Planning sought again for structural changes to Portlaoise hotel

An extension of planning permission is being sought for structural changes to a Portlaoise hotel.

An application has been made by CoAnt Hotels Ltd, who own the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, to extend the permission given five years ago when it was the Heritage Hotel Portlaoise.

It includes a covered walkway at the front of the hotel, and change of use of the nightclub over Kelly's Foundry, to hotel bedrooms.

The changes which still refer to the hotel as Portlaoise Heritage Hotel seek to: 

"Alter and extend existing hotel (lower ground floor, ground floor and first floor and first floor levels) incorporating at lower ground floor level the construction of a service link corridor to ground floor level, extension to the entrance of the leisure facility, installation of rooflights to the swimming pool area;

"At ground floor level the construction of extensions to existing kitchens, store extension to the main function room, covered walkways to the existing front elevation;

"At first floor level the construction of a link corridor and stair well from the existing hotel to the existing leisure facility, together with the alterations to bedroom layout to accommodate same, change of use and alterations to layout of the existing first floor nightclub to hotel bedroom suites; all together with miscellaneous minor alterations and changes to elevations."

The hotel was bought by experienced hoteliers Anthony and Colm Neville, and reopened under its new name in 2017 after a €7 million transformation.

The application was lodged on March 8, available to view on the council's website www.laois.ie  A decision is due by May 2.