Six-storey apartment block in Limerick approved

LIMERICK City and County Council has afforded conditional permission for a huge new apartment development beside a landmark local hotel.

Council planners have granted an application to demolish part of the South Court Hotel in Raheen.

In place of this will be a six-storey development on a 2.31 acre site.

The decision was made late on Tuesday with details of the conditions not available as the Leader went to press.

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In the application to council, lodged last year by developer Can2 Investments, some 104 apartments are planned.

These will be divided into 51 one-bedroom apartments, 49 two-bed apartments and four three-bed apartments.

A childcare facility, a gym and a library for residents is included.

Two retail units are also part of the large-scale development.

There is a proposed direct connection between the South Court Hotel and the mixed-use development through a new one storey and basement “hotel link” to include hotel reception, café and seating area, commercial kitchen, staff welfare facilities and an extension to the existing Cream Room Bar.

A total of 149 car parking spaces and 170 bicycles space, with additional secured staff bicycle parking facilities, are catered for.

Communal open space, play equipment and road upgrades to the existing site entrance and footpath improvements are also included in the plans.

The ground floor will see an area where hotel guests and residents of the apartments can mix. Outdoor communal spaces are mooted for the upper floors.

There were more than 10 objections to the proposals.