A new 74-bedroom hotel on the site of a former police station in Belfast city centre is to go ahead after being granted planning permission.
Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee gave the green light for the development on Tuesday evening.
It will see the historic listed building in Queen Street, which has been vacant for almost 31 years, finally brought back into use.
Originally developed for the Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and constructed in 1878, the building became an RUC station in 1934, before closing in 1993.
Developer Big Top Productions published the hotel plans in 2018 and submitted an application in 2020.
The company is owned by Andre Graham and Seamus Sweeney, the former owners of the popular Kremlin nightclub in Belfast’s Donegall Street.
At this week’s committee meeting, planning permission was granted for the change of use to a hotel, including refurbishment of the Grade B1 listed building and a 9-storey extension/new build to the rear of the building.
The development would include bar/restaurant and other facilities.
The committee also approved planning applications for two residential developments in the east and north of the city.
Committee chair, Sinn Féin councillor Matt Garrett, said: “Granting planning approval for this new hotel in the city centre and for these major residential developments across the city is fantastic news for visitors to Belfast and residents and potential residents to the city.
“The planning application for the new hotel in Queen Street is of particular significance as the building is Grade B1 listed and on the heritage risk register so bringing it into use again by converting to a new hotel is to warmly welcomed.”
