Publican Charlie Chawke has confirmed his intention to lodge revised plans for an apartment scheme for the site of the Goat Bar and Grill at Goatstown before the end of the year.
In June, An Bord Pleanala refused Mr Chawke planning permission for a €186m 299 unit scheme after locals voiced their opposition and were supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council which recommended a refusal for the eight-storey scheme.
Mr Chawke said, "I don't know if it is easy to appease the objectors but we’ll have to have a stab at it anyway and have a go at a nicer, agreeable plan for the area.
"We’ll see if the architects can come up with a nice design and if they come with that, we will go with it."
The Government’s current fast track Strategic Housing Development system that allows developers by-pass local authorities and lodge applications directly with An Bord Pleanala is due to expire in February 2022.
Mr Chawke said that he was 'optimistic’ that any new plan will find favour with planners.
"We have the donkeys and goats on the site - they are looking very well there, very happy. We’re in Goatstown since 1982 and the donkeys can’t stay there forever."
Mr Chawke confirmed the intention to lodge the fresh plans when commenting on new accounts which show that combined revenues at a number of pubs in the Charlie Chawke pub group last year decreased by 43% from €10.09m to €5.7m due to the Covid-19 impact on business.
In new consolidated accounts filed for Milltown Inns Ltd and subsidiaries, the group recorded a pre-tax loss of €279,081 after the revenue decrease in the 12 months to the end of October last.
The accounts include the performance of Ireland’s most expensive pub, the Old Orchard in Rathfarnham which was purchased for €22m in 2005 and the group’s Dropping Well pub.
The business received €586,207 in Government Covid-19 Support Scheme payments and appears as ‘other operating income' in the accounts.
The business recorded an operating profit of €124,190. However, interest payments of €403,271 resulted in the pretax loss of €279,081.
Mr Chawke said business at his pubs located in the suburbs around Dublin has recovered to around 70% of pre-Covid revenues while the city centre pubs are not as performing as strongly as that.
He said, "We are happy enough with where the business is at the moment and we are hoping for a good run up to Christmas.
"We have had a terrible year like everyone else in the business. What can you do? We have had a shocking shocking time, closing and then opening and not being able to serve people inside."
Mr Chawke said that getting staff, especially kitchen staff, is one of the biggest challenges facing his business now.
The accounts show that numbers employed at the pubs last year decreased from 154 to 104 and staff costs reduced from €3.9m to €2.58m.
