NEW: Owners of Hayden's Hotel in Ballinasloe issue update on plans for the building
The owners of Hayden's Hotel in Ballinasloe have said they plan to use the building for healthcare and not accommodation for International Protection applicants.
Claddagh Ventures Limited was given the green light last week by An Coimisúin Pleanála to make changes to the famous hotel on Dunlo street, including the addition of nine ground floor bedrooms to house migrants.
The company had been told by Galway County Council that it would require planning permission to make the changes but the planning appeals board ruled last week that it was “exempted development”.
As reported in this week's Connacht Tribune (An Coimisúin Pleanála gives Hayden’s Hotel in Ballinasloe green light to accommodate asylum seekers) , this meant it could proceed to make changes without applying for planning permission.
But in a statement today (Thursday), issued through Galway County Councillor Alan Harney (FG), Claddagh Ventures Limited has clarified that it submitted an application for internal changes to the property, after it “received an interest from a third-party provider relating to accommodation for displaced persons”.
It acknowledged this was approved by the planning appeals board but it insisted has no plans to proceed with using the property for International Protection applicants.
Claddagh Ventures Limited said it had plans for over two years to use the hotel as a “health care facility”, during which time it was approached by a third party about using it to accommodate migrants.
It said it had engaged with the County Council and HSE about its health care plans.
“Claddagh Ventures Ltd has not ever and will not be involved in accommodation provision for displaced persons,” it said in a statement, adding its objectives were to provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for the Ballinasloe area.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD, Claire Kerrane said she contacted the Department of Justice for clarity.
“I have just spoken to an official in the Department of Justice. There are no plans or discussions ongoing to use Hayden’s Hotel for IPAS accommodation and the Department are not seeking any additional accommodation,” Deputy Kerrane said.
As reported in this week's Connacht Tribune, Claddagh Ventures Limited, requested a declaration from Galway County Council on whether works associated with transforming the hotel into accommodation for migrants constituted development and whether that development was exempted.
The local authority confirmed the work involved was development and not exempted development, meaning it should go through the normal planning process.
However, following a review, the planning appeals board ruled that it is development but that it qualifies as exempted development.
According to an Inspector’s Report by the ACP, the County Council argued that in its current state, “the hotel would not be suitable to accommodate or support displaced persons seeking international protection”.
Planners in the Council said that the addition of nine bedrooms and five windows on the ground floor, “along with the extensive refurbishment works necessary to make the hotel habitable,” will require planning permission.
Claddagh Ventures Limited subsequently withdrew plans for five windows on the ground floor, and argued that the addition of nine bedrooms involved “minor internal reconfigurations” and was exempted development.
The company argued that adding nine extra bedrooms represented a 17% increase in beds at the 53-bedroom hotel. It said this could not be considered an intensification of use.
As well as changes to facilitate nine extra bedrooms, the planned development included the removal and demolition of existing internal walls, blocking up of existing internal opes, removal of existing internal staircase, installation of new staircase, and refurbishment of existing toilet blocks.
An Coimisúin Pleanála ruled: “that the change of use of a hotel at Dunlo Street, Townparks, Ballinasloe, County Galway, to provide accommodation for persons seeking international protection and associated internal and external works is development and is exempted development.”