City centre hotel plans progressed

A delegation from Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council recently visited the Sunderland City Council area to meet with fellow elected members and council officers.
Pictured in Sunderland during a recent visit by a Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council delegation are: (l-r) Ald Allan Ewart MBE, Vice-Chair of the Council's Development Committee; Ald William Leathem, Chairman of the Council's Development Committee; Cllr Rebeca Atkinson, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, Sunderland City Council; the Mayor, Cllr Uel Mackin; Cllr Michael Mordey, Deputy Leader Sunderland City Council; Ald Jim Dillon MBE, Chairman of the Council's Capital Projects Committee and Cllr Brian Hanvey, Vice-Chair of the Council's Capital Projects Committee.Pictured in Sunderland during a recent visit by a Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council delegation are: (l-r) Ald Allan Ewart MBE, Vice-Chair of the Council's Development Committee; Ald William Leathem, Chairman of the Council's Development Committee; Cllr Rebeca Atkinson, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, Sunderland City Council; the Mayor, Cllr Uel Mackin; Cllr Michael Mordey, Deputy Leader Sunderland City Council; Ald Jim Dillon MBE, Chairman of the Council's Capital Projects Committee and Cllr Brian Hanvey, Vice-Chair of the Council's Capital Projects Committee.
Pictured in Sunderland during a recent visit by a Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council delegation are: (l-r) Ald Allan Ewart MBE, Vice-Chair of the Council's Development Committee; Ald William Leathem, Chairman of the Council's Development Committee; Cllr Rebeca Atkinson, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, Sunderland City Council; the Mayor, Cllr Uel Mackin; Cllr Michael Mordey, Deputy Leader Sunderland City Council; Ald Jim Dillon MBE, Chairman of the Council's Capital Projects Committee and Cllr Brian Hanvey, Vice-Chair of the Council's Capital Projects Committee.

During their visit they also met with a prospective hotel developer to progress negotiations for them to establish a hotel in Lisburn city centre.

Alderman William Leathem, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, commented: “Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has significant plans to grow the local economy and one of these is for a city centre hotel. When we were in Sunderland we met with a prospective hotel developer and owner to progress negotiations for them to establish a hotel in Lisburn city centre. It was very beneficial to see first-hand the Keel Square Hotel regeneration site within Sunderland’s city centre to see how advantageous such an offering can be for the night-time economy.”

The Mayor, Councillor Uel Mackin, thanked the Sunderland representatives for meeting with them and said they were “impressed with how they had enhanced the cultural, retail, tourism and economy of Sunderland.”

Alderman Jim Dillon, Chairman of the Council’s Capital Projects Committee added: “The Council is invested in enhancing what the Lisburn Castlereagh area has to offer in terms of property, infrastructure, skilled workforce and locally manufactured products that are sold globally.”