Fota holiday home conversion into permanent residence blocked over impact on tourism

The property is part of the resort which includes a five-star hotel, golf club, and 120 holiday homes. File photo

Planning authorities have been cracking down on people seeking to convert family homes into short-term tourist accommodation in an effort to address the housing crisis… but sometimes it works the other way.

An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for an application to make a holiday home at a leisure resort on Fota Island in Cork into a permanent residence.

The owner of a house in Course Side Lodges at the Fota Island Resort had appealed the decision of Cork County Council to refuse permission for a change of use of the property from a holiday home to a dwelling with permanent residence.

The property is part of the resort which includes a five-star hotel, golf club, and 120 holiday homes.

However, the board upheld the council’s ruling, claiming the proposed change of use would represent a material contravention of planning conditions for the property which explicitly stated it could not be used as a permanent or principal residence.

The board said allowing the appeal would “set an undesirable precedent for similar proposals.” It also noted the Local Area Plan for Cobh’s municipal district recognised the significant value of the “unique tourism, leisure and recreational function” of Fota Island which it claimed would be undermined by allowing a single permanent dwelling within a development providing holiday accommodation.

The proposed change had been objected to by Xiu Lan Hotels, the hotel group which runs the Fota Island Resort.

The group’s company secretary, Tuo Du, warned that allowing the change of use would “jeopardise the tourism project in the region.” Mr Du also expressed concern that operational difficulties could arise if permanent residences were interspersed among holiday homes across the resort such as the noise of holidaymakers disturbing residents at late hours.

However, the applicant, Ronan O’Donoghue, claimed the majority of 25 properties located in Course Side Lodges were not used by tourists but were effectively operating as “long-term lets”. Mr O’Donoghue claimed he was one of the few owners of property in the Fota Island Resort to have a deed of release of covenant which would allow an application for its use as a permanent residence so that its approval would not set a precedent.

The applicant said other similar resorts such as Adare Manor and the K Club had a mix of short-term lets and permanent residences without it impacting on their business model.

He pointed out that Xiu Lan Hotels had an option to purchase any of seven properties which came up for sale in Course Side Lodges in recent years but had not done so.

He also claimed four holiday homes on Fota Island were permanently occupied by owners of the resort which could be included in the rental accommodation offering if there was a shortage of lettings.

Mr O’Donoghue said there was an 80% occupancy rate of the holiday homes at the height of the summer which left 20% of properties unused.

He claimed his application was the first for a change of use since the resort was constructed in 2006 even though the Local Area Plan allowed for a mix of tenure options.

However, an inspector with An Bord Pleanála said, notwithstanding the deed of release and covenants, the proposed change of use was contrary to a specific condition of the original grant of planning permission for the holiday homes.