A €100 million plan to redevelop St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin has been turned down by An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The refusal overturns a grant of permission owners DTDL Ltd secured from Dublin City Council in December 2023.
An Coimisiún Pleanála said the proposed scheme “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”.
It concluded the scheme would be contrary to a number of policies in the area of high quality architecture, architectural design and brownfield, regeneration sites and large scale development of the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-28.
An Coimisiún Pleanála noted these policies “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”.
The planning appeals board concluded that the proposed development would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
The largest component of the new scheme was to be 35,043 sq metres of offices and ancillary spaces. The applicants also increased the level of retail and food and beverage space after the Council expressed concerns.
An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld a recommendation by its own inspector in the case to refuse planning permission. However, it said it did not share the view expressed by the inspector that the existing shopping centre represents an exemplar twentieth century building.
Opening the door for a future application, the board concluded that replacing the existing facade, including the existing external trellis detailing and dome, would not contravene the city’s development plan, subject to an appropriately high quality “design solution for this key city centre location”.
Appeals by An Taisce, shopping centre trader Emmett Rogers and activist Frank McDonald had seen the plan come before the appeals board.
The An Taisce appeal – jointly signed off by Dublin City Planning Officer, Kevin Duff and Heritage Officer, Ian Lumley – stated that what was predominantly a large office development “lacks architectural sensitivity towards St Stephen’s Green and results in the loss of an impressive naturally lit space”.
Mr Rogers, who has been operating the Tribe outlet at the shopping centre since 1992, said if the redevelopment proceeded, “I see Dublin losing another bit of its unique identity to developers”.
Mr McDonald said the proposal was “simply not good enough and does not qualify as a building of ‘exceptional design and outstanding architectural quality’ ”.
The redevelopment plan was first lodged in January 2023. In an architectural design statement, BKD architects said that, since opening in 1988, the centre had faced many difficulties attracting sustainable retailers for reasons including that most unit sizes were too small with units at the upper levels trading poorly and operating only on short-term leases.
Planning consultants for the scheme, John Spain & Associates, told Dublin City Council that the existing building “has become outdated”. It said the proposal sought to enhance a high quality shopping centre and office facility on a centrally located site.