Plans for a €10 million transformation of Howth Castle into a retail, food and tourist destination have suffered a major setback after An Bord Pleanála refused to lift a number of planning conditions which restricted measures which the promoters claim are critical for the project.
The board rejected a joint appeal by WSHI, a company linked to the real estate investment group, Tetrarch Capital and the Michael J Wright hospitality group against several planning conditions including the requirement for the developers to omit a proposed new road within the estate.
It also rejected a claim by the developers that a development contribution set at almost €165,000 was wrongly over-calculated by around €61,000.
Fingal County Council granted planning permission for the major redevelopment of Howth Castle in early 2023 but imposed a number of planning conditions which were challenged by the developers.
Consultants for WSHI and the Wright group claimed their plans for the sustainable development of the castle and its environment were being "unnecessarily compromised" by the conditions attached to the approval of the project.
The developers argued that the new road to the east of Howth Castle was required to safely accommodate the predicted traffic volumes and mix of users as well as segregate visitors to their desired location within the estate.
They claimed the existing historic avenue through the estate is inadequate in width to accommodate the anticipated increase in visitor numbers.
In addition, they said the new road was "critical" as it would also be required to serve a proposed new hotel to the rear of the castle.
They also warned that the use of the existing main entry to Howth Castle meant vibrations from increased traffic could pose a threat to the historic 15th century Gate House at the entrance to the estate.
Fingal County Council claimed the promoters of the project had not justified the need for the new road and stated it was "unnecessary" and "an over-engineered response" that would contravene objectives of the Fingal County Development Plan 2023-2029.
Tetrarch bought Howth Castle and Demesne which included 472 acres of land together with Ireland's Eye from the Gainsford-St Lawrence family in 2019 for an undisclosed price.
Under the plans, the developers want to refurbish, redevelop and change the use of part of the existing Howth Castle buildings to construct a 146-seat restaurant within a glass-covered pavilion located in the castle’s stable yard. Surrounding the pavilion will be a range of artisan shops.
The upper ground floor of the main castle would be converted to tea rooms and a reception area with the lower ground floor being used for restrooms, kitchens and storage areas.
The existing tourist attraction within the grounds of Howth Castle, the National Transport Museum, would remain on the site, while a marquee with seating for 150 guests would be located to the south of the castle for weddings and other events.
The developers appealed against a planning condition which restricted the number of car park spaces at Howth Castle to a maximum of 151 and refused planning permission for an overflow car park.
They claimed a minimum of 309 spaces would be required to serve traffic levels at peak times at weekends, of which 167 could be provided in an overflow area.
The developers claimed a limit of 151 spaces would result in an undersupply of car parking which would result in vehicles being parked on grass verges and margins within the estate, which could impact on safety.
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However, An Bord Pleanála set the maximum number of parking spaces at 188 with a requirement for the applicants to submit a revised layout plan for the overflow car park.
Fingal County Council had also pointed out that the proposed development was located within a short distance of Howth DART station and good quality bus services.
