The owner of a well-known Cork city pub has appealed a decision to refuse planning retention for a large awning which planners say has adversely affected the character of the heritage buildings, the setting of a protected theatre building, and the special character of the historic street.
Philip Gillivan, who runs The Shelbourne Bar on the recently revamped MacCurtain St, confirmed that he has appealed to An Bórd Pleanála Cork City Council’s decision to refuse his application for planning retention for the structure, which covers a seating area located on the extended pavement outside the bar, and which was installed without planning late last year.
“We have appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála. We await the outcome of that due process and will respect the decision,” he said.
The bar, located in the MacCurtain St Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) and right next to The Everyman Theatre, a protected structure, comprises two two-bay three-storey 19th century buildings — numbers 16 and 17 — both of which retain much of their historic character, and both of which are recorded on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
In a planning report, the city council’s conservation officer said the bar buildings can be considered to contribute significantly to the special character of the MacCurtain Street ACA.
A large non-retractable awning, cantilevered from the first floor, was attached to the front of the bar in November 2023 to replace a smaller structure which was installed during covid.
The planning file says no contact was made with the council’s conservation office before the large awning was installed.
While the development is described as an improvement to an established business in the city centre, the conservation officer said its impact must be assessed based upon its impact upon the buildings, the MacCurtain Street ACA, and its location next to a protected structure.
In her report, she said the visual impact of the awning on the buildings “is high and adverse” with the awning and its supporting structure obscuring most of the ground floor and the associated fixings “disfiguring” the first floor.
She also said the awning impacts significantly on the adjacent protected structure, the Everyman Theatre, with its distinctive entrance canopy and original upper floor proportions with views of the theatre on approach from the west “almost totally obscured” by the awning.
An executive planner agreed and said the awning has “materially and adversely” affected the character of the bar buildings, the setting of the theatre, and the special character of the MacCurtain Street ACA.
She also noted the design of the awning is contrary to an objective in the city development plan for canopies to be “of traditional design and retractable”.
In its decision to refuse retention, the council said the awning “extends significantly into the public realm” and has materially and adversely affected the character of heritage buildings, the setting of the Everyman Theatre, a protected structure, and the special character of the MacCurtain Street ACA, and that it contravenes several objectives of the city development plan and is therefore considered contrary to proper planning and sustainable development.
It could take several months for the Bord to rule on the appeal.
