Community facilties and housing plans lodged for former Gorteen House Hotel site

The once popular, now derelict Hotel in Limavady was torched in early 2008 during a serious arson wave in the County Londonderry town which cost the taxpayer nearly £500,000 during a single 18 month period over 2007-8.

But plans are now afoot to redevelop the Gorteen site at the top of the Roemill Road.

The local planning office is in receipt of an application to “demolish the existing buildings, erect housing with associated open space and landscaping, and build community facilities.”

There will also be “improvements to existing road junctions in the vicinity.”

The development plans are specifically for the site at “183 and 187 Roemill Road, Limavady, including lands to the north, east, south and west of the former Gorteen House Hotel.”

The landmark sustained up to twenty five per cent damage during an inferno caused by arsonists on Monday, February 25, 2008.

Thankfully no-one was in the Hotel - a listed building - when the fire took hold.

Speaking at the time then Fire Service District Commander William Lynch, said vital resources had to be scrambled in order to prevent it spreading to neighbouring properties with thirty-two firefighters from Limavady, Dungiven, Londonderry and Strabane mobilised in all.

Five fire appliances, which could have been utilised elsewhere, were also tied up in the operation, that lasted for four-and-a-half hours.