Limerick City Council has rejected a controversial planning application for a multi-million euro development on the site of one of the city's landmark hotels.
Property and development company Budelli Ltd had sought permission to build a new "aparthotel" complete with roof gardens, penthouses, five blocks of 94 apartments and an underground car park on the site of the old Limerick Ryan Hotel.
Residents of the Ennis Road and North Circular Road who fought the proposal for two years yesterday welcomed the council's decision.
Budelli Ltd, which is headed by former Irish rugby manager Pat Whelan, bought the Limerick Ryan Hotel from the Gresham Hotel Group in 2003 for €11 million.
Just four months after the sale, the new owners announced the closure of the hotel with the loss of 92 jobs.
The planning application from Budelli Ltd prompted many objections from local residents.
They complained that the scale and size of the proposed development was not in keeping with the northside Limerick suburb.
Their fears were further heightened when a gigantic green canvas tent was erected around part of the site, which residents claimed prevented them from seeing what work was being carried out.
Local residents last week hired a private helicopter to take aerial photographs of the development, fearing that work was progressing without their knowledge.
Officials at Limerick City Council also issued an enforcement order on Budelli Ltd during the planning process after part of a seven-storey wing of the old hotel was demolished without planning permission.
However, a spokesman for Limerick City Council confirmed yesterday that they were happy efforts had been made to rebuild the structure following the serving of the enforcement order.
The spokesman said plans for the controversial development were rejected on eight grounds, many of which were in contravention of the city development plan.
It is understood that all 17 members of Limerick City Council had been opposed to the development and had indicated their opposition to their council executive.
Limerick City councillor John Gilligan yesterday described the decision to reject the planning application as "a victory for common sense".
He added that planning laws must be enforced "without fear or favour".
"It appears that a big company has taken a look at the planning laws and decided to ignore them completely, whereas ordinary people can't even get planning permission to install a bay window in their own homes," said Mr Gilligan.
