Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for plans to revamp a four-storey property owned by the co-founders of Riverdance, John McColgan and Moya Doherty in the heart of Georgian Dublin.
In the application lodged with Dublin City Council for the McColgan/Doherty property at 30 Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2 a planning design report drawn up by Paul Keogh Architects stated that the project brief “is to restore and sensitively adapt the protected structure from its existing office use to a single-family residence, ensuring its long-term viability as a comfortable and sustainable home”.
The council has granted permission for the change of use from commercial to reinstate residential use after concluding that the scheme “will provide for a high quality accommodation”.
Attaching nine conditions, the council planner’s report states that the dwelling “will have a roof terrace for their private open space and it is considered this will not negatively impact on neighbouring properties”.
The application was made in the name of David Orr, who is a director at the Riverdance firm Abhann Productions Ltd along with McColgan and Doherty.
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The planning documentation includes a letter of consent signed by McColgan and Doherty giving their consent for Orr to lodge the application.
On behalf of owners of 85 Merrion Square, Teresa and Brian O’Loughlin, Hughes Planning and Development Consultants, which has its offices at the same address, told the council that owners of 85 Merrion Square were not opposed to the principle of the proposed development.
However, Kevin Hughes stated that following a review of the application material, it appeared that a section of the O’Loughlins’ lands had been included within the application’s red line boundary and also within the blue line ownership boundary, and that consent for these inclusions had not been sought from the O’Loughlins by the applicant.
McColgan and Doherty also own the three Georgian terrace buildings adjoining number 30 on Merrion Place Upper currently in commercial use. This block of properties has a boundary with the O’Loughlin’s property on Merrion Square.
In response to the submission, the report by the council’s planner found “that the proposal and works do not impact on the shared boundary in relation to this property”.
The council’s report found that any boundary issues “are civil issues and planning permissions do not give the right to override this. It is therefore considered not appropriate to seek further information on this issue”.