The local Church of Ireland in Howth, Co Dublin, is one of a number of parties to lodge objections against plans for a new 142-bedroom “destination” hotel for the area.
In July, Tetrarch Capital lodged plans for the new hotel on the site of the former Deer Park hotel in Howth. Tetrarch already owns the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
The Howth hotel is part of Tetrarch’s wider plans for the Howth Estate. The hotel plan includes a rooftop restaurant, bar and terrace, a spa, fitness centre and swimming pool.
The existing Deer Park building would be demolished and replaced by the new four-storey hotel.
Tetrarch anticipates that 300 jobs will be created during construction of the new hotel and a further 280 jobs once it is fully operational.
Aoife McCarthy of Tom Phillips and Associates has told Fingal County Council, on behalf of Tetrarch, that the proposal will “provide for a destination hotel for Howth [which it] has been lacking over the last number of years”.
However, the Select Vestry of the Parish of Howth of St Mary’s Church is one of a number of parties to lodge objections against the hotel scheme. The main focus of the objections is the construction of a new road to serve the hotel development.
In an 18-page submission, the Select Vestry contended that the developer’s application includes construction of a roadway which “is demonstrably unnecessary for the proposed development as there is an existing roadway which has served a hotel and an extensive public golf course facility for decades”.
In his objection against the scheme, Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan told the council that he is “strongly opposed to the proposed provision of a new road through high amenity lands at the Howth Estate”.
He said the new road would create a permanent disturbance of this amenity “and would significantly diminish the amenity value of these lands”.
Planning consultant Andrew Hersey, on behalf of the Howth/Sutton Community Council, told the council that due to the cumulative impact of developments for the area, the hotel scheme “will in no doubt result in serious and unmanageable traffic congestion and hazard in Howth”.
Mr Hersey said the scheme contravenes the zoning objective for high amenity zoned lands as a consequence of the proposed new access road to the hotel.
