Hotel not apartments is hope for prime site

Hotel not apartments is hope for prime site

27 February 2013

DOWN Council is taking steps to ensure the Annesley Buildings in Newcastle are not redeveloped to provide luxury seaside apartments.

The council plans to vacate the Central Promenade premises when a new leisure centre opens, but that won’t be for some time yet as the location of the proposed multi-million pound facility has not been agreed.

Money generated from the sale of the Annesley Buildings and the adjoining Tropicana outdoor swimming pool will be used to off-set the cost of the new leisure centre.

And as work to progress the new centre continues, council officials have revealed a development brief on the future of the Annesley Buildings site is being drawn up.

It will stipulate that the prime site in the heart of the resort should be redeveloped for a new hotel or bars and restaurants, to provide a further boost for tourism in the town. Apartments will not feature in the development brief.

There is already keen interest in the town centre site with the council revealing an expression of interest has been received for a new 68-bed hotel.

Council officials and local politicians have consistently argued that towns like Newcastle and Downpatrick require new hotel investment, which would not only create jobs in the construction industry, but provide a range of full and part-time jobs in the new hotels themselves.

Councillor Patrick Clarke said it is important the leisure centre location issue in Newcastle is sorted out as soon as possible.

“We need to move on this issue so we can focus on the future of the Annesley Buildings. This is a prime site and I would like to see a new hotel being developed here, not seaside apartments which would be inappropriate and totally out of keeping with the promenade area. It’s a view I have no doubt that many would share,” he said.

“Newcastle is the district’s leading tourist location and a new hotel would provide existing businesses with a boost and create new jobs. A new hotel would also attract increased visitors.”

Councillor Clarke said the redevelopment of the Annesley Buildings provides an exciting opportunity to redevelop a prime location to produce benefits for local people and businesses.