An Taisce objection puts Jurys Inn Galway extension plan on hold
Plans for a major extension of the Jurys Inn hotel in Galway have to be put on hold following objections from a number of parties, including An Taisce.
Several appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the decision of Galway City Council to grant planning permission for an extension to the Jurys Inn on Quay St to accommodate 89 additional rooms as well as a restaurant and bar.
The additional two floors planned by a subsidiary of the Israeli hotel operator Fattal Hotels, which operates the Jurys Inn chain, will bring the accommodation in the facility to 219 bedrooms.
Plans for a new wing facing the Corrib River were already modified, reduced in size and set further back from a riverside walkway to address concerns of council planners.
Balconies were also removed from the original design.
It is estimated the development, if approved, will result in the creation of 55 new permanent jobs.
Galway City Council said concerns it had about the proposed development were addressed through the provision of additional information by Jurys Inn.
The council said it “represents a scheme that will further enable Galway city to offer high-quality hotel accommodation and to compete internationally as a regional city and driver of growth”.
The development has also received the backing of Fáilte Ireland and Galway Chamber.
However, An Taisce claims the revised scale, volume and massing of the proposed extension to the hotel remain “unacceptable” and materially contravenes the council’s development plan in terms of height guidelines.
The proposed extension will see the existing height of the building increase from just under 17m to over 23m. The heritage group said it would make “a negative contribution to the urban character” which included an architectural conservation area.
Separate appeals have been lodged by McDonogh’s Fertilizers, which has questioned how the hotel can extend without encroaching on its property; and the owners of Blake’s Tower, which contains a Costa Coffee outlet.
Fattal has also lodged an appeal against planning conditions imposed by Galway City Council as part of its decision to grant permission for the hotel extension.
