One of Dublin’s most iconic landmarks has been spared — for the time being, reports Breaking News.
An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has denied planning permission for the €100 million redevelopment plan for St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.
ACP’s decision reverses the approval previously granted by Dublin City Council to DTDL Ltd in December 2023, reports Breaking News.
A key feature of the proposed development was the inclusion of 35,043 square metres dedicated to office space and related areas, with adjustments made to increase the retail and Food & Beverage elements after concerns were raised by the Council.
In its decision, ACP found that the proposed plan “lacks a strong sense of original aesthetic and would not achieve a sufficiently high standard of placemaking, urban design and architecture at this key city centre location”, reports Breaking News.
Consequently, the commission stated that the proposal would breach several policies related to High Quality Architecture, Architectural Design, and Brownfield, Regeneration Sites and Large Scale Development within the Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028.
These policies, according to ACP, “aim to encourage innovative, high quality urban design and architectural detail in all new development proposals, that positively contribute to the city’s built and natural environment and incorporate exemplar standards of high-quality, sustainable and inclusive urban design and architecture befitting the city’s environment and heritage”, reports Breaking News.
ACP ultimately concluded that the development was inconsistent with proper planning and the sustainable development of the area.
The board followed the recommendation of its own planning inspector, who advised against granting permission, reports Breaking News.
However, ACP clarified in its ruling that it did not agree with the inspector’s assertion that the current shopping centre is a standout example of twentieth-century architecture.
Leaving room for a future application, ACP also stated that removing the current façade — including the trellis detailing and dome — would not breach the 2022–2028 City Development Plan, provided a sufficiently high-quality architectural solution is proposed for this central location, reports Breaking News.
The case came before ACP following appeals lodged by three third parties: An Taisce, long-time journalist and former Irish Times Environment Editor Frank McDonald, and Emmett Rogers, a trader at the shopping centre.
In his appeal, Mr Rogers said that if the redevelopment were to proceed, “I see Dublin losing another bit of its unique identity to developers”, reports Breaking News.
Mr Rogers has run the Tribe store in the shopping centre since 1992.
He described himself as “horrified” that Dublin City Council had approved the proposed mixed-use project, reports Breaking News.
An Taisce’s appeal, submitted by Dublin City Planning Officer Kevin Duff and Heritage Officer Ian Lumley, criticised the development, claiming that its heavy focus on office space “lacks architectural sensitivity towards St Stephen’s Green and results in the loss of an impressive naturally lit space”, reports Breaking News.
In his submission, Frank McDonald told the appeals board that the proposed replacement for the current centre “is simply not good enough and does not qualify as a building of ‘exceptional design and outstanding architectural quality’”.
A 51-page planner’s report prepared by the City Council in support of granting permission stated that “the proposed reductions to the scale and massing of the building significantly reduces the visual impact on this sensitive environment”, reports Breaking News.
The report acknowledged the shopping centre as a local landmark, but not due to its architectural value, and pointed out that it is not a Protected Structure.
BKD architects, the firm behind the redevelopment design, stated in their architectural submission that since the shopping centre opened in 1988, it has struggled to attract and retain long-term retail tenants, reports Breaking News.
They noted that many retail units are too small, especially on upper levels, where businesses tend to perform poorly and rely on short-term leasing.
Planning firm John Spain & Associates, representing the applicants, informed the Council that the current building “has become outdated” and that the new proposal aimed to deliver a high-quality mixed retail and office development on a prominent city centre site, reports Breaking News.
The planning application, submitted in January 2023, was presented by Mr Spain as a major revitalisation effort for a gateway site on the southern edge of Dublin’s retail core.
The submission argued that St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre “is currently underperforming in its retail function and the proposal through the provision of medium sized units, which are currently in demand by higher order retailers, has the potential to significantly improve the retail offering in the area,” reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
