Decision on new Tipperary hotel expected towards the end of July

The developers of the proposed new hotel on the site of the former Clonmel Arms Hotel have submitted the further information that had been requested by Tipperary County Council and a decision on the planning application is expected at the end of July. 

This further information was requested following submissions by both An Taisce and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. 

“We hope that they will be satisfied with the further information that has now been provided by the owners”, says Cllr. Siobhan Ambrose. 

“If approved, I believe that this proposed hotel would be a wonderful asset to our town centre”, she added. 

Michael Ryan and Michael Cronin have sought planning permission for a new 114-bedroom hotel on the site of the former Clonmel Arms, which closed almost 14 years ago. The new hotel will include dining, bar, conference and function facilities, as well as a basement car park and leisure centre.  

An Taisce had stated that the proposed new build of the new hotel proposed for the site that straddles Sarsfield Street, O’Connell Street and the Quay was “problematic in scale and design”.

The charity, which works to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage, stated that while the desirability of a rooftop bar with terraces is recognised as a feature, “the proposed projecting roof is unsatisfactory”.

Requesting that “significant design modifications” would be sought in the proposed new build, An Taisce claims that these modifications are necessary in order to integrate satisfactorily in scale and design with the historic townscape of Clonmel, and the Quay front in particular.

In his submission Ian Lumley, of the Advocacy Office of An Taisce, said that the provision of a quality hotel retaining the older buildings of architectural heritage value on the site was desirable.

He also said that any application for this site needs to integrate satisfactorily into the historic townscape and provide for the conservation of 18th century and 19th century buildings, including interior features.

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht stated that it had no objection in principle to the proposed development. 

However Connor Rooney, manager of the Department’s Development Applications Unit, stated that given the potential visual impact of the proposed development on the protected structures and Architectural Conservation Area, as set out in the Materials and Visual Impact Assessment, “the proposed development must be balanced by the restoration of the character of the protected structures to best conservation practice”. 

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