Conor McGregor gives up the fight for boutique Howth hotel

Mixed Martial Arts star Conor McGregor has, for now at least, given up the fight for a boutique-style seaside hotel in Howth, north Co Dublin.

His company G Boppers Ltd has opted not to appeal a decision by Fingal County Council to refuse planning permission for the 35-bedroom hotel to An Bord Pleanála.

The plans had attracted a wave of local opposition. One woman raised concerns the proposed hotel, on the site of the Waterside Bar on Harbour Road and Church Street, would be an Ibiza-style party venue.

G Boppers Ltd was seeking planning permission to demolish the part four-storey and part two-storey building and in their place construct a part five-storey and part four-storey terraced building.

It is now open to the company to lodge revised plans for the site in order to meet the concerns of planners.

In the refusal, issued on two grounds, the council stated that – taking into account the location of the hotel on Church Street and the preserved view along the street – the proposal “would interfere with the character of the landscape or with a view or prospect of special amenity value or natural interest or beauty”.

The council also found the development proposal would adversely affect an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) and contravene the Fingal County Development Plan.

A report lodged with the application by Prof Cathal O’Neill & Company Architects contended that the scheme “seeks to make appropriate use of the site which has been underutilised for many years and to provide guest accommodation which is sorely needed in the area”.

However, local resident Monica Lambert told the council that she strongly objected “to the unprecedented large roof garden/beer garden”.

“While it is softly couched as a garden for residents it will without doubt be used as a beer and party garden reminiscent of Ibiza parties,” she submitted.

“This is a quiet residential area and the current proposal is unprecedented and wholly out of character with a quiet residential area.” In total, the council received 19 third-party submissions.