THE OWNERS of the former Bewley’s Cafe on Westmoreland Street in Dublin are facing legal action following damage to valuable stained-glass windows believed to be the work of the father of artist Harry Clarke.
Dublin City Council has issued a warning letter and said it will take enforcement action in relation to the broken windows in the “Fleet Room” which, it said, are protected structures of “some significance”. The windows are the work of the Clarke family firm and are believed to have been designed by Joshua Clarke, father of Harry Clarke who made the iconic stained-glass windows in Bewley’s on Grafton Street.
The windows face on to Fleet Street and Price’s Lane and are believed to date from the late 1890s. Several panes of the leaded glass have been broken, putting the owners of the building in breach of the planning permission which requires the protection of the 100-year-old stained glass.
One of Dublin’s best-known businesses, Bewley’s on Westmoreland Street closed seven years ago and, unlike its sister cafe on Grafton Street, never reopened.
In January 2005, the council granted planning permission to Bewley’s Oriental Cafes, the then owners of the Westmoreland Street site, to redevelop the cafe and change the ground-floor use from a cafe to retail outlet.
The decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by the Save Bewleys Cafe Campaign and An Taisce, and the change of use was refused by the planning board in June 2005.
The premises was subsequently sold in September 2006 to a group involving former Bewley’s managing director Col Campbell, property developer Simon Kelly and the Thomas Read Group, which owned several Dublin bars and restaurants, in a deal reported to be worth about €25 million.
The Thomas Read Group was to manage the Westmoreland Street premises as a cafe and restaurant, but the plans never came to fruition and the building subsequently went into receivership.
The council had reached an agreement with receiver Jim Hamilton that repairs would be carried out to the windows by a specialist stained-glass conservator under the supervision of a conservation architect. However, it is understood that the building has recently been sold and the damage has not been repaired.
Chairman of the National Conservation and Heritage group Damien Cassidy, who alerted the council to the broken windows, criticised the failure to protect them.
“When you buy a heritage property you buy all the obligations which go with that, including the obligation to protect it properly.”
Mr Cassidy said his group offered its assistance to the council to protect the windows, but the offer had not been taken up.
“The council have allowed this appalling neglect to happen, they had a responsibility to ensure that these windows were protected – and they failed.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label warning letter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label warning letter. Show all posts
Monday, 22 August 2011
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Council probes planning of ‘hangar-like’ building
CORK County Council has issued a warning letter to a wealthy businessman who travels from his home by helicopter about an alleged unauthorised hangar-like building on his land.
The council confirmed yesterday that its planning enforcement section issued Michael O’Regan with the letter on June 13 on foot of complaints about the large structure which has been erected on his land close to his family home just outside Blarney in Co Cork.
The council confirmed that the structure, which measures about 60 foot long, 30 foot wide, by about 30 foot high, does not have planning permission.
Mr O’Regan transformed Masterlink Logistics — a small family-run transport and distribution operation set up in 1983 focusing on Munster — into one of the country’s leading logistics and distribution companies with offices in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
Its customers include Waterford Crystal, Philips, Clarkes Shoes, Tesco, Blarney Woollen Mills and Smyths Toys.
Mr O’Regan was also involved in the development of Blarney Business Park.
He travels regularly by executive helicopter which lands on a helipad pad close to his home.
It is understood the complaints to the council raised concerns that the structure could be used as a hangar for a helicopter.
In its warning letter, the council said the alleged unauthorised development was brought to its attention.
It said the matter could be subject to further investigation and gave Mr O’Regan four weeks to respond.
A council spokesman confirmed that a planning consultant hired by Mr O’Regan responded in great detail within the statutory four-week period setting out his position on the matter.
In that response, Mr O’Regan accepts that he does not have planning permission for a hangar, the spokesman said.
Mr O’Regan claims that the structure is an agricultural storage shed, he added.
Such structures could be exempt from planning depending on floor space and proximity to other buildings.
“We are now examining the issues raised. A site visit by a senior planner is planned for the coming days,” the spokesman said.
Despite several attempts, Mr O’Regan was not available for comment yesterday.
Planning officials will consider Mr O’Regan’s planning consultant’s report before deciding on whether to issue enforcement proceedings.
Work started on the steel-framed structure some time in April.
Three large concrete delivery trucks were on site yesterday pouring concrete around the outside of the building, close to a vast floodlit paddock which was built last year.
Figures from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) show that helicopter ownership in Ireland has rocketed in the last decade.
There were just 34 helicopters registered in Ireland in 1995. The figure had grown to 120 within 10 years, and at the end of 2006 had risen to 129.
By June of this year, the number of registered helicopters stood at 146.
Last month, An Bórd Pleanála upheld a Limerick city council decision to refuse planning permission for Limerick businessman Noel Kearney for helicopter-landing facilities on his land.
He had argued that the competent body to adjudicate on the matter was the IAA which had previously ruled that a “rotocraft” not being used for public transport may take off or land where there was no undue hazard, dependent on permission from the landowner.
Irish Examiner
The council confirmed yesterday that its planning enforcement section issued Michael O’Regan with the letter on June 13 on foot of complaints about the large structure which has been erected on his land close to his family home just outside Blarney in Co Cork.
The council confirmed that the structure, which measures about 60 foot long, 30 foot wide, by about 30 foot high, does not have planning permission.
Mr O’Regan transformed Masterlink Logistics — a small family-run transport and distribution operation set up in 1983 focusing on Munster — into one of the country’s leading logistics and distribution companies with offices in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
Its customers include Waterford Crystal, Philips, Clarkes Shoes, Tesco, Blarney Woollen Mills and Smyths Toys.
Mr O’Regan was also involved in the development of Blarney Business Park.
He travels regularly by executive helicopter which lands on a helipad pad close to his home.
It is understood the complaints to the council raised concerns that the structure could be used as a hangar for a helicopter.
In its warning letter, the council said the alleged unauthorised development was brought to its attention.
It said the matter could be subject to further investigation and gave Mr O’Regan four weeks to respond.
A council spokesman confirmed that a planning consultant hired by Mr O’Regan responded in great detail within the statutory four-week period setting out his position on the matter.
In that response, Mr O’Regan accepts that he does not have planning permission for a hangar, the spokesman said.
Mr O’Regan claims that the structure is an agricultural storage shed, he added.
Such structures could be exempt from planning depending on floor space and proximity to other buildings.
“We are now examining the issues raised. A site visit by a senior planner is planned for the coming days,” the spokesman said.
Despite several attempts, Mr O’Regan was not available for comment yesterday.
Planning officials will consider Mr O’Regan’s planning consultant’s report before deciding on whether to issue enforcement proceedings.
Work started on the steel-framed structure some time in April.
Three large concrete delivery trucks were on site yesterday pouring concrete around the outside of the building, close to a vast floodlit paddock which was built last year.
Figures from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) show that helicopter ownership in Ireland has rocketed in the last decade.
There were just 34 helicopters registered in Ireland in 1995. The figure had grown to 120 within 10 years, and at the end of 2006 had risen to 129.
By June of this year, the number of registered helicopters stood at 146.
Last month, An Bórd Pleanála upheld a Limerick city council decision to refuse planning permission for Limerick businessman Noel Kearney for helicopter-landing facilities on his land.
He had argued that the competent body to adjudicate on the matter was the IAA which had previously ruled that a “rotocraft” not being used for public transport may take off or land where there was no undue hazard, dependent on permission from the landowner.
Irish Examiner
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