Brown Thomas withdraws objection to new 'premium beauty' shop on Grafton Street

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has given the green light to one of the two applications connected to the transformation of the Victoria Secrets store in Dublin into a retail space for “a premium beauty retailer”.

The grant of permission to owner of the premises at 28/29 Grafton Street Eamon Waters’s Huntstown BioEnergy ULC for a new shopfront follows high-end retailer, Brown Thomas last Friday withdrawing its objection against the companion application for the store overhaul.

In the planning permission for the new shopfront, the Council concluded that the proposed shopfronts on the Grafton Street and Lemon Street sides of the store “will enhance the quality and appearance of the existing frontage while strengthening the building’s relationship with the public realm”.

The Council also concluded that the contemporary design of the new shopfront is appropriate to the architectural character of the host building and similar contemporary shopfront treatments are evident elsewhere along Grafton Street including at Alo, Brown Thomas, Lifestyle Sports, Sketchers, and Massimo Dutti.

The Council stated that the proposed shopfront makeover would not have a negative impact on the character or appearance of the Architectural Conservation Area.

In response to the companion application for the overhaul of the store to make way for “a premium beauty retailer specialising in prestige skincare, cosmetics, fragrance and wellness products”, Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd lodged an objection.

The planning application followed the American lingerie brand’s decision to move from its flagship Irish store from Grafton Street to retail units 1 and 2 at 40-43 Nassau Street.

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The Huntstown Bioenergy ULC planning documents do not name the ‘prestige’ cosmetics firm to occupy 28/29 Grafton Street.

However, it was reported in May that the new occupier is to be luxury beauty brand Space NK, which plans to relocate from its current, smaller premises at 82 Grafton Street.

In the BT objection lodged with the city council last month, operations director at Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd, Mark Limby called on the council to refuse planning permission for the overhaul.

Limby told the council that the application if permitted at the scale proposed, would represent a disproportionate and undue additional concentration of a single retail category – cosmetics and beauty products – on the street contrary to retail-mix and higher order retail policies in the City Council’s Scheme of Special Planning Control for Grafton Street and Environs.

However, last Friday, Brown Thomas Arnott’s Ltd withdrew the objection.

Limby said today: “As one of Grafton Street’s longest-established retailers, Brown Thomas takes seriously its role in supporting the continued success and character of the street.

Limby said that the firm’s recent submission on the case “related solely to the scale of the proposed use and its consistency with Dublin City Council’s established planning policy for Grafton Street”.

He said: “Following constructive engagement with the developer and clarification regarding the scale and nature of the proposed use, we are now satisfied that our concerns have been addressed.

He said: “Brown Thomas Arnotts has therefore withdrawn its observation and believes the proposal will make a positive contribution to Grafton Street.”