€40m eco-resort a major boost for local economy
A major eco-resort development is planned at Yew Point peninsula, which is located just beyond the Hodson Bay Hotel.
Plans to develop a major eco-tourism resort at Yew Point peninsula in the Hodson Bay area of South Roscommon could generate €40m in tourism spend over the next ten years and create up to 95 jobs, according to the developers.
New Island Resorts Limited, the company behind this ambitious ecotourism development, recently lodged a planning application with Roscommon County Council to develop a low carbon visitor destination, with “education and learning at the heart of the vision for the Eco-Tourism Village”.
The planning application comprises a series of detailed documentation outlining the proposals for the sprawling peninsula of unspoiled meadowland and native woodlands. The proposed site, located at the edge of Lough Ree adjacent to the Hodson Bay Hotel, extends to more than 147 acres, and the proposed development has a site coverage of 0.52%.
The proposed Yew Point development, incorporating seminars and educational eco-trails and tours, includes the construction of 36 eco lodges providing 12 family and 24 two-person cabins. The cabins will be raised on stilts above ground level to conserve existing ground conditions and preserve through routes for movement of wildlife.
One of the reports lodged with the planning application assesses the economic impact the eco-resort could have on the surrounding area. According to KMPG future analytics it’s estimated that visitors to Yewpoint could generate between €35.1 million and €38.8 million in tourism spend over the next decade.
The KMPG report estimates that tourism spend at Yew Point could also directly support up to 95 tourism jobs, in addition to indirect benefits such as additional construction and manufacturing jobs created during the development process.
Roscommon County Council planners are due to make a decision on the development by January 6th next.
