Council secures green lights for contentious sale of land to Limerick hotel

CONFLICTING views have dogged the sale of a small council-owned site to the Absolute Hotel for almost a year. But at a full meeting of the council, the disposal of the 520-square metre plot for €125,000 has now, finally, been agreed, but not without dissenting voices again being raised.

The plot, at Long’s Lane, sits opposite the entrance to the Absolute Hotel, which paid €120,501 for two adjoining derelict houses which it bought from the council last year.

The hotel hopes to develop the entire site, as a 28-unit apartment hotel and when the proposal was first aired last February, councillors were told it would be a €9m project which would result in 20 permanent jobs.

Limerick hotel plans €9m expansion

Last October, councillors in the Municipal District called for a full report on the proposal and at their January meeting, a number of objections were again raised.

These surfaced once more at the full meeting of the council, where the issue of disposal of the plot came was up for decision.

“I am unhappy with how the disposal was handled,” Cllr Sean Hartigan said while Cllr Michael Sheahan argued that a bad precedent was being set in dealing with one party only in a sale.

“It is not giving a chance to other entities,” he said adding that it gave the impression that people can “do private deals with the council.”

Chief executive Pat Daly say the same process was used as had been used for years and he was categorically stating he was satisfied that all appropriate procedures had been followed.

Director of services Gordon Daly reminded councillors that there can be occasions when, in the interests of proper planning and development, land can be disposed of if it leads to a more coordinated or master plan approach.

“We are looking at a broader picture,” he added, pointing out that there was a policy of developing tourism in the city.