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You are > Home > Joy over Kilronan Castle plans
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Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Joy over Kilronan Castle plans
By Maresa Fagan
The news that An Bord Pleanala has given the green light for the redevelopment of Kilronan Castle, bringing a new hotel and holiday homes to north Roscommon, has been broadly welcomed as a significant boost for the region.
On Wednesday last An Bord Pleanala signed off on the long awaited decision and overturned the appeals lodged against the plans to redevelop the castle ruins. Among the appellants to the multimillion euro plans were the Cavan and Leitrim Environmental Awareness Network (CLEAN) and environmental watchdog An Taisce.
Under the name of Kilronan Estate Holdings, the Hanly Group has been given the go ahead to redevelop the castle into an 81-bed hotel and build 60 holiday homes, at Castletenison, on the shores of Lough Meelagh.
The plans include the development of a conference centre, which will be linked to the hotel, and a separate chapel building.
An Bord Pleanala gave the go ahead for the development, subject to 27 conditions, having found that the development would not have an adverse impact on the cultural heritage of the castle and Demesne. It also found that the development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area, would not be prejudicial to public health and would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience.
The planning authority reduced the number of holiday homes from 110 to 60 units and made other changes to the plans in the interest of visual and residential amenity.
Delighted with the go ahead, the Hanly Group is “quite happy” with the conditions attached and stressed that the feasibility of the project would not be affected by the reduction in the number of holiday homes.
The group hope to begin works on site within the next four to six weeks and expect the project to take two years to complete. The project is estimated to cost in the region €65 million and create close to 200 jobs directly and indirectly in the region.
Heralded as becoming the Ashford or Dromoland Castle of County Roscommon, the development will see the castle being restored to it’s former glory and will be marketed alongside the Lough Rynn estate, as a sister development.
While the Cavan Leitrim Environmental Awareness Network (CLEAN), one of the objectors to the plans, accepted the decision of An Bord Pleanala it continued to raise a number of concerns about the project and also called for pedestrian access to the Demesne to be reopened.
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