555.6-hectare solar farm proposed at Nos. 1, 1a, Dublin

In context

It is one of 32 solar farm applications Dublin City Council has received in the past twelve months, against 335 nationally. Of the 573 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 92% were granted.

What happens next

The five-week window for public submissions has closed. The council is due to decide by 6 January 2026, unless it requests further information, which stops the clock.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Dublin City Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

PI Hotels & Restaurants Ireland Ltd intends to apply for permission for development to amend a previously permitted hotel scheme (Dublin City Council Reg. Ref. 2409/20 (ABP Ref. ABP-308627-20), which was subsequently amended by Dublin City Council Reg. Ref. 3409/24) on this site of 0.055ha located at Nos. 1, 1a and 2 Usher Street, Dublin 8 and Nos. 29/30 Ushers Quay, Dublin 8 (Eircodes D08 YY11 and D08 VYX7). The proposed development which provides for alterations to the permitted building, comprises: an increase in the overall gross floor area of the building by c. 63 sq m (c. 3,964 sq m permitted, increasing to c. 4,027 sq m proposed) resulting from an increase in the floor areas of the Basement, Ground, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Floor Levels; the reconfiguration of the internal layout of all levels of the permitted building (from Basement to Seventh Floor Levels), to include amendments to the hotel bedrooms and related to ancillary hotel facilities including work space, reception area, lobby and restaurant with public bar, storage areas, administration and staff facilities, plant, waste storage area and bicycle store, ancillary space (which includes areas such as circulation cores (lifts and stairs) and routes, and plant areas (including ESB substation and meter room) throughout the building); alterations to the permitted plant and mechanical and electrical services areas at Roof Level, including alterations to plant screens; a decrease in the height of the permitted lift overrun (by c. 0.72m from c. 25.82m permitted to c. 25.10 m proposed), an increase in the height of the permitted roof level parapet (by c. 0.15m from c. 23.87m permitted to c. 24.02m proposed), and amendments to the green / blue roofs, roof level photovoltaic panel zones and plant layouts; alterations to the permitted building’s elevations from Ground to Seventh Floor Levels as required; and associated alterations to permitted scheme’s site services (mechanical and electrical, water supply, sewage disposal and surface water disposal). There are no changes arising to the number of hotel bedrooms permitted (100 No.).