Hotel owners forging ahead with plans to replace function room gutted by fire

The owners of the Glenside Hotel in Julianstown which saw its function room completely gutted in a devastating fire at the hotel last April, are forging ahead with plans to replace the function room at the popular wedding venue.

The hotel's function room was extensively damaged in the blaze and is nothing more than a shell but thankfully fire crews managed to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the hotel and it reopened a week later. However, several couples who had their weddings planned had to seek alternative venues.

The hotel owners are now planning to demolish the fire damaged ballroom and rebuild a new function room and recently lodged a planning application with Meath County Council for the development.

Tadiam Ltd is now seeking permission for the demolition of the existing fire damaged 420sqm function room and the construction of a new function room, toilet accommodation, keg rooms and staff welfare facilities comprising with a total area of 650sqm.

The plans also include the erection of new front entrance canopy, installation of new windows and doors to the existing front toilet block, modifications and upgrading of the existing site entrance adjacent the R132 roadway and new landscaping and hardstanding works to the perimeter of the new function room at the Glenside Hotel, Smithtown, Julianstown.

As part of the application, Tadiam Ltd has submitted a report justifying the demolition of the existing function room and the engineer's report determined that the reuse of the “structures for the proposed development is unsuitable as the structure was exposed to fire damage and still exposed to weathering, i.e. rain, sleet, sun, etc.

The structural impacts that the fire and the subsequent exposure to the elements has caused essential structural elements to fail such as the roof structure.”

The loss of the roof causes further deterioration of the remaining structure and the report also noted that significant deterioration was induced by the high temperatures experienced during the fire.

Meanwhile, a separate planning application for 22 homes on lands to the south of Hillcrest on the Old Laytown Road in Julianstown has been lodged with Meath County Council.

Seacrest Homes & Civils Limited is seeking permission for a 22 home residential development made up of 15 three-bed and seven four-bed two-storey houses with rear garden and terrace area, and individual bicycle stores.

The plans also include public open space of 1712 sqm and the construction of a new vehicular entrance from the north (access from Hillcrest. A total of 43 car parking spaces are to be provided comprising 41 on-curtilage spaces and two visitor spaces located at surface level, along with visitor bicycle parking for five bikes on street level.

Plans include landscaping and infrastructural works, foul and surface water drainage, bin storage, ESB substations, plant rooms, boundary treatments, internal roads, cycle paths and footpaths.