Dublin City Council has rejected plans for a mixed-use scheme on the site of the former Unicorn restaurant on Dublin’s Merrion Row.
In September Aviva Life & Pensions Ireland DAC lodged an application for the demolition of buildings at 13 and 13a Merrion Row, and 12 and 5 Merrion Court and replace them with a scheme of offices, retail and restaurant units and three residential townhouses.
However, the council has refused planning permission after concluding the scheme would seriously injure the urban character and visual amenities of the historic city core, would create a precedent for similar types of development and would devalue property in the vicinity.
The council took into account the prominent and sensitive location of the site within a conservation area and concluded the proposed building would constitute a visually obtrusive and insensitive form of development.
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In a separate reason for the refusal the council pointed out that the site already had planning permission for 19 short-term let apartments and the proposed office use at the upper floor level would result in potential residential uses being lost.
Dublin restaurateur Gina Murphy had also registered an objection to the plan for the five-storey mixed-use scheme. The owner of Hugo’s restaurant at 6 Merrion Row,had said the plans “would have significant adverse effects on the businesses and neighbouring premises in the surrounding area”.
On Monday Ms Murphy welcomed the council’s planning refusal, describing it as “a well considered and prudent move”.
“The proposed development would have significantly diminished the retail and cultural value of the area and instead prioritised other uses such as office space,” she said.
“In the current climate when office space in Dublin 2 is abundantly empty, this proposal was beyond belief. It would have undermined the vibrancy and diversity of the street,” she said.
Ms Murphy said the council’s refusal served the best interest of preserving Merrion Row’s unique character and “ensures a balanced, thriving urban environment that benefits both businesses and the community”.
In her four-page objection, Ms Murphy pointed out that the proposed development threatened “to cast a real and tangible shadow over Hugo’s restaurant and its outdoor dining terrace, significantly reducing the natural sunlight Hugo’s receives”.
