Decision pushed back on plans for new hotel and conference centre in Kilkenny

A planning application from Salway Limited to develop currently derelict Hebron House and grounds on the outskirts of Kilkenny City into a hotel, leisure and conference complex has been temporarily put on hold pending the receipt of further information from the applicant.

A provisional decision had been expected by January 17 however the local authority has written to the applicant informing them that further information received from the applicant on December 11 of last year was considered to be 'significant'.

Accordingly, the applicant is now required to publish a notice in an approved newspaper in accordance with Article 35 (1) (a) of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001 (as amended).

The applicant is also required in accordance with Article 35 (1) (b) to erect a further site notice and their initial application (including further information documents received on December 11, 2023) are being held in abeyance pending receipt of these revised public notices.

Once this task has been completed by the applicant, the local authority is expected to make public a new provisional decision due date.

THE SUBMITTED PLANS

The proposed development is planned to incorporate the refurbishment and change of use of Hebron House (a protected structure) with a hotel extension off the refurbished Hebron House to provide a new two and three-storey hotel structure.

This hotel structure is to house 136 bedrooms, a reception area, restaurant, bars, kitchen, staff room, stores, toilets, service areas, meeting rooms, conference centre and a lower ground floor level swimming pool, leisure centre, fitness suite, plant rooms and storage rooms.

Within the grounds of the site, it is proposed to redevelop and landscape the existing walled garden and develop a landscaped parkland along the Pococke River, including footpaths and cycleways and a hotel car and bus park.

A new access road is also proposed from the N10 roundabout into Blanchfieldsland to provide access to the proposed hotel complex and future developments on the Business Park zoned lands.

These plans were submitted to Kilkenny County Council back in March 2023 and have since been subject to a period of further information where the local authority have requested additional detail about various elements of the proposal.

In total, the local authority made 27 specific requests for further information on various aspects of the original plans.

A number of third party submissions have also been lodged in relation to the plans.