Marshes retain hopes of extending centre and building hotel

The Marshes Shopping Centre retain hopes of significantly extending the centre and building a hotel onto it, after applying to Dundalk Town Council for an extension of planning permission previously granted in 2009.

Plans include an extension to the existing centre of 11,945 square metres, comprising 14 new units and nine new kiosks, which would be accessed from a new covered pedestrian street extending from a new entrance on the Ramparts Road to a new entrance adjacent to the existing shopping centre car park and connecting to the existing mall.

Similar to the existing shopping centre, the proposed building will be 4/5 storey equivalent in height including domed entrance features.

The development would involve modifications to the existing centre, including the incorporation of the mall area located to the east of Penneys into the proposed new units and a change of use of the existing entrance pavilion on the Ramparts Road to a retail use.

A new service yard would also be located to the east of the extension with access from the Ramparts Road and car park.

The Marshes Shopping Centre Ltd also hope to build a four storey hotel of 5,500 square metres, fronting onto the Ramparts Road with tower features on the northwestern and northeastern corners.

The 105 bed hotel would include a reception, bar/restaurant, meeting rooms and ancillary accommodation within a double height ground floor area. It would also have a car park with 80 spaces.

There are also plans for a five-storey building of 4,085 square metres, which would accommodate eight own door office suites on the ground floor and 32 two-bed apartments on four levels above. This would front onto a new link road and contain parking to the rear for 36 cars.

The application also seeks permission for a new link road replacing the existing road (Marshes Avenue) from the Ramparts Road to car park one of the shopping centre to the south. This would be located approximately 60 metres to the east of the existing access road and would link the Ramparts Road to a new roundabout to be provided in the north eastern corner of car park one of the shopping centre. This would require a minor adjustment to the layout of car park one.

Dundalk Town Council are due to make a decision on the application by December 8^th.

Future of Dundalk church and Starbucks coffee shop secured

Grace Fellowship in Dundalk

A local church has been granted planning permission by Dundalk Town Council to retain its facility at the North Link Retail Park on the Coes Road.

Grace Fellowship had converted the retain warehouse into a church that included a Starbucks coffee shop, school and function rooms.

The church was fined last February after the building was described as a “firetrap” by district court Judge William Hamill.

The case had come before the court after the county council brought a prosecution against Grace Fellowship’s Hassan Boyle, alleging that changes to the building had started without a commencement notice and without a fire safety certificate.

Work was carried out earlier this year to render the building fire safe after the facility was briefly closed down last December.

Grace Fellowship now has full permission for the facility, thus ensuring the future of their Coes Road headquarters.