Appeal lodged with ABP over Abberley Court family hub plans
By Aura McMenamin
AN APPEAL has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala over the planned change of use of the second-floor nightclub in the Abberley Court Hotel into nine new guest bedrooms.
The Echo reported in 2017 that the hotel will become a homeless family hub and will cater for 40 families, with the project being led and financially supported by South Dublin County Council.
The applicant, Yelbern Taverns LTD, submitted plans in July for the change of use of the existing night club on the second floor of the Abberley Hotel into 12 new guest rooms/bedrooms including associated internal alterations.
Additional information was sought by the council over plans for the development in September, on a number of points, with the Planning Authority stating they had ‘significant concerns’ over discrepancies in the description of works and number of new guest bedrooms.
Permission for the development was granted in December 2017, with Yelbern Tavern Ltd submitting additional information and issuing a revised site notice.
The revised site notice for the Abberley Court Hotel stated plans for the change of use of the night club on the second floor into nine new guest bedrooms, instead of 12, two of which will include enhanced family facilities and associated internal alterations.
Tallaght Community Council (TCC) lodged a third-party appeal with An Bord Pleanala this month.
TCC expressed a number of objections to the development, with reasons including the close proximity of two other family hubs in Tallaght to the Abberley Court Hotel and what TCC say is a lack of family hub development in other areas in the county such as Lucan, Clondalkin and Rathfarnham.
“Other areas do not play their part,” the appeal said.
The appellant also objected to the use of the phrase ‘guestroom’ in the plans which TCC say is ‘misleading’ in the context of a family hub, as is the lack of open and green spaces for children that will stay in the hub and the shortage of commercial hotels in Tallaght, which TCC say was “an economic barrier to growth”.
The appeal called for a ‘sunset clause’ for the family hub, meaning that they wanted to see the hotel revert to its commercial use after a period of time.
The appeal was lodged on January 17 and no decision to date has been given.
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