Demolition threat hangs over hotel consortium

THE consortium behind the proposed redevelopment of the Ard Rí Hotel in Co Waterford faces financial penalties and possible demolition of the former hotel if they fail to clean up the increasingly derelict site.

TRM Developments, fronted by Tom Coughlan, the former chairman/owner of Cork City Football Club, has not complied with orders issued by both Waterford City Council and Kilkenny County Council to clean up the site it had proposed to redevelop until planning permission was refused in 2009. Since then, the former hotel has been vandalised and is a blackspot for antisocial behaviour.

Yesterday, Colette Byrne, director of services at Waterford City Council, said ultimately the council could seek to take a charge on the property — in other words if the property was sold, the council could seek to recoup some of the sale value — if the council is forced to look after the site at its own cost.

“If you have to do the clean-up work, and TRM fails to pay us for it, then we could seek to get a charge on the property,” Ms Byrne said.

Director of services at Kilkenny County Council, John McCormack, said ultimately they could resort to sanitary services legislation, which would allow for the former hotel to be demolished, if TRM fails to take responsibility for it.

TRM’s planning application includes demolition of the old hotel.

“It is private property and the owner has responsibility in that regard and if it became a dangerous structure, under sanitary services legislation, we could go as far as to demolish it,” Mr McCormack said.

However this would be seen as a last step. Ms Byrne said they would hope it could be dealt with under the Derelict Sites Act.

Ms Byrne said TRM had been given 11 items to remedy by the council, including locking up the first and ground floor; securing the perimeter; removing rubbish and preserving the facade but this had not happened.

She said the council’s next step is to serve notice that they will carry out works — estimated to cost €200,000 — which they will seek to recoup, through the courts if necessary.

Both Ms Byrne and Mr McCormack also refuted Mr Coughlan’s claims that the refusal for the proposed €400 million redevelopment — which straddles both local authority areas — consisted of “one line”.

Mr McCormack said it had been suggested to the developers in 2008 that they make a submission to the local area plan process but they had failed to do so and their proposal contravened one of its developmental objectives. Ms Byrne said the developers had not supplied “very significant additional information” requested and required to support their planning application.