Business

New 51-bedroom Co Down hotel at former Abbey Lodge site set for planning approval

The site of the former Abbey Lodge Hotel in Downpatrick
The site of the former Abbey Lodge Hotel in Downpatrick The site of the former Abbey Lodge Hotel in Downpatrick

A LONG-awaited Co Down hotel at the former Abbey Lodge site in Downpatrick is set to receive planning permission later this month.

The proposed 51-bedroom hotel on the Belfast Road is recommended for approval at Newry Mourne and Down District Council's monthly planning committee on March 13.

In the planning notes, published ahead of the meeting, it is stated by officers "there are no grounds to justify a refusal" and approval is recommended subject to conditions.

The multi-million pound development plans, being brought forward by Inch Abbey Holdings Ltd, were first revealed in November 2017 and feature a hotel and health spa, which houses a gym, fitness suite, swimming pool, changing rooms and treatment room.

The 62,000 sq ft development, which according to the planning application would create 15 new jobs, includes conference facilities, a function suite, as well as bars and a restaurant. Parking to the side and to the rear of the main hotel building also forms part of the application.

The former Abbey Lodge Hotel was demolished in 2009 and the land has remained vacant ever since. Planning permission was secured for an 83-bedroom hotel at the site in 2008, but the development never came to fruition.

In recent times the 18.98 acre site has been on the market with a guide price of £250,000.

Speaking previously local SDLP councillor, Dermot Curran said the new hotel could act as a catalyst for additional private sector investment in the area

"We have a number of excellent hotels in the Downpatrick area, but I believe that we need more to satisfy increasing demand for overnight accommodation,” he told The Down Recorder.

“The redevelopment of the former Abbey Lodge site would complement existing hotel provision in the area and provide the town with a significant economic boost, encouraging more people to stay and explore what the area has to offer.

“Tourism is the district’s main growth area and we need to do all we can to assist its development, creating new jobs and boosting our economy.”