Planning approval for McKillen hotel denied
An Bord Pleanála has overturned a decision to grant planning permission for a new hotel on the site of a popular Dublin nightclub.
The planning appeals authority has reversed a decision by Dublin City Council to approve the demolition of two buildings on Lower Mount St — which housed the Howl at the Moon nightclub — to make way for a 53-bedroom boutique hotel.
The decision to refuse planning permission for the six-storey development represents a major setback for the son of one of the country’s best-known developers, Paddy McKillen.
The property was bought by Paddy McKillen Jnr and his business partner Matt Ryan, via their Dale Vision development company for a reported €3.2m, last year.
It is one of the few new hotel projects in the capital, where there has been an acute shortage of tourist accommodation, that has failed to secure planning approval.
The original approval for the project was appealed by a number of parties including the German ambassador Matthias Höpfner, although he subsequently withdrew his objection to the plans.
The appellants claimed the development involved the unnecessary demolition of two fine, viable and historic buildings.
However, Dublin City Council said the development would have provided “significantly greater vibrancy and footfall” onto Lower Mount St.
An Taisce had opposed the proposed demolition of the buildings as they were located in a Georgian conservation area and formed part of the best preserved core of Georgian Dublin.
The Department of Culture and Heritage claimed the proposed hotel, if built, would “introduce a visually jarring element into a largely intact part of this historic streetscape.”
