An Bord Pleanala has finally granted approval for a major development on Dublin’s Smithfield, that has been in planning for nine years and which has an interesting back story.

The planning board has granted approval to Joe and Patrick Linders of the Linders motor group family to build a 20,000 square metre commercial and retail development on the site of the former Irish Distillers Headquarter on Smithfield Square in Dublin’s North Inner City.
 
Planning permission for the seven-storey building was first lodged in 2007 and has been opposed by a number of parties including An Taisce, due to the sensitive industrial heritage of the site.
 
The Linders have amended an initial rejected planning application to incorporate original stone walls of an earlier distillery within the proposed scheme. The development will now include the "part demolition of Irish Distillers Building," according to An Bord Pleanala.

More than 430 Irish Distillers employees shared awards of up to €10,000 each when their employers originally sold the building to the Linders in 2007.