Newly formed later living investor Summerhill Retirement Developments is looking at plans to turn Belfast’s Stormont Hotel into a retirement complex.
The group will put the plan for the site, on Upper Newtownards Road, out for public consultation next week.
The site is currently occupied by the Stormont Hotel, which is independently owned and managed by the Hastings Hotels Group. A conversion and extension of the existing conference facility at the hotel is proposed to provide medical and healthcare-related facilities. The outline planning application is being undertaken as part of a speculative due diligence procedure, which aims to understand the site’s feasibility and long-term institutional investment potential for retirement and healthcare uses.
As this is a speculative planning exercise on third-party lands, there will be no immediate impact on the operations of the hotel or any existing or incoming accommodation bookings.
A spokesman for Summerhill said: “With Northern Ireland’s growing ageing population, we believe it is a timely decision to assess the feasibility of these residential and adaptive care proposals that aim to maintain people’s health and independence for longer.”
Summerhill, which is on the hunt for a range of later living opportunities in Northern Ireland, will seek permission for new stand-alone buildings to provide independent living “over-55s” apartments and assisted living apartments, in addition to the provision of a new high-quality care home on the site.
Turley has been appointed planning consultant for the Stormont proposals.
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