D4 residents fear Google’s pub plan will mean increase in public urination

Last month, Google Ireland Ltd lodged plans with the council to change a permitted use of ‘retail, cafe, restaurant, marketplace’ to that of ‘public house’ for the ground floor and lower ground floor of Unit 3 Building B at Google’s Boland’s Mill campus on Ringsend Rd, Dublin 4.

Planning consultant for Google Ireland, John Spain, has told the council that the application is being made “in response to active interest from a public house operator and a recent change in the tenancy mix to contribute to the overall vitality mix of the wider uses of Boland’s Quay”.

In the 13-page planning report, Mr Spain has argued that the public house use “will assist in enhancing the vitality and attractiveness of the overall scheme as a destination for visitors as well as local residents”.

However, in an objection on behalf of seven households on Barrow Street, architect Patrick Lynch is objecting to the proposal on a number of grounds.

Mr Lynch states that one of those is “the increased safety risk to young children living adjacent to the proposed development from potential drunk and disorderly behaviour, disabling them to come and go safely from their own homes, to schools, a local playground or friends’ houses is concerning to residents”.

Mr Lynch states that the residents’ grounds and concerns for refusing this application “are clear and unambiguous”.

He has told the council that “the residents are very concerned that the proposed application will result in a substantial loss of their well-established residential amenity which is contrary to the objectives of the Dublin City Development Plan”.

Mr Lynch states that the residents are effectively living on Google’s Campus due to recent developments.

He said that residents are “concerned for their safety and from noise/disruption at closing time”.

Mr Lynch argues that there are already numerous established public houses in close proximity to Barrow Street.

If the proposed public house is permitted, it would attract “additional large numbers of late-night visitors especially when events are taking place at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre; Aviva Stadium and the 3Arena”.

He said that this “will directly impact residents”.

On behalf of the residents, Mr Lynch points out that there are no public toilets between the proposed pub and Grand Canal Dock Dart Station.

He said: “Residents already suffer from members of the public urinating on Barrow Street outside of their homes late at night”.

He said that “residents are concerned that this behaviour will intensify if the proposed ‘public house’ is permitted”.

Mr Lynch also states that heavy goods vehicles delivering kegs outside of residents’ houses “is of great concern to both residents and parents of young children”.

The three-page objection also states that “general late-night noise disturbance to both residents and children would impact their residential amenity and put further pressure on policing”.

The application lodged last month came nine months after Google officially opened the first phase of its Boland’s Mills development.

The historic Flour Mills building at the complex has been restored and adapted into a dedicated collaboration space for Google which purchased the mills in 2018.