Three public bodies have challenged a proposal to demolish a former hotel in Wicklow town built around 1800 and replace it with a modern residential and retail development, writes Edel Morgan

An Taisce, The Irish Georgian Society and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have appealed a decision by Wicklow Town Council to knock the Bayview Hotel at Upper Mall, High Street in Wicklow town.

An Taisce says the hotel is currently the subject of a ministerial recommendation for protected structure designation under Section 53 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.The former hotel retains much of its original character despite some changes made in the mid 20th century.

An Taisce contends that the proposed development will also have an adverse impact on the adjacent building, Fitzpatricks, a protected structure.

The proposal by the developer M A O'Reilly is to demolish a group of buildings on the site, including the former hotel, a public house fronting Main Street, a shop building and three houses facing High Street. This would be replaced by 19 shop units and nine apartments and a multi-level car-park.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government says the late Georgian, four-storey hotel "is by far the most prominent structure" along the stretch known as "the Mall", and was built to command views over the bay and occupy a central site in the town centre.

It says that part of the development faces onto High Street, "a street of considerable character and collectively of significant architectural interest. It is lined by two to three-storey Victorian houses that largely retain their original character."

The four-bay, three-storey over basement hotel still has its original sash windows and shutters on the upper floors and a radial fanlight front door.