Planning permission granted for Dún Laoghaire hotel despite concerns over impact on mental health clinic
Kenneth Fox
Planning permission has been granted for a new 71-bedroom boutique hotel in the centre of Dún Laoghaire, despite concerns that it would impact a mental health clinic for children and teenagers.
An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld the decision of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to approve the change of use from offices to a hotel for the upper floors of several blocks at Century Court.
The site, which includes the local post office, is located just off the town’s main street, close to the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre.
The planning application had been made by Downton Ventures, a company operated by hoteliers Ray Byrne and Eoin Doyle who intend to run the new hotel in Dún Laoghaire under their REZz brand.
The Commission rejected appeals from several parties, including the charity, St John of God Hospitaller Services Group, which operates a Lucena clinic for children and adolescents across several floors of buildings in Century Court, as well as a group of owners and residents of adjoining apartments.
Subject to compliance with several planning conditions, the Commission said the proposed change of use of a brownfield town centre site would not seriously injure the residential amenity of adjoining occupiers or the amenities of nearby users.
It also found that the hotel development would be acceptable in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety.
Consultants for the charity said they were concerned about the potential impact of the hotel development on the safe, therapeutic and uninterrupted provision of essential services for young people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
They expressed disappointment that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council had not positively addressed their legitimate concerns and claimed the local authority’s decision was “fundamentally flawed.”
In its appeal, the charity said it was a serious omission that a report by council planners had not demonstrated that any structured assessment had been carried out to examine its concerns about the potential for disturbance to vulnerable service users.
“The ramifications a proposed 71-bedroom hotel would have for our client and the residential properties in Century Court is profound,” it noted.
The charity added: “The decision fails to demonstrate that child safeguarding considerations were factored into the assessment.”
It expressed concern that the proposed development would hinder the effectiveness of the service which its clinic provides to young people.
Consultants acting for the owners and residents of 27 adjoining apartments in Century Court claimed the change of use of the buildings to a hotel would result in overlooking and a loss of privacy with separation distances as little as 2.5 metres.
They also expressed concern that the use of the buildings for short-stay accommodation would result in noise pollution from late-night arrivals and departures, with a risk of anti-social behaviour.
They pointed out that hotel guests and residents would use a shared courtyard.
The residents claimed the planning permission granted “relies on vague, unenforceable management and operational conditions.”
The local authority said the grounds of appeal had not raised any new matters that would justify a change in its attitude to the development.
The developers rejected claims by the appellants that the proposal was for a hostel rather than a hotel and that the rooms did not comply with legislative standards for hotels.
A planning inspector with An Coimisiún Pleanála noted that the site is not zoned for residential purposes but as “major town centre.”
The inspector said there was no policy context for which planning permission could reasonably be refused based on the nature of concerns cited by the St John of God charity.
