Royal Hotel could be demolished in luxury apartments plan
An iconic Northern Ireland hotel dating back to 1773 could be demolished to make way for a development of 35 luxury apartments and three ground floor cafe and restaurant spaces.
In 2018 Expedia Capital unveiled a £3m plan to redevelop Bangor’s Royal Hotel into a block of 21 apartments, while retaining the original facade of the building.
However, when work began on the site, which overlooks the town’s marina, major structural issues were uncovered, including corrosion the building’s steel underpinnings.
In light of this, revised plans have now been forward for a development known as the Royal Quays that would see the existing building demolished and new facade facing onto Quay Street built in keeping with the existing architecture.
A spokesman for the developer’s said: “Our plan has always been to renergise and reinvigorate a building which played such a significant role in the history of Bangor and the fabric of the town centre.
“Our initial planning approval paved the way for us to transform a derelict building into a vibrant mixed-use development to provide homes with views across the Irish Sea for generations to come, and restaurant space for the people of Bangor and beyond to enjoy.
‘New life to this area’
“It was important for us to maintain the structure of the Royal Hotel when we submitted our initial planning application, and we were delighted when this was welcomed through planning approval by Ards & North Down Borough Council.
“Upon the granting of the planning permission, we were excited to move forward with the implementation of the planning consent.
“Due to corrosion of the external steelwork being discovered at a late stage we have had no alternative but to submit a planning application for the demolition of the building and construction of a new replica façade onto Quay Street, which matches the existing scheme that previously received planning approval.
“All material finishes will match those of the previously approved scheme.
“Our proposal will benefit the ongoing regeneration of Bangor town centre by providing town centre living opportunities and commercial units that would be well suited for restaurants and cafes.
“We hope to honour the history of this site by keeping the finish of the Royal Quays in keeping with the area, and matching the scheme that the council previously welcomed.
“We hope the council will give this amended scheme the same support afforded to our original application, and we can work together to bring new life to this area of Bangor.”
The Royal Hotel was built in 1773 and later rebuilt in 1932 by the O’Hara family, who ran it until it was taken over by the Donegan family in the early 1990s.
Thousands of people crossed the threshold down the years with singer Sir Van Morrison among the famous names who regularly visited.
A spokesperson for The Royal Quays said: “Our plan has always been to renergise and reinvigorate a building which played such a significant role in the history of Bangor and the fabric of the town centre.
“Due to corrosion of the external steelwork being discovered at a late stage we have had no alternative but to submit a planning application for the demolition of the building and construction of a new replica façade onto Quay Street, which matches the existing scheme that previously received planning approval.
“All material finishes will match those of the previously approved scheme. Our proposal will benefit the ongoing regeneration of Bangor town centre by providing town centre living opportunities and commercial units that would be well suited for restaurants and cafes.
“We hope to honour the history of this site by keeping the finish of the Royal Quays in keeping with the area, and matching the scheme that the council previously welcomed.”
Ards and North Down Borough Council will now be asked to sign off on the new plans.
