Published: Friday, 11th December, 2009 5:00pm

Decision looms on Clara hotel project

Offaly County Council is soon due to decide on whether to grant planning permission for a hotel, nursing home and housing development on a site near Clara.

The decision will come almost one year after the applicant Ger Handy submitted his plans and after two requests for further information from the local authority, the latest one complied with on December 3.

The mixed-use development would consist of hotel, nursing home, assisted-living units, detached houses, car parking and landscaping on around four hectares on the site a protected structure in Erry and Kilcoursey, Clara.

Inchmore House would be converted from a private residence to a hotel with 87 bedrooms and a new three-storey wing which will total 6,003 square metres.

The hotel in Inchmore House, would include alterations for meeting and restaurant facilities on a basement level, reception, bar, offices and function room on ground floor, en suite bedrooms on first and second floors. A two-storey glass link structure is proposed between Inchmore house and the new wing. The new three-storey wing would include service spaces, deliveries, kitchen, meeting rooms and guest suites.

The large development also plans for a 57 bedroom nursing home of 2,563 sqm over two storeys and 15 assisted-living bungalows, in three blocks of five units each. There would also be four detached houses, consisting of two or three storeys and five bedrooms.

Access to the site would be from the Tullamore Road.

Offaly County Council is due to make a decision on or before January 8, 2010.