Planners give restaurant go-ahead after emergency works carried out
Planners have given the go-ahead for a new restaurant on Eglinton Street – at a property where emergency works previously had to be carried out to prop up the building.
Planners said that the change of use Number 18 to a restaurant, which is a non-retail use, is not in contravention of the Galway City Council Development Plan.
They stated that the plan restricts the conversion of the ground floor of premises on the premises on the principal streets in the city centre from retail to non-retail use but Eglinton Street is not considered one of those.
The shop was operating until recently as Decobake while the premises was occupied by Nestor’s clothes shop until 2013. The property adjoins a side access into the rear of the Imperial Hotel which is, according to planners, in the same ownership.
Permission was sought by Foxfield Inns Limited for the change of use of the ground floor commercial unit from a retail shop to a restaurant including alterations to the facade. The City Council granted planning permission subject to 13 conditions being complied with.
However, City Heritage Officer, Dr Jim Higgins, said that while he had no objections to the change of use, he noted that work had started on this premises before planning had been granted and without an archaeologist present or archaeological licence having been granted.
Dr Higgins said that lintels were replaced and openings in the walls widened while floors were removed and subsoil removed. In light of this, he said that it was essential that as full a record as possible of these and other changes should be made.
“In my view, too much fabric has been removed already and all surviving internal walling should be left in place,” said Dr Higgins.
Emergency works were carried out on the building, after it was found that it was being held up by old railway irons and pieces of timber. It was also found there was no fire proofing between the commercial unit and hotel bedrooms overhead, which would allow a fire travel through the building “in minutes”.
Consulting Engineer Cyril Kelly told the City Council that propping jacks were put in place at No 18, as it was liable to collapse at any time.
He said that in his 25 years of practice as an engineer, he had never encountered anything like it.
In granting permission, it was stipulated by planners that the new restaurant will operate as a sit-in diner only which means that there will be no take-away facility. This, they say, is in the interest of the amenities of the area. It can operate between the hours of 11am and 11pm.
According to the plans, the maximum number of staff employed will be ten, while it can accommodate a maximum of 66 customers. The applicants confirmed to city planners that “there will be no delivery service or take-out counter. However, as with all restaurants, if a customer wishes to take out food, it would be accommodated”.