The proprietor of Waterford Fort has expressed frustration over the refusal of planning permission for a beach-view terrace at a bar he runs in Tramore.
Séamus Walsh referred to as the choice by Waterford Metropolis and County Council a “missed alternative” forward of an “open air summer time” for the hospitality sector.
The choice pertains to the again terrace of One the Waterfront, which holds as much as 100 individuals, and was constructed with out the suitable planning permission.
An utility for retention of the terrace was submitted final October via the bar’s house owners Wfhtp Restricted.
The beach-view terrace is linked by stairs to an current licensed terrace positioned in the back of the bar, and offers a further 31.7 sq m of flooring space.
Mr Walsh mentioned he can also look to assemble an extra, lower-level out of doors licensed terrace.
Nevertheless, the appliance to retain the beach-view terrace was refused by Waterford Metropolis and County Council final week as the positioning is in a visually delicate space, alongside a cliff face.
Mr Walsh confirmed he’ll attraction the choice to An Bord Pleanála.
The proprietor, who’s from south Co Kilkenny, mentioned: “I might see this as attempting to encourage out of doors eating so we shouldn’t now be getting in the other way. It’s good for individuals, it might enable individuals utilizing the seashore a spot to get water and drinks at part of the seashore that hasn’t had something like this for a very long time.
“We wish to present one thing particular for the locals and the out-of-towners and benefit from the exceptional views. We took a constructing which had been derelict for over 15 years and refurbed it, refitted it and introduced it up to now.”
The bar is ready to maintain over 120 individuals on its present licensed terrace and indoors space, with social distancing, and had a footfall of 58,000 throughout its transient opening final summer time, Mr Walsh mentioned.
The businessman, who left Eire within the Nineteen Eighties to work in development in Australia earlier than taking cost of Waterford Fort six years in the past, has invested €1.2 million within the web site so far.
He added that he was “disenchanted as a result of the council by no means made contact with me, I had no dialog with the council about this in any respect and there’s clearly extra of a requirement for locations like this”.
A spokeswoman for Waterford Metropolis and County Council mentioned “in frequent with all different planning authorities”, it doesn’t advise candidates prematurely of selections.
“All planning selections are uploaded to the web planning system and are reside from the date of resolution,” the spokeswoman added.
“The place an applicant is dissatisfied with a planning resolution there are statutory rights to attraction mentioned resolution.”
In a letter despatched final December, the council warned that the bar’s web site discover for the event was not “simply seen or legible” for individuals.
Mr Walsh insisted that he “didn’t flaunt” the planning guidelines: “I did a authorized strategy of retention, which is utilised fairly usually within the planning system. This [the terrace] was to indicate Tramore what it might actually be, to make it shine. I’m not saying I’ve nice imaginative and prescient however I do have some imaginative and prescient.”