Google has secured approval for the development of a new pub within its campus near the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin, despite strong objections from a group of local residents.
Dublin City Council has granted planning permission to an Irish subsidiary of the US multinational for the change of use of the ground floor and lower ground floor in a unit at one of its buildings in the Boland’s Mill complex on Ringsend Road, Dublin 4.
It is planned to convert Unit 3 in Building B on the Google campus into a pub, which is within a protected structure in the Flour Mill at Boland’s Quay from its current permitted use as a retail/café/restaurant unit.
No physical changes are proposed to the structure of the building as a result of the conversion of the unit into a pub.
Google said the development of the overall building was nearing completion, and it wanted all available ground floor uses to be occupied once the full building is opened and operational.
In its planning application, consultants for Google Ireland said the proposed development was also in response to “active interest” it had received from an operator of pubs about adding to the mix of uses within the building.
The consultants claimed the development of a pub would “assist in enhancing the vitality and attractiveness of the overall scheme as a destination for visitors as well as local residents.”
Google Ireland acknowledged that there had been an absence of an available tenant to run the unit for retail, café or restaurant use.
The owners of several existing pubs – Bonobo in Smithfield, Kodiak in Rathmines and Caribou on Stephen Street Lower – known as the Animal Collective, are expected to operate the new pub as well as a 557m² food market in the Google campus which has been inspired by other markets such as Cork’s English Market.
Google acquired three landmark buildings that form part of the 19th century Boland’s Mill in 2018 for a reported €300 million.
A group of residents living in nearby Barrow Street had complained that the development of a pub at the location would create noise and disruption at closing time as well as safety risks which increased traffic would pose particularly to young children.
Calling for planning permission to be refused for the proposed change of use, the seven residents said they were “very concerned” that the change of use of part of the building into a pub would result in a substantial loss of their well-established residential amenity.
They claimed they were “effectively living on Google’s campus” due to recent developments with ongoing street enhancements like public benches also encouraging late-night, anti-social behaviour on Barrow Street directly outside family homes.
The residents said they had already suffered from a vast reduction of on-street parking in the area due to recent developments by Google Ireland.
They claimed there were already numerous pubs in close proximity to Barrow Street, with the development of a new licenced premises likely to attract additional large numbers of late night visitors, particularly when events were taking place in the Aviva Stadium, the 3Arena and the Bord Gáis Theatre.
The residents also highlighted how there are no public toilets between the area and Grand Canal Dock DART station.
They expressed concern that the problem with people urinating outside homes on Barrow Street would intensify as a result of a pub being permitted in the Google building.
The grant of planning permission may still be the subject of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
