Planners have refused permission for a pop-up restaurant to be set up in steel shipping containers on a vacant city centre site – similar to those in the Southbank Centre in London.
Number 19 Forster Street was demolished in 2012 following concerns raised by Galway City Council that it was in danger of collapsing.
The site, which has been boarded up for more than five years, is part of the Odeon portfolio of 30 nearby properties owned jointly by the Comer Group and the McHale family.
Darragh Mullin sought temporary planning permission (for three years) for a restaurant with a seated area and a take-away element, modelled on developments which have taken place in other cities such as the Southbank Centre.
According to the application, the restaurant would meet an objective of the City Development Plan which encourages the growth of speciality and artisan foods.
“The proposed use of this restaurant will contribute to this objective as it will serve ‘street food’, good quality food, prepared quickly, and suitable for takeaway or eat in.
“The provision of a vibrant restaurant would enhance this street, as currently the site is vacant, and considered an eyesore on one of the city’s main approaches.
“If this immediate area is to be developed as a commercial or business hub for the city, then equally, the provision of such restaurants for servicing lunches or ‘quick’ food is required. This model is running successfully in other cities where there is similar footfall,” the application reads.
The applicant planned to paint the containers in colours selected to “provide a vibrant and welcoming building that will contribute to the town centre”. He had sought to operate from 10.30am to 10.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11.30am to 10pm on Sundays.
The plans were for a restaurant which would accommodate 20 people inside, and a further 24 people on tables outside, covered by a projecting canopy.
City planners said that the use of the site as a restaurant would be acceptable in principle, but the use of shipping containers would “perpetuate the under-utilisation” of the site in the city centre.
“It is considered that there is no shortage of food outlets, including restaurants, bars and premises serving food, including takeaways, in the immediate vicinity to such a degree that would warrant consideration of such a use and a poor-quality structure at this location,” planners said.
They added that the City Development Plan states a “high quality design is essential to protect and enhance the character of the city centre”.
In their decision to refuse permission, the Council said: “The proposed temporary “pop up restaurant” constructed of shipping containers and with a temporary appearance, would by reason of its location, scale, design and materials, contravene Development plan policy and would be injurious to the visual amenity of the area,” adding that it would be an unacceptable form of development.
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