An Bord Pleanala have agreed that an enclosed outdoor space at Ripasso restaurant in Bray can be retained, overruling a previous refusal by Wicklow County Council.
he Bord rejected its inspector’s recommendation that permission should be refused, instead granting permission for the structure to be retained for two years.
PEQ Restaurants Limited lodged an appeal in December 2021 after Wicklow County Council refused permission to retain an extension to the side of the restaurant at 1 Albert Avenue, which is a protected structure, and part of Brennan's Terrace.
The local authority had issued a split decision on the application, granting permission for signage at the restaurant to be retained.
The appeal documents stated the enclosed outdoor space was created as an emergency measure in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The appeal warned that if permission to retain the outdoor space was not granted, then the business could face closure.
The appeal asked the Bord to grant permission for the extension to be retained until 2024 while work continues on the development of designs for a permanent structure more in keeping with the building.
In their report, the Bord’s inspector recommended a split decision, granting permission for signage to be retained, but not the extension.
The inspector felt that the extension “detracts from the architectural integrity of the building” and is out of character with the terrace, which is prominently located on Bray's seafront.
While the inspector noted the business reasons for the retention of the enclosed dining space, they argued that existing permission for an outdoor dining space could fulfil this purpose.
The inspector considered that the application had not paid “sufficient heed to the need to protect the character of the subject building”.
It was also felt by the inspector that the request to retain the structure until 2024 was “unduly lengthy”.
The Bord said it considered it was appropriate to grant permission for the structure to be retained for two years to allow the restaurant’s operators to consider a “more appropriate design solution” in keeping with the character of the building and the surrounding area.
The Bord directed that all structures must be removed from the space after this time, unless further permission has been granted.
