DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has given the green light to Fáilte Ireland for its planning application to establish a food hall at the vacant St Andrew’s Church near Grafton Street in Dublin 2.

The council has granted planning permission after concluding that the planned food hall would comply with the zoning objective of the site and would not detract from the area’s civic character.

Fáilte Ireland will not be operating the food hall itself but will now instead press ahead with its plans to seek an experienced operator to lease the space out for food hall use.

In a letter to Dublin City Council, Laura McCarthy from Fáilte Ireland stated that “the proposed change of use for the premises has the potential to create a major centrally based asset for the city, with the potential to inject cultural and economic value which would benefit local residents, employees and all visitors, both domestic and foreign”.

Manager at Corporate Services at Fáilte Ireland McCarthy pointed out that food tourism generates around €2 billion to the Irish economy each year.

McCarthy said: “In order to generate and sustain further economic opportunity and economic development we need to create iconic food and drink experiences – the proposed change of use and redevelopment of St Andrew’s would be the embodiment of that vision.

She added: “It is envisaged that the proposed food hall will showcase the best of local and Irish produce within a very high-quality setting which will not only reinvigorate but repurpose part of our capital city’s historic building inventory.”

Planning documents stated that the new food hall has the potential to generate 30-40 full and part-time jobs.

The Swords-based Wright Group secured planning for a food hall at St Andrew’s Church in 2019 through its Mink Fusion subsidiary but with the Covid-19 pandemic intervening the firm did not proceed with the five-year planning permission.

In a separate planning report lodged with the application by David Mulcahy Planning Consultants, it stated that the proposed new use “will bring life back to this vacant building which is one of the most prominent buildings in the city”.

Mulcahy stated that “the concept of a food/dining hall, which is essentially a permanent indoor market with associated dining facilities, is well established in most European cities and they are very popular for tourists, city residents and local employees”.

He said that the emphasis will be on showcasing local produce, fresh where possible, and all individual vendors will be required to provide a high quality offering.

Source: The Journal.