Planning blitz on Sherkin Island: Sherkin Island in Co Cork - which has a population of 120 people - is the subject of three An Bord Pleanála decisions this week.

Sherkin Island Housing Association was refused permission to build six social and affordable houses and a wastewater treatment system at Kilmoon, on a site overlooking Kinish Harbour. The reason given was the inadequacy of the soil and existence of agricultural drains which would be prejudicial to public health and give rise to an unacceptable risk of pollution to Kinish Harbour, a designated Oyster breeding area.

Sherkin Island Development Society was also refused permission for an arts, culture and health centre and package waste treatment system at Kilmoon, Sherkin Island for the same reasons. Kilmoon is a small cluster of houses, church, pub and post office. However, Met Éireann won their appeal to remove a condition of planning permission requiring the removal of a 10-metre meteorological mast and ground-based measuring equipment at Drolan, Sherkin Island after five years.

It argued that under UN issued guidelines for the collection of climatological data, three consecutive 10-year periods are required.

Plan for Hibernian Hotel refused

The Hibernian Hotel on Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4 has been refused permission by Dublin City Council to extend and upgrade its premises.

The Hibernian, which has the ambience more of a grand house than a hotel, is looking to extend with a four-storey over basement extension with 15 bedrooms and a new bar, dining area and a basement store. This would have involved the removal of the roof, an interior wall in the existing diningroom, a conservatory, and removal of single storey extensions to the north and west sides.

It was also looking to have an existing 1995 extension infilled to contain an office, staff diningroom and maintenance workshop.