Viability study into Dandara's old golf links hotel plans

'Non-hotel' uses to be included in project

A plan to redevelop the old Golf Links Hotel site at Fort Island will only work if flats and other 'non-hotel' uses are included.

It's after the Department of Environment Food and Agriculture asked for a viability and market assessment of Dandara's project.  

The developer submitted a proposal in 2017 to replace the building with a 40-bedroom hotel with leisure facilities, as well as 40 flats. 

Various parties have also objected to the scheme, including Derbyhaven residents and the owners of the golf links, due to its visual impact.

These plans were revised last year, at which point, DEFA appointed consultants Arc to assess how successful the proposal would be in the current climate.

Refurbish or redevelop was the essential question which Arc sought to address in the study, with pages set aside to crunch through figures and assess policy concerns.

The Arc assessment concludes you couldn't just rebuild the hotel, and that adding apartments, which can be sold, make Dandara's proposal viable.