála within the next three weeks. A spokeswoman for the college said: "The college will consider the full decision of Dublin City Council with its design team."

Sunday Tribune

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