https://issuu.com/info-mostexcellentweb/docs/82_north_wall_quay_2016_planning_statement_23.05.1

Manahan Planners

May 2018

2018

Development proposed for 81 & 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1.

Town Planning Report Planning Report to accompany planning application lodged with Dublin City Council for a proposed development at 81 & 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 to vary the proposal previously approved under Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16 to provide two additional storeys to the approved development.

Manahan Planners 38 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 10/03/2018

Manahan Planners

May 2018

Introduction This planning report has been prepared in connection with a planning application by Chirita Limited for a development at 81 &82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1. The application is seeking permission for a development that involves the variation of a scheme previously approved under planning application Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16 to provide two additional storeys to the approved hotel building. The two additional floors will add 42 bedrooms to the new hotel to bring the total number of bedrooms to 100.

Site Context The subject site is located at the junction of North Wall Quay and Castleforbes Road facing south onto the Liffey. It is bounded by Castleforbes Road to the east and North Wall Quay to the south. The site known as ‘Project Wave’ adjoins the site to the west and north.

The subject site forms part of a larger city block identified as Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme. The site is strategically located approx 220m west of the 3 Arena, approximately 1km from Dublin City Centre and is in proximity to the Tom Clarke Bridge between North Wall Quay and Sir John Rogerson's Quay, on the north bank of the River Liffey. The LUAS line connecting Connolly to the 3 Arena runs to the north of the site along Mayor Street.

The planning application site area within the red lines below is 997.25 sq. m in size.

Figure 1: Aerial photo of the area with the subject buildings outlined in red

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The premises are estimated to date from the mid-19th century. No. 82 once formed part of a larger site which accommodated a saw mill business. It was recorded as “burnt out” in 1947 on the Goad Fire Insurance Plan of Dublin. The warehouse building was later redeveloped in the early 1950’s with a completely new internal structure to the building. The public house in No. 81 was constructed in 1860.

Policy Context The site is located in an area Zoned Z14 in Dublin City Council’s Development Plan 2017 – 2023. The objectives for this area are to “to seek the social, economic and physical development and/or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential and ‘Z6’ would be the predominant use”.

It is also identified as being within the Strategic Development and Regeneration Area 6.

Further to this, it is included in City Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme 2014.

The site is identified with orange circle and contains the red star Protected Structure designation.

Figure 2: Zoning Map of the area surrounding the subject site

The site is also located within a Strategic Development Zone adopted as part of the Dublin Docks Development area originally, but now within the functional area of Dublin City Council.

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Planning History 1570/03 The site was previously part of a larger landholding that was the subject of a planning approval (Ref. Ref. 1570/03) in April 2003 for the “redesign of the existing front elevation, alterations to facade fronting existing car park and change of use of circa 424 sq. m of existing warehouse to showroom/retail use�, with an address listed as 70 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1.

DSDZ 2939/16 Part of the site (82 North Wall Quay) was the subject of a planning application (Reg. Ref. DSDZ2939/16) in May 2016 for a development that retained the existing warehouse and proposed the creation of an additional five floors above the existing three level warehouse. The proposed building was to be used as a hotel and ancillary services with a restaurant and bar occupying the top two floors.

The application was refused by the Planning Authority.

DSDZ4079/16 The adjoining site (81 North Wall Quay) was then purchased and included in a new application for Numbers 81 and 82. This new planning application (Reg. Ref.DSDZ4079/16) was granted permission on 06.01.2017 for a development that retained the existing warehouse at No. 82 and proposed the creation of an additional two floors above the existing three storey warehouse building. The two buildings and upward extension of No.82 was proposed to be used as a hotel, with a restaurant and bar occupying the top floor.

Two basement levels under No.82 were also approved containing a series of conference and meeting rooms, a work space and associated changing facilities for residents.

The approved development also included the refurbishment of No 81 to its former condition, re-establishing the ground floor bar and to contain 7 hotel bedrooms in the former residential area overhead. The permitted hotel was to contain 58 bedrooms in total.

Application Background The Applicant has gone on site on foot of Planning Permission Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16 and has begun works. Significant effort and expense has been incurred to ensure the stabili ty of the Protected Structure was retained intact.

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The Applicant’s business plan showed that the volume and bedrooms needed to support a sustainable hotel in this location required an eight storey development. However, this was refused permission and subsequently the Applicant obtained a Permission for a five storey proposal.

Now that the applicant is on-site, it has become apparent that the cost of this proposal will be significantly greater than originally anticipated and cannot be supported by a 5 storey building.

This is exacerbated by the cost of the conservation elements of the proposal, in particular the addition of No.81, which is being restored back to its original condition. (See statement from Quantity Surveyor enclosed with this application).

The Design Team have identified that it would be possible to put an additional two floors to bring the proposal to 7 floors, in a manner that would ensure there would be no significant alteration in the external appearance of the proposal over and above that which has been approved. However the two extra floors change the bedroom ratio from 58 bedrooms to 100 bedrooms thereby making the hotel more sustainable.

Over the past few years the majority of the proposals in this area are offices and apartments.

A hotel provides a complete contrast and would provide a welcome and complementary amenity for the area. The hotel was also welcomed by the SDZ team in their reports on our earlier planning applications.

The proposals for neighbouring sites have become more obvious now and it is clear that the proposal on this site will be dwarfed by the neighbouring proposed development, see CGI’s attached.

In addition the Applicant engaged the services of two eminent conservation consultants (Maol Iosa Molloy and Padraic Murray) to comment on this proposal and has also consulted with the Dublin Civic Trust. Their three statements are included with the application. The conclusion of these three specialists is the particular change proposed will have no adverse conservation impacts. The issue then becomes a matter for planning assessment.

In view of this we are now lodging a new application to add two additional floors containing 42 additional bedrooms on this site. This will increase the number of bedrooms making the hotel more sustainable. In addition these extra bedrooms are needed to balance the increased costs of refurbishing Number 81 and building the new structure within No. 82 while at the same time retaining the historic fabric. This involved the innovative approach of retaining the walls in place with shipping containers. (See photographs overleaf).

As is well known, the costs associated with the refurbishment of derelict heritage buildings can be considerable.

The change is achieved by inserting the two extra bedroom floors into the fifth and sixth floor levels. The top floor remains set back and contains the same restaurant use as approved.

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Figure 3: Photo of the front and side elevation with shipping containers used to support the facade

Figure 4: Photo of the front elevation with the shipping containers used to support the facades

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The Proposal The proposal is set out in the accompanying drawings and Architects Design Statement submitted by ODOS Architects. The Statutory Notice states the following: "Planning permission is sought by Chirita Limited for development at 81 & 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 (both PROTECTED STRUCTURES).

The development seeks to vary the proposal previously approved under Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16, which allowed for the development of a 5 storey-over double basement hotel building containing 58 bedrooms. The proposal seeks to add two additional storeys to the approved development, with consequential changes to the facades, to provide an additional 42 extra hotel bedrooms.

No other changes are proposed as part of the proposed development.

This application relates to a proposed development within the North Lotts & Grand Canal Dock SDZ Planning Scheme area.�

Details of the proposed building, its layout, distribution of uses, its architectural treatment and materials, together with its relationship to neighbouring buildings are set out in the Architects Report included in the application.

Figure 5: CGI taken from south east of the subject site

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Architects Design Rationale A design statement outlining the rationale behind the architectural design, prepared by ODOS Architects, is enclosed as a separate document.

That statement concludes as follows: “We believe the Granted Application (Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16) successfully addressed the issues that were raised by the Conservation Department in relation to the refused application (Reg. Ref. DSDZ 2939/16). By drawing on the design changes between the refused and granted applications, we are proposing that the revised application retains the footprint, materials and the threshold details between the existing and proposed, as per the Granted Planning Application. In this sense, the concept maintains its respect for the existing character of the two Protected Structures. It also responds to the immediate context which are over-dominating the site and negatively impacting on the setting of the Protected Structures.

It is our belief that the true architectural merit of this project will be seen in the conservation of the existing structure. Prior to construction, both No.81 and 82 were in a dilapidated condition with damaged windows, cracks in the brick facade and a failing concrete ring beam to No.82. The prominence in the overall redevelopment is the restoration of the protected structures. Rehabilitating the derelict structures by restoring their character through the restoration work is the main focal point of this project and will be highlighted in the completion.

It is our view that the scale and materials for the proposed carefully crafted extension will not compete with the existing structures of No.’s 81 and 82, which in themselves are contrasting, and will in reality defer to the inherent tactility of their character. Furthermore, the proposed extension coheres to our objective to safeguard the appreciation of the Docklands’ heritage as experienced from the public realm, whilst maintaining the significance of the historic grouping comprising the combined footprint of No.81 and No.82 North Wall Quay.”

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Planning Assessment It is submitted it complies with the provisions of the planning framework for the Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). A Compliance Report outlining how the proposal addresses the SDZ policies is submitted with the application.

The key issues raised by this planning application are:   

The impact of the intensification of the use through the generation of an additional 42 number of hotel bedrooms; The visual impact of the additional two storeys on the previously approved development; and The heritage impact of the additional two storeys on the integrity of the two Protected Structures.

Figure 5: CGI looking north east towards the proposed development

The proposal is consistent with the Z14 use zoning objective in the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017 “to seek the social, economic and physical development and/or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential and ‘Z6’ would be the predominant use”.

Further it is identified as being within the Strategic Development and Regeneration Area 6.

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As mentioned above, it is included in City Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme 2014. With regard to building height, the Planning Scheme seeks the following: “8-storey commercial/10-storey residential onto North Wall Quay with a context design solution adjacent to the protected structures, reducing to 6-storey commercial/7-storey residential over block perimeter.”

It continues to add: “In addition to the setbacks which may be necessary for design and amenity reasons within the height envelope in Fig. 35, an additional storey, with a setback of 1.5m plus may be considered subject to a shadow analysis and a compelling urban design rationale. This option for an additional storey shall not apply for Blocks 1 to 5.”

This application has been designed to be in compliance with the provisions of the Development Plan and seeks to provide a context design solution adjacent to the Protected Structures.

With regards to Development Plan conservation policies Paragraph 5.4.6: Heritage and Protected Structures state: “The retention and adaptive re-use of the Protected Structures in the SDZ is an important objective. Due to the relative scarcity of these buildings in the area, their retention is a fixed element of the scheme.

The City Block Development Code (Fig. 35) indicates the new build context for these buildings.

It is expected that quality design will be brought to bear to ensure that new buildings, including higher buildings, and can be can be juxtaposed with Protected Structures in a harmonious fashion.”

It is submitted that the design of the proposed vertical extension, with its glass facade and corten steel fins will bring an innovative and exciting feature to this area of Docklands, that is an improvement on the permitted buildings and will lead to a design that is better "juxtaposed with Protected Structures in a harmonious fashion”.

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Intensification of Use No land use change is proposed as part of this application.

The existing buildings have a floor area of 2,047.4 sq. m while the building approved under planning application Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16 will have a floor area of 3,836 sq. m in total. The proposed building will have a building of 4,720 sq. m, an increase of approximately 884 sq. m from that previously approved.

It is submitting that this increase in floor area on this site is a reasonable response to such a strategically located site, the emerging development in the area, and the expectation to densify and to make more sustainable use of valuable inner city land.

It is submitted that the impact of the additional 42 hotel rooms would be positive. Obviously, it will contribute to the very well publicised hotel room shortage in the city, which is widely reported to be putting a constraint on the tourism industry in Dublin. Further, the additional guests will contribute positively to the activation and success of this "new" part of Dublin City, an area that will predominantly occupied by apartments and office space.

It is not proposed to provide parking on site to cater for the expected increase in hotel guests.

It is submitted that this is acceptable having regard to the accessibility and location of the proposal in such close proximity to the city centre, and LUAS line into the city centre.

Moreover in the case of a hotel, most if not all tourists do not have cars and therefore most guests will arrive by taxi or public transport. Car hire for tourists generally occurs for tourists seeking to travel outside the Dublin area. Arrangements are in place, however, to provide parking on a contract basis on neighbouring sites for those few guests who arrive by car.

NRB Consulting Engineers Ltd were appointed to consider possible traffic/transport constraints associated with the proposed additional 42 bedrooms.

The Report confirms that the road network and access junction are more than adequate to accommodate the worst case traffic associated with the facility, and that the hotel will operate in a safe and appropriate manner.

Their report concluded: “Based on our study, we conclude that there are no adverse traffic/transportation capacity or operational issues associated with the opening of the proposed hotel development.�

It is submitted that the proposed intensification of the use generated by the addition of two extra storeys will not result in any unreasonable negative impacts and will be positive for the area.

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Visual Impact The Visual Impact Assessment submitted with the application identifies the visual impact the proposal will have on both the north and south quays in the vicinity. The impact of the proposal on long and short range views will vary considerably.

Longer Range Views The viewing cone to the subject site is relatively limited and will be more so once the emerging developments surrounding the subject site are completed. The majority of views towards the subject site will be from oblique angles.

While the buildings will be visible from Samuel Becket Bridge and Tom Clarke Bridge, it is argued that the perception of the buildings from these points will be negligible given the dominance and prominence of the other buildings along North Wall Quay.

Figure 3: Montage of the approved 5-storey development (Reg. Ref. DSDZ4079/16) with other nearby approved developments included.

The grain and scale of both the approved and proposed buildings on the site are dwarfed by those surrounding them.

Figure 4: Montage of the proposed development with other nearby approved developments included.

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The use of the glass with the corten steel fins (at wider intervals than the refused proposal) gives the new building emerging out of the warehouse structure, a lightweight and unobtrusive appearance, ensuring it remains subservient to the qualities of the warehouse and pub buildings.

It is submitted that this characteristic is equally as applicable to a 7 storey building as it is to the 5 storey building. The materiality and set back nature of the new form ensures that in long range views, it is the two Protected Structures that the eye is drawn to and that dominate the view.

Shorter Range Views

Figure 5: Montage of the approved development

Figure 6: Montage of the proposed development

At closer distances, i.e. on the north side of the river, the upper levels of the building are less noticeable. The eye is naturally focused on the immediate view, being of the original warehouse and pub buildings, and the upper levels only when the neck is strained upwards or when viewed from further distances.

This experience is re-enforced by the set-back nature of the upper levels as well as the contrasting design and materiality.

The impact of the proposed additional storeys will in all likelihood be more visible from medium range views, which are from oblique angles, where the upper levels will have a much

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less dominating impact on the viewer. Further, from this range, the surrounding developments which, by virtue of their scale and height, will visually dominate the Protected Structures and be much more impactful on views.

It is submitted that the proposed additional two storeys will improve the buildings' contribution to the vitality and vibrancy of the public realm through passive surveillance of the streetscape. Further, it is submitted that the proposal will make a more meaningful contribution to the emerging built form character within the North Docks area than the approved smaller building would otherwise do, given how it will sit within the context of the higher surrounding forms.

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Heritage Three separate Opinions were sought from respected conservation and heritage specialists:   

Maol Íosa Molloy (Molloy & Associates, Conservation Architects); Dublin Civic Trust; and Padraic Murray, Conservation Architect.

Each are attached as part of this application.

Geraldine Walsh, CEO of the Dublin Civic Trust made the following comments with regards to the proposal - the proposal "will create a balance in proportion to the other protected wall structure, 73 North Wall Quay, the complex to the west side of the proposed hotel development. The height sought does not appear to represent a significant alteration to the existing planning application as granted."

With respect to the two Protected Structures, Maol Íosa Molloy states: "the most significant permitted physical intervention comprises the removal of all internal

fabric to No.82 and inserting a new supporting structure for the infill building. A proposal to increase the development’s height will not present an additional physical compounding impact for surviving historic fabric, beyond what is already permitted.”

And in terms of the visual impacts of the proposed additional height, states: "the visual architectural composition of No.’s 81 and 82 will be irreversibly altered not just by permitted interventions, but also by permitted developments abounding its northern and western boundaries and in the wider urban vicinity, all of which are in the region of 12 stories and substantially in excess of the permitted height on the site."

In summation it is her contention that "increased height above No.82 will not present a greater physical, visual and compositional detriment to the permitted development than that already permitted. The significance of incorporating a prominent protected grouping within a carefully crafted development above No.82, allowing the form of No. 81 to remain intact encourages the viable long-term use of both".

In his assessment of the proposed development, Padraic Murray concludes: "No. 81 and No. 82 will normally be viewed from street level and it is suggested that the careful consideration that has been given to the vertical transition from the Protected Structure to the upper level bedrooms is such that the additional two floors will have little or no impact when viewed from street level. Furthermore, the additional height might enable the hotel complex to sit more comfortably in this newly created high-rise environment."

All three experts have come to similar conclusions, that the construction works already permitted within the warehouse building and the construction of a new vertical extension

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within it will create the most significant impact on the protected structures and that the addition of two extra storeys will not materially change this. Further, all three acknowledge the rather imbalanced and imposing juxtaposition of the approved buildings and the higher and dominating forms that surround them.

Summary and Conclusion In summary, it is submitted that the proposed addition of two extra storeys is a more appropriate response to the emerging height and character of the area and does not diminish the integrity of the two Protected Structures at 81 & 82 North Wall Quay. The applicant is seeking to upgrade and bring back the Protected Structures into a viable use at high cost. The completed development will contribute positively to the on-going development of the area and should be welcomed on that account.

The proposed two extra floors will not have any adverse visual impact on the area. They will make the creation of a hotel in this location more sustainable. The area is undergoing rapid regeneration, mainly by office and residential developments. A hotel as proposed will provide a contrasting and welcome amenity which will service the new developments in the vicinity.

It is submitted that the architectural design and treatment of the proposal is of high quality by an award winning architectural practice and will add to the stock of high quality architectural buildings in Dublin. The extension is contemporary and forms an appropriate counterpoint to the period elements of the original buildings.

It is submitted that the use and development proposed is consistent with the provisions of the Dublin City Development Plan, the provisions of the SDZ Planning Scheme, the conservation requirements relating to these Protected Structures and is consistent with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Accordingly we request that the Planning Authority to grant permission for this welcome and appropriate development.

Manahan Planners 24th May 2018

81 & 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1

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