BREAKING: Kilkenny hotel granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála

Pemission has been granted by An Bord Pleanála to Salway Limited to proceed with the development of a new hotel complex at Hebron House adjacent to the N10 and Kilkenny ring road.

Original plans submitted to Kilkenny County Council in March 2023 sought to incorporate the refurbishment and change of use of Hebron House (a protected structure) with a hotel extension off the refurbished Hebron House to provide a new two and three-storey hotel structure.

Those plans also sought: 136 bedrooms, a reception area, restaurant, bars, kitchen, staff room, stores, toilets, service areas, meeting rooms, conference centre and a lower ground floor level swimming pool, leisure centre, fitness suite, plant rooms and storage rooms.

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Within the grounds of the site, it had been proposed to redevelop and landscape the existing walled garden and develop a landscaped parkland along the Pococke River, including footpaths and cycleways and a hotel car and bus park.

A new access road was also proposed from the N10 roundabout into Blanchfieldsland to provide access to the proposed hotel complex and future developments on the zoned lands.

Kilkenny County Council, upon reviewing the plans, made 27 specific requests for further information on various aspects of the proposal.

After receiving this further information from the applicant, Kilkenny County Council subsequently decided to grant permission to the development, subject to 25 conditions, on February 29, 2024.

This decision to grant planning permission was then appealed to An Bord Pleanála, who have upheld the decision made by Kilkenny County Council, with revised conditions.

Outlining their rationale for granting permission, An Bord Pleanála stated: "Having regard to the Business Park and Amenity/Green Links/Biodiversity Conservation/Open Space Recreation zoning objective for the area and to the policies and objectives of the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027, it is considered that, subject to compliance with conditions, the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or residential amenity of property in the vicinity, would not be seriously harmful to the architectural character of Hebron House, a protected structure and would not give rise to any significant impacts on the natural heritage of the area or affect the integrity of any European Site. The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."

The national planning body also stated that the development shall be carried out and completed in accordance with the plans and particulars lodged with the application, as amended by the further plans and particulars received by the planning authority on the 11th day of December 2023, except as may otherwise be required in order to comply with the revised conditions. 

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