An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission for the Norman Foster re designed Clarence Hotel after a year and half of consultations.

The landmark hotel, which currently has 44 bedrooms, will be turned in to a nine-storey, 144-bedroomed five-star hotel with a spa, signature restaurant, bar and freshfood market.

However, several changes as stipulated by the planning board have been made to the original plans with revisions to be submitted to Dublin City Council.

The proposed penthouse level facing Essex Street at fourth floor level will be reduced in length by four metres on the western side and four metres on the eastern side.

The decision is hugely significant however as the redevelopment involves gutting a series of protected buildings, including the Clarence itself, leaving just the facades.

The board also stipulated that “prior to the demolition of the protected structures, all existing buildings and interiors shall be preserved by record” and the drawings lodged with the architectural archive.

The hotel owners Bono and The Edge from rock band U2 have expressed their delight with the news.

"We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence. It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project.

And we believe it's great news for Dublin and for Temple Bar in particular, where we've been working for over 20 years and where a hotel has been trading on The Clarence site for 177 years," Bono and his co-owners said.

The new expanded hotel would be incorporated into the former Dollard printing works and four Georgian buildings on Wellington Quay.