Dublin City Council has given the green light to Fáilte Ireland for its planning application to set up a food hall at the vacant St Andrew’s Church on Suffolk Street in central Dublin.
The council has granted planning permission after concluding that the food hall would comply with the zoning objective of the site and would not detract from the area’s civic character.
Fáilte Ireland will not be operating the food hall itself. Instead, it will seek an operator to lease the space.
[ Fáilte Ireland plans food hall at former Dublin churchOpens in new window ]
In a letter to Dublin City Council, Laura McCarthy from Fáilte Ireland proposed change of use for the premises has the potential to create a major centrally based asset for the city, “with the potential to inject cultural and economic value which would benefit local residents, employees and all visitors, both domestic and foreign”.
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Manager at Corporate Services at Fáilte Ireland McCarthy pointed out that food tourism generates around €2 billion to the Irish economy each year.
“In order to generate and sustain further economic opportunity and economic development we need to create iconic food and drink experiences – the proposed change of use and redevelopment of St Andrew’s would be the embodiment of that vision,” she said.
“It is envisaged that the proposed food hall will showcase the best of local and Irish produce within a very high-quality setting which will not only reinvigorate but repurpose part of our capital city’s historic building inventory,” Ms McCarthy added.
Planning documents stated that the new food hall has the potential to generate 30 to 40 full and part-time jobs.
The Swords-based Wright Group secured planning for a food hall at St Andrews church in 2019 through its Mink Fusion subsidiary but with the Covid-19 pandemic intervening the firm did not proceed with the five year planning permission.
In a separate planning report lodged with the application by David Mulcahy Planning Consultants, it stated that the proposed new use “will bring life back to this vacant building which is one of the most prominent buildings in the city”.
