Rana hopeful of quick T&H decision

He was part of an Andras delegation to brief the Council’s Development Committee yesterday. He told councillors he envisaged “a very recognisable” mid-market hotel such as the Holiday Inn or the Hilton Garden Inn taking on the 139 bedroom development.

Andras met with local Planning Service boss Mary McIntyre informally yesterday morning and told the meeting they were hopeful - at the end of an 18 month long engagement with planners - that issues over roads, the height of the proposed building and the historic nature of the site - were close to resolution.

Councillors were told how Andras expect to lodge a planning application within a month but that the overall hotel development - including a bar, restaurant, car park, retail offering and residential apartments - will be dependent on a successful Invest NI grant application.

During the presentation councillors were told the fact that there are only 550 hotel rooms in a city of Londonderry’s size and quality was “amazing” and more were needed to “sustain its City of culture status.”

Andras said they were assured the application would be given priority status given the extensive negotiations to date and that they were hopeful of a quick decision, timely enough to “catch the wind” of the mooted City of Culture boon.

Waterside SDLP councillor Gerard Diver said he was impressed by the plans to retain a shirt factory look architecturally in keeping with adjacent historic buildings but stressed the need to maintain the highest quality and design standards.

Given the buildings position “book-ending the bridge” high quality standards were “very important,” he stressed.