An Coimisiún Pleanála gives a thumbs down to Boomers pub

A planning appeal to allow a Clondalkin pub be extended into an aparthotel has been refused by An Coimisiún Pleanála.

A planning application was lodged by the owners of Boomers Pub in Knockmitten Neighbourhood Centre to construct two new floors and change the use of the existing first floor of the pub from a function room to provide a total of 22 aparthotel rooms.

Permission was refused by South Dublin County Council in November last year, who deemed the development was “by way of scale, mass, bulk and overall height . . . out of character with the site and surrounding landscape”.

“The applicant has also failed to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Local Authority how the design responds to the character and overall context of the site, and if supported, would set an undesirable precedence for other such inappropriate design responses elsewhere in the county,” the report from the council’s planning department read.

It noted that 33 submissions had been received from local residents objecting to the development.

The main issues raised included traffic along Woodford Road, an increase in noise levels from already high levels caused by the pub, the visual impact of the development being “out of character” with the area and the need for an aparthotel “in a residential estate like Woodford, with four hotels located within a 5 minute drive of the development”.

Concerns were also raised about the new rooms and the roof garden overlooking residential properties to the rear of the site, as well as additional noise, and that the “provision of an additional two storeys would appear excessive in a one- and two-storey residential area”.

The report also noted that the application had failed to provide for sufficient parking for the development.

The decision by SDCC was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála, who upheld the council’s decision to refuse permission on August 25.

The planning body upheld the council’s decisions regarding parking and the design of the development and also ruled that it would be contrary to the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028.