Killarney holiday apartments to be converted into private homes despite objections

A property investment firm, which owns the holiday apartments with the grounds of the Hotel Killarney, won An Bord Pleanála approval to convert the holiday apartments into residential units.  

Hotel Killarney: An Bord Pleanála has approved plans by property investment firm Octavius Property, which owns three blocks of holiday apartments within the grounds of Hotel Killarney, for a change of use of 18 apartments to residential units.

Plans to convert holiday apartments located within a well-known Killarney hotel complex into private homes have been approved, despite opposition by the hotel’s owners.

An Bord Pleanála has approved plans by property investment firm Octavius Property, which owns three blocks of holiday apartments within the grounds of Hotel Killarney, for a change of use of 18 apartments to residential units.

The board rejected an appeal by the hotel’s owners, Crimmins Hotel and Leisure, and a local resident against the recent decision of Kerry County Council to grant planning permission for the change of use of the properties.

Crimmins Hotel and Leisure, which also owns the adjoining 3 Lakes Hostel as well as the Innisfallen Hotel in Killarney, had successfully appealed a similar proposal by Octavius to convert 48-holiday homes across three apartment blocks into private homes in February.

On that occasion, the board ruled that Octavius had not established it had sufficient legal interest in lands on which ancillary facilities like waste disposal areas would be located or the approval of the person who owned the lands.

It also ruled that the lack of internal storage within the apartments as well as the lack of private amenity space for ground floor units meant the development would be “substandard” for future occupants.

Ruling

However, the latest ruling applies to 18-holiday apartments contained in Block A of Wild Atlantic Way Apartments located next to Hotel Killarney on Park Road, Killarney, Co Kerry.

Octavius said the change of use would be accompanied by the provision of new bin and bicycle storage space and new private amenity space for ground floor apartments as well as a communal space area.

It also pointed out that the holiday units would exceed the minimum floor space required for two-bed units required under official guidelines for apartment design standards.

Crimmins claimed, allowing residential units would change the ethos of the complex as a holiday facility and detract from the hotel and hostel which provide 750-bed spaces for guests and employ 100 staff.

However, An Bord Pleanála said the change of use of the three-storey apartment block would not seriously injure the amenities of other properties in the area and was an acceptable use at such a location.

A planning inspector noted there was a precedent for the change of use as a fourth apartment block had already been changed from short-term lets to permanent residences in 2017.