New plan for Dromineer hotel site

The company behind plans to redevelop the old Dromineer Bay Hotel has submitted a new planning application for the site.

Dromineer Bay Developments Ltd is seeking minor modifications to the conditional planning permission it received for the site in 2023. The plan involves demolishing the old hotel and providing a mixed use commercial and tourism enterprise with short-stay tourism accommodation.

A new two-storey mixed use building is to be constructed comprising of event spaces. Also planned is a tourism-related retail/commercial space, a restaurant, retail unit, café and external terrace.

The plan also comprises new accommodation intended for tourism use associated with the proposed events spaces and the existing holiday home complex, ‘Waterside Cottages’.

Making a new application to Tipperary Co Council this month, the developer sought modifications to the permitted mixed use building, terrace units, apartment units, and existing Waterside Cottages. The developer's agent, Dreyer Associates, informed the council that the modifications were proposed following a review of the construction costs of the approved development. The modifications also seek to enhance the project's flexibility for different uses.

MORE BEDROOMS

The revisions would provide the potential for 10 additional bedrooms in the proposed rental accommodation units, bringing the total to a maximum occupancy of 60 bed spaces across the three buildings compared to the previously approved 40. The agent informed the council that all bedrooms would adhere to hotel-related standards.

In the mixed use building, Dromineer Bay Developments is proposing to add further space for equipment and staff facilities, while also enhancing the entry and arrival experience. Single-storey extensions are proposed to six of the existing cottages to accommodate en-suite bathrooms. This aims to significantly improve the standard of accommodation in the cottages.

Dreyer Associates described the proposed changes as small in scale and focused primarily on improving functionality and quality without altering the fundamental design or visual impact of the approved plan.

“Overall, the proposed changes do not result in any material alteration to the approved layouts,” the agent said in correspondence with the council. “There will be no increase in the maximum height of any of the buildings, and the separation distances outlined in the original design remain unchanged.

“These revisions aim to improve the operational flexibility and quality of the development. We believe these enhancements will improve the overall experience for future visitors.”

EVENTS CENTRE

Further aspects of the approved plan for the long-derelict site include modifications to the internal access road, parking and amenity area arrangements, and construction of a new vehicular access from the public road (R495) with provision of additional parking and reconfiguration of the existing car parking area associated with the former hotel.

The events space is to comprise three separate but inter-connected spaces that can operate in response to event type and size. The combined maximum capacity of the events centre is stated as 225 guests.

There will be a café on one corner with capacity for 30 people, along with an external terrace and a restaurant to seat 100 people. Dromineer Bay Developments Ltd has proposed a space on the ground floor for specific tourism-related use and an open-plan format to assist with water-based activities, as it is located 50m from the public slipway.

Dromineer Bay Developments has sought to extend a number of the existing holiday homes to provide for increased bedroom capacity with improved amenity area to support events in the adjacent mixed use building. The approved development of holiday accommodation was to facilitate 40 persons; this would rise to 60 pending approval of the new planning application. The modification of the existing holiday homes will facilitate 66 persons, thereby providing accommodation for a total of 126 persons onsite.

Tipperary Co Council is to issue its decision on the new application by May 1.