Bid to demolish 'dangerous' listed building

The owner of a listed building in Ballycastle has applied for permission to demolish it, saying it is unsafe and uneconomical to repair.

The Antrim Arms Hotel began to fall apart in October 2024 leading to a road closure in the County Antrim town.

In January the local council unsuccessfully sought a court order which would have required the owner to demolish, repair or secure the building.

A judge said forcing demolition or alteration would have put the owner at risk of prosecution.

The building is owned by Maplemanor Properties, which is controlled by Antrim-based businessman Declan Joseph Wright.

Maplemanor Properties has now made a listed building consent application to entirely demolish the building.

The application will have to be considered by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

In its application Maplemanor said a structural engineer had suggested the building's gable wall could be removed by hand from a crane mounted basket but the cost of this would be over £1m.

The document adds: "The company does not have the means to do this. Hand removal of the gable wall also takes almost 10 months longer than full demolition and would cause very significant inconvenience to residents and visitors to Ballycastle.

"The quickest, most cost effective, and least disruptive course of action is to demolish the entire building, making the area safe for everyone."