It's 'Heartbreak hotel'

Alderman Frank Campbell (DUP) has backed the venture from the off, claiming another hotel would give Ballymoney a financial shot in the arm.

And he says he will take the case to the office of Environment Minister Edwin Poots should a solution not be found.

The applicant behind the venture - believed to be the owners of the highly successful Maghera-based Walsh's Hotel -sought the nod to begin work on the multi-room hotel with licensed restaurant and bar, external plant room and car park at the site of the former Cloneen Restaurant on the Coleraine Road.

Ald Campbell said the current state of disrepair of the existing property which is situated along one of the town's busiest roads is an eyesore, adding he had penned a letter of support for the project to the Planning Service.

"I believe the application should have went through," said Ald Campbell.

"This is a site of dereliction on the edge of the town and a lot of people want to see it developed.

"The problem appears to be with parking.

"The way it is sitting at the minute it is attracting attention on a daily basis from vandals breaking in.

"Individuals are breaking in and starting fires and the interior is gutted.

"I know some of the objectors and I think that their opinions may have changed now given what is going on there.

"The anti-social behaviour wasn't occurring when the previous business was operating. I think this has more or less changed their opinion."

He added: "Another hotel would be good for the town.

"There are plans for a function room in the hotel which could be very attractive for businesses to hold seminars, etc.

"We already have the Manor Hotel in the town and between them Ballymoney could benefit from the additional facilities."

Ald Campbell pointed to the influx of tourists to the area for the North West 200 and Milk Cup competition saying that if Ballymoney had greater capacity for guests to stay locally it would provide a significant financial boost.

He said the arrival of different nationalities - particularly youths - would also benefit Ballymoney culturally and socially.

"It would have a knock-on effect," he said.

Recently Ballymoney Borough Council commissioned a study into what effect a new hotel in the town would have locally.

The study showed such a development would provide a significant financial boost to Ballymoney.

Commenting on behalf of the Town Centre Group, Liz Johnston said: "The proposed new boutique hotel and licensed restaurant would meet an identified need and be a very welcome addition to the town's offer as well as enhancing the tourism sector and bring economic benefits to the Causeway region.

"The group would lend its support to the efforts of Council and the development company to bring the facility to the town and hope that the planning issues can be satisfactorily resolved."

The refusal reason given by the Planning Service was that 'the proposed development would, if permitted, prejudice the safety and convenience of road users since provision cannot be made clear of the highway for the parking, turning, loading and unloading of vehicles which would be attracted to the site/premises".

Three objections to the application were lodged with planners.

The current application dates back to September 2008, however the saga has been running for almost five years.

At Monday's meeting between Ballymoney Council and a planning official, several councillors declared their disappointment that the scheme is not currently going ahead.

A Planning Service officer said that although amended plans came before them it still remains that the carpark issue cannot be addressed.

Cllr John Finlay (DUP) said he understood the application has been withdrawn although the planning officer said he was not aware of that at that stage but he said the applicant's agent had said in recent weeks that if there was to be a refusal they would rather withdraw the plans.

Cllr Finlay said: "The last thing I would want done here is for this eyesore to be left, with all the vandals that run about there."

He said it would be better having something on the site than nothing.

The councillor added: "Ballymoney desperately needs a hotel. I thought this would be the answer as the last thing we need is a derelict building and in this downturn that's a strong possibility."

Ald. Harry Connolly (SDLP) said he agreed that Ballymoney needs a hotel.

The planning officer said the objections centred on increased traffic movements, the impact on the road lay-out and noise and odour issues and the only thing which remains is the carparking issue.

Cllr Ian Stevenson (DUP) said there is a need for a hotel in the town albeit that people in the immediate area at the Coleraine Road do not want it there.

He said it would have been good to fit a small hotel into that area and said he it is a pity Roads Service have been so tight on the car parking issue.

Cllr Evelyne Robinson (DUP) said: "I think it is a great pity that we are going to be left with a monstrosity that sits there now especially on a main road into the town."

She said the whole thrust in Northern Ireland has been to attract tourists and she said the plans were for a "family type hotel" and not a "roadhouse" type facility.

She said it was disappointing that a town of the size of Ballymoney could not have such a facility.

But Ald James Simpson (Ulster Unionist) said the concern of objectors was that the hotel would start off small and get bigger and "turn into some sort of disco or something".

He said the Coleraine Road area was originally a residential area and then the B&B came with which there were no problems.

He said it is a main road and said traffic moving in and out of the hotel would have been a problem.

Cllr Finlay said the area was not always residential as the Route Hospital was sited nearby and he said the objectors "will probably be complaining about the anti-social behaviour" at the old Cloneen site in the absence of a development.

The planning officer agreed to hold off on the refusal for two weeks to allow a withdrawal to come in.