UK pub giant, JD Wetherspoon has abandoned its contentious plans to erect at a Dublin superpub a 43 ft high sound barrier dubbed “taller than the Berlin Wall” by one objector.
This follows JD Wetherspoon withdrawing its appeal at An Bord Pleanala against Dublin City Council’s comprehensive refusal to the sound barrier for a beer garden at its super-pub at Keaven’s Port hotel on Dublin’s Camden Street.
The planned sound barrier faced strong opposition from parents of children attending an adjacent Montessori School, the D2 Creche and Montessori and from local residents.
The Council refused planning permission to the barrier in July after concluding that it would create an unacceptably high, solid barrier and would seriously injure the architectural character, setting, special interest and amenity of protected structures within the area.
However, JD Wetherspoon lodged an appeal in August with An Bord Pleanala with its planning consultants, Brock McClure confirming that JP Wetherspoon did not intend to operate the courtyard at the level of 244 patrons “and is happy to accept a condition that limits occupant to 100 persons or less”.
JD Wethersoon shut down the beer garden in April 2022 following residents’ complaints and a permitted sound barrier is necessary for the beer garden to re-open. The pub operator continues to sustain the financial hit arising from the closure of the beer garden.
Asked to comment on the appeal withdrawal, a spokesman for Wetherspoon, Eddie Gershon stated: “We are exploring a number of options to ensure that customer use of the garden does not cause a disturbance to our neighbours. We have taken into account the opposition to the original scheme and have decided not to pursue the appeal. The garden will remain closed in the interim.”
One of those to object was mother of three, Naoise McNally where one of her three children currently attends the D2 Creche and Montessori next door to the hotel.
Ms McNally said on Monday: "We welcome the withdrawal of the appeal by Wetherspoons, in recognition of our objections and those of other neighbours. We are delighted that Wetherspoons understand that a wall of this size and the ensuing increase in noise and anti-social behaviour would be detrimental for our children’s well-being and that of the wider community in the area.
She added: "We hope that Wetherspoons now recognise the welfare of the children in D2 Crèche and Montessori and the importance of maintaining a safe, clean and peaceful environment for all residents are of paramount importance for the community of Camden street.”
In their original group objection, the creche and Montessori parents argued that to compromise the children’s outdoor play space, “at the expense of the youngest of children, in favour of creating a more favourable drinking environment for adults seems egregiously unfair and would reflect extremely poorly on the priorities of Dublin City Council”.
They stated that their children aged one to five “have benefitted from a wonderful facility that nurtures them in their earliest years”.
They stated: "We believe the proposed wall adjacent to their small outdoor yard will compromise their play space and present a significant risk to their safety.”
The objection - signed by 13 parents - states that all four groups of children attending - wobblers 1-2 years old, toddlers 2-3 years old, pre-school 3-4 years and montessori children - 4-5 years “derive significant use in all weathers from this space as their only outdoor amenity, a hugely valuable space in a city centre creche environment”.
