The operator of Kildare Village and the Irish arm of Tesco are two of the objectors against new plans for a six storey 158 bedroom hotel for Kildare town.
Last month, Murlyn Capital Investments Ltd lodged plans with Kildare County Council for a hotel on a site at the junction of Nurney Rd and Monasterevin Rd at Kildare adjoining the Kildare Village site.
A planning report lodged with the application contends that a hotel "is perfect for this site in terms of location and in what it can contribute to the tourism of Kildare Town and surrounding area".
The report states that the planned hotel "will enhance the opportunity for the town to grow as a tourism destination by providing much needed additional accommodation with easy access off the M7 and M8".
Kildare Village is home to well known brands such as Armani, Gym+Coffee, French Connection, Jimmy Choo, BOSS and Karl Lagerfeld and the operator of Kildare Village, Value Retail Dublin Ltd has lodged an objection against the planned hotel and told the Council that it "should be refused".
On behalf of Value Retail Dublin, RMLA planning consultants has stated that the hotel scheme is 23 metres in height and represents an overbearing and incongruent urban form when compared to the two storey Kildare Village.
The objection contends that the excessive scale, bulk, massing and height is inappropriate for the site.
RMLA contend that the proposed development "will be visually dominant and is excessive for the site with a lack of appropriate parking, serving and general facilities".
Tesco Ireland operates a 'Superstore' adjacent to the hotel site and has called on the Council to refuse planning permission.
In the objection drawn up by RMLA, it contends that the failure to provide car parking facilities for the planned hotel "will result in an overspill into the surrounding developments including the Tesco and Kildare Village private car parks, which will have a detrimental offed t on those existing retail centres".
RMLA also states that Tesco Ireland "has serious concerns regarding pedestrian safety and the potential hazard that the proposed development will have on the existing operations at the TESCO service yard".
In a separate objection, the Monasterevin Road Residents Association has told the Council that it is ‘strenuously" objecting to the hotel.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland - which maintains the country’s national road system - has told the Council that the proposal is at variance with official policy relating to the control of development on or affecting national roads.
TII state that a grant of permission would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network.
However, the operator of Curragh Racecourse has made a submission to the Council voting its support for the planned hotel.
The Curragh race-course stages 23 race meetings a year attracting 85,000 race-goers in 2022.
Chief Executive of Curragh Racecourse Ltd, Brian Kavanagh states that "a recurring message we get from our customers, when seeking feedback, is their difficulty in finding accommodation in the locality due to a shortage in availability of beds".
A decision is due on the application next month.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
