Application to demolish rare Protected Structure, Enniscorthy

Home Forums Ireland Application to demolish rare Protected Structure, Enniscorthy

Viewing 23 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • #707586
      Devin
      Participant

      There’s a current planning application (Ref. TP1575) by Tracy’s Hotel (Combray Limited) in Enniscorthy to demolish this building and extend the adjoining hotel in:

      http://www.antaisce.org/yourarea/bar2.html?id=654

      It’s rare because it has the original Georgian shop window glazing – there’s only a tiny few of these left in Ireland. There’s one in Strabane in Co. Tyrone – it’s owned by the National Trust there.

    • #749437
      GrahamH
      Participant

      What a gem of a building – especially how the shopfront is perfectly alligned with the two upper right bays in the classical tradition.
      Also the carriage entrance is of the same proportion as the shop windows.

      Those windows are fantastic, really lovely – most certainly are very rare. They are the original, the prototype, for what has since become the traditional sweet shop or baker’s window, and so replicated in the 1980s.
      They have a heck of a cheek next door to propose demolition, regardless of its protected status.
      Surely it’ll just be flatly turned down? Even so, one would be concerned for the fabric of the building into the future if it remains in their hands

    • #749438
      Lorcan
      Participant

      I’ve had tea in the bar a couple of times, really nice place..

    • #749439
      Anonymous
      Participant

      That is a disgraceful application,

      whatever architect and or planning consultants submitted those plans should be referred to RIAI for ‘professional negligence’ on the basis of advising a client that development on that particular site was possible.

      I have rarely seen such a clear-cut rationale for refusal, someone is writing a cheque for professional services that are far from professional, I’d expect more analytical ability from a second level technical drawing student.

      Is there any chance of opening an archiseek section on ‘Irish Vernacular Gems’ this would certainly qualify

    • #749440
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster

      @Diaspora wrote:

      That is a disgraceful application,

      whatever architect and or planning consultants submitted those plans should be referred to RIAI for ‘professional negligence’ on the basis of advising a client that development on that particular site was possible.

      I have rarely seen such a clear-cut rationale for refusal, someone is writing a cheque for professional services that are far from professional, I’d expect more analytical ability from a second level technical drawing student.

      Is there any chance of opening an archiseek section on ‘Irish Vernacular Gems’ this would certainly qualify

      if you or anyone else wants to write articles and have them published on the site – go for it…. will publich any photos too

    • #749441
      Andrew Duffy
      Participant

      This kind of thing, and the relentless crusade against poor-quality one-off houses, are what I admire An Taisce for. Appealing against tall, and not so tall, buildings solely on the basis of height undermines that good work.

    • #749442
      burge_eye
      Participant

      @Devin wrote:

      There’s a current planning application (Ref. TP1575) by Tracy’s Hotel (Combray Limited) in Enniscorthy to demolish this building and extend the adjoining hotel in:

      http://www.antaisce.org/yourarea/bar2.html?id=654

      It’s rare because it has the original Georgian shop window glazing – there’s only a tiny few of these left in Ireland. There’s one in Strabane in Co. Tyrone – it’s owned by the National Trust there.

      Any chance of a summary of the application – I can’t seem to find it.

      The Wexford CDP doesn’t list it as a protected structure but it probably hasn’t been updated recently

    • #749443
      Rory W
      Participant

      @burge_eye wrote:

      The Wexford CDP doesn’t list it as a protected structure but it probably hasn’t been updated recently

      Don’t say that – it sounds like the excuse used for Archers garage! That said I recon watch out for bank holidays or mysterious fires

    • #749444
      Devin
      Participant

      We Combray Limited are applying to the above for permission to demolish 3no. existing buildings being nos. 30, 31 & 32 at Templeshannon, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford (no. 30 being a protected structure) and erect a 6 storey extension to the side of the existing hotel consisting of 36no. bedrooms, bar, restaurant and take away with ancillary areas…..Signed on behalf of the applicant by Arthur O’Leary, Architect and Planning Consultant, 81 Main Street, Gorey, Co. Wexford.

      The building is listed separately in the Enniscorthy Town Plan (& it’s Enniscorthy Town Council who process the planning application).

      Diaspora, as is sadly the case with so many important (& not so important) planning applications outside the big cities, the ‘architect’ does not have a professional qualification, so no complaint to the RIAI can be made (….didn’t the RIAI recently get something passed to deal with this problem of non-architects calling themselves architects?). Regarding the clear rationale for refusal, the ploy is to have the building de-listed at a later date.

      The application is an example of what happens so much in Ireland – genuine heritage buildings/features being destroyed & replaced by ‘heritage style’ buildings (see hotel below) or features – & fuelled by McCreevy’s urban renewal tax-incentives.

      I suppose it goes back to what yee haw was saying recently about the attitude to heritage here, & that in Scotland/UK those things are held in far higher esteem. While the Enniscorthy building is a protected strucure, a building of this rarity and value would have been snapped up by a National Trust (like the one in Strabane, which is featured in Sean Rothery’s ‘The Buildings of Ireland’) had An T or some other body been given the relevant powers by government before. But instead there’s a plan to knock it & build a gombeen hotel extension which probably has local political backing.

      An T will make an objection – if anybody else feels strongly enough, please use your democratic right and make an objection. It was lodged on the 16th of Dec., so, with the added time for the holidays, there’s still a bit to go in the 5-week period.

      Existing elevation:

    • #749445
      Devin
      Participant

      Prposed elevation:

    • #749446
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster

      Sweet Jesus

    • #749447
      burge_eye
      Participant

      @Devin wrote:

      The building is listed separately in the Enniscorthy Town Plan (& it’s Enniscorthy Town Council who process the planning application).

      :

      AAhhhhhhh I see. Sorry

      It’s a shocker all right

    • #749448
      FIN
      Participant

      @Paul Clerkin wrote:

      Sweet Jesus

      i agree… what a hideous extension

    • #749449
      GrahamH
      Participant

      Ireland Inc – what a monster.
      This must be a bit of fun that was accidently released. Wonder if Bus Eireann had a hand in it 🙂

    • #749450
      Anonymous
      Participant

      If anyone is going to the South East over the coming week could they please take a picture of the existing hotel and post it, that type of architecture looks even worse in 3-d reality.

      Devin

      it is a really good point you made regarding this not being an architect designed building, what I don’t understand is how a planner passed the existing hotel.

    • #749451
      Anonymous
      Participant

      If anyone is going to the South East over the coming week could they please take a picture of the existing hotel and post it, that type of architecture looks even worse in 3-d reality.

      Devin

      it is a really good point you made regarding this not being an architect designed building, what I don’t understand is how a planner passed the existing hotel.

    • #749452
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @Andrew Duffy wrote:

      This kind of thing, and the relentless crusade against poor-quality one-off houses, are what I admire An Taisce for. Appealing against tall, and not so tall, buildings solely on the basis of height undermines that good work.

      I agree,

      tall buildings in areas devoid of heritage are beyond the remit of An Taisce, particularly in newly developed towns with excess transport capacity.

    • #749453
      GrahamH
      Participant

      That’s a very good point about the nature of building in Ireland Devin – real living heritage being replaced with dead ‘heritage style’. The practice would be funny were it not so sad, and it’s everywhere – ‘Super Valu Syndrome’.

      And it’s almost as if those involved want to create a new heritage; they have a idealised vision of what they think 18th & 19th century Ireland should have been like – made up of monumental strutures symmetrical and ordered to the point of blandness, covered in ‘heritage’ features like frilly electric lanterns, factory-churned shopfronts and fancy PVC facias – replacing the old rickety heritage with an easy-to-clean, wipeable surface version.

      At least so much of the destruction that used to go on has stopped, esp with greater vigilance on the part of local authorities, but you still get the odd one slipping through the net 🙁

    • #749454
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @Graham Hickey wrote:

      That’s a very good point about the nature of building in Ireland Devin – real living heritage being replaced with dead ‘heritage style’. The practice would be funny were it not so sad, and it’s everywhere – ‘Super Valu Syndrome’.

      And it’s almost as if those involved want to create a new heritage]should[/I] have been like – made up of monumental strutures symmetrical and ordered to the point of blandness, covered in ‘heritage’ features like frilly electric lanterns, factory-churned shopfronts and fancy PVC facias – replacing the old rickety heritage with an easy-to-clean, wipeable surface version.

      At least so much of the destruction that used to go on has stopped, esp with greater vigilance on the part of local authorities, but you still get the odd one slipping through the net 🙁

      Graham I think that you are being a little unfair to musgraves, insomuch as their business model generally leads them to secondary locations where a lot of their premises are not designed by them but tend to be speculative schemes that are primarily residential with a retail element at ground floor only. Super-Value did take the anchor unit in the old McBurney building on Aston Quay which has had its facade restored fantastically, (the damage was done to that one in the 1980’s for the virgin records letting)

      I definitely agree on the homogenous nature of much of the infill that is plaguing most Country towns it is really a rose-tinted view of the past and vastly over-scaled in proportion to the real thing, very few centres had set piece squares on the scale of four storeys over basement, in many ways this Enniscourthy shop is the perfect example of the real thing dissappearing. Although I think this one will be retained by the planners but if needs be an appeal will be taken to An Bord Pleanalla.

    • #749455
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Did you get the decision back from Wexford County Council on this one?

    • #749456
      Devin
      Participant

      No word yet. It may have gone to further information. I’ll keep you posted of any updates.

    • #749457
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Thanks for that Devin, although I can’t see how a proposal to demolish a rare protected structure should recieve a request for further information, I suppose as Frank McDonald would say there is certain amount of chaos at the crossroads.

    • #749458
      Devin
      Participant

      Yeah, it should be just refused outright. But you’d never know – political influence is so strong in these places. If the hotel have a few councillors on their side, there’ll be pressure on the planners to look as if they’re facilitating the plans, even if they have to refuse in the end. I mean, who in their right mind would want to block the progress of Enniscorthy by objecting to the demolition of a rotten old building like Dempsey’s?!!! :rolleyes:

      The Heritage Council and the DoE had also objected to it, so that’s something.

    • #749459
      Anonymous
      Participant
Viewing 23 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

Latest News