Bar Code may have to be torn down
A well-known Dublin nightclub may have to be torn down because its owners didn't have permission to build it in the first place.
The club and leisure centre owners have been ordered to pull down a large part of its premises after they were refused permission to retain sections of the building.
The owners of the centre on Clontarf Road, Dublin 3 may have to completely demolish extensive portions of the Westwood Leisure Centre after An Bord Pleanala refused planning permission for their retention.
complaints
The leisure centre had sought approval to retain sections of the premises, which includes a well known nightclub, Barcode. The club has been the subject of complaints by local residents who claim it is a source of constant noise and nuisance.
The appeals body agreed with Dublin City Council's decision to grant permission for the retention of a number of elements of the complex including a health clinic, entrance lobby and storage. But it also agreed that the other elements of the complex would have to go, refusing retention for the extension that was built without planning approval.
It further stated that none of the elements remaining should be used at any time for the sale or consumption of alcohol.
Also set to go is a museum on site called the Dracula Experience. The site of the development is close to Marino Crescent, where Dracula author Bram Stoker was born.
Templeville Developments Ltd, owner of the Westwood Complex, also operates leisure centres in Leopardstown and Sandymount.
The nightclub at the Clontarf Road venue has been the subject of repeated and consistent complaints. Local residents have opposed Barcode's licence and monthly special exemptions in the local district court.
- Lisa-Anne Crookes
