THE construction of a new hotel in Enniskillen may prove to be a ‘white elephant’, according to a local councillor.
A proposal of application notice (PAN) submitted to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last week revealed that the former South West College site in Enniskillen is planned to be redeveloped into a hotel.
The regeneration proposal by the Byrne family, who acquired the former Fairview campus complex last year and own the Modern Tyres business, was submitted on Monday and comprised a mixed-use scheme featuring offices and retail space.
Plans are at an early stage, but the outline proposal includes the college building being renovated into a hotel, offices and a retail unit.
However, Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor, Roy Crawford, pictured below, struck a note of caution regarding the move.
“It’s always great to see progress here and that the site is not being left vacant like the Railway Hotel or Ritz Cinema, but hotel capacity is running at about 60 per cent at the moment due to the bad weather,” Mr Crawford explained.
“Couple this with the increased accommodation available online, we’d have no shortage of places for people to stay but not enough tourists to stay in them.
“A new hotel in Enniskillen could end up being a white elephant. What we need to do in our district is to invest in bigger projects to attract more visitors to the area.
“There’s no point in building additional accommodation simply because it looks good for business. Investment must be put into the tourism industry here to get more tourists into the county.
“It’s a matter of balancing the two as one will not thrive without the other. Just by building a new hotel doesn’t necessarily mean it will bring more business into the town.”
The demolition of buildings and the construction of a standalone retail unit is also part of the proposal. The total floor space of the new scheme is estimated to be around 77,000 sq ft.
A PAN, which is required for major developments, involves a community consultation process ahead of the submission of a full planning application.
The former college site has been vacant since July 2021 and was put up for sale by leading property agents Lisney after the opening of the college’s new Erne campus on the Cornagrade Road.
Since its opening in September 1971, Enniskillen Technical College was known as an iconic feature, that transformed the Enniskillen skyline.
As well as the former college, the large site comprises several existing buildings, extending to 125,000 sq ft, including a former jail and library (both of which are listed buildings).
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