An Coimisiún Pleanála has approved a Chawke family firm’s plans to continue operating a wood-fired pizza business in south Dublin.
The commission granted planning retention for three years to Chawkes Woodfired Pizza Ltd for a self-contained pizza catering truck and outdoor seating in Cornelscourt, Dublin 18, despite health concerns expressed by a medical consultant based at St Vincent’s hospital.
In May, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council granted planning retention for the scheme for three years but this was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála by local resident Niall Melvin.
As part of his appeal, Melvin included a submission from medical consultant Dr Sinéad Murphy.
In her submission, Murphy said it was her medical opinion that recurring smoke emissions and repeated exposure to wood-fired particulates are sufficient to give rise to upper airway irritation symptoms and materially intervene with the residential enjoyment of her dwelling and rear garden area in Foxrock.
However, in its ruling, An Coimisiún Pleanála pointed to the zoning of the site, which it said was supportive of the pizza catering truck development.
The commission said that, subject to 10 conditions, the proposal would constitute an acceptable form of development and would not adversely impact on the visual or residential amenities of the area.
In her assessment, planning inspector Siobhán Carroll noted that the operation of the pizza ovens does generate smoke.
Carroll said she was satisfied that the attachment of a condition by the council’s environmental health officer addresses the matter of smoke generated by the use of the pizza ovens by specifying the fuel source.
Carroll said she was satisfied that the proposed development would not give rise to undue impact on existing residential amenities.
The operation at Cornelscourt is one of four Chawke-run and owned Fired Up pizza operations around south Dublin. The others are located in Goatstown, Donnybrook and Rathfarnham.
The most recent accounts for Chawkes Woodfired Pizza Ltd show that it recorded post-tax profits of €294,568 in the 12 months to the end of May 2025 and had accumulated profits of €965,152.
One the country’s best known publicans, Charlie Chawke is a director of the firm but does not own any shares in the company.