Amended plans for new hotel are lodged

Amended plans for new hotel are lodged

18 April 2018

A NEW planning application has been lodged for a 51-bedroom hotel in Downpatrick.

Details of the new development, which features a range of leisure facilities including a swimming pool and health spa, were unveiled last year, but a number of minor amendments have been made to the interior of the multi-million pound hotel.

Work is not expected to start at the Belfast Road site until 2020 and it is envisaged that construction work will take around 18 months to complete.

An updated planning application was lodged with Newry, Mourne and Down Council planners a month ago.

The proposed new hotel, which will be built on the site of the former Abbey Lodge Hotel, has already received an enthusiastic response from people who attended a public meeting last year. On that occasion, the chief architect in charge of the design, Mr Karl Pedersen, gave an overview of the development. 

He was confident that the hotel had the potential to be a major economic generator for Downpatrick.

The new hotel is expected to create jobs in the construction industry and many in the hospitality sector alongside new training opportunities.

Designers plan to use stone and slate to reflect the heritage of the area and the new hotel’s close proximity to the historic Inch Abbey site.

They are keen for the new hotel to be a local destination for weddings and meet the needs of the conference industry, provide training and employment opportunities and much-needed overnight accommodation.

Downpatrick councillor Dermot Curran has welcomed news of the new planning application and hopes planners will make a determination as quickly as possible.

He said: “The new hotel will complement existing provision and, crucially, meet the needs of visitors.

“The proposed development will also provide a boost for the local economy. The hotel proposal is very exciting and something the Downpatrick area requires.”