Former County Antrim hotel used to house refugees to be turned into £21m nursing home

A planning application has been submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for change of use to provide a £21m specialist nursing and residential care facility at the Belfast Road premises.

The application has been made by Healthcare Ireland Group for a 103-bed specialist nursing and residential home with day/dining areas, treatment rooms, storage and staff facilities and will be fully wheelchair accessible.

The proposed development is expected to result in the creation of up to 200 full-time jobs and 110 construction jobs.

A pre-application community consultation report says that a community consultation event was held in the hotel on September 27 with six attendees.

The statement says: “The feedback from both local residents and local elected representatives has been generally positive towards this project.

“The development team is committed to ongoing consultation during the planning application submission phase.

The statement also notes: “The development proposals will deliver a number of community and economic benefits.”

Planning permission was recently granted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on lands to the north east and north west of the site to provide an assisted living and retirement housing scheme, a drive-through restaurant and park and ride facility.

The proposed housing scheme will provide 234 houses and 81 apartments and nursing home. The long-stay hotel car park is to be relocated.

A report presented to the council at a meeting recently said that the Home Office and its suppliers have leased 15 hotels in Northern Ireland to provide “contingency” accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees.

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