Hotel For Tillies Site Moves Closer

A top hotel chain - led by Indian-born peer, Lord Rana - is pressing ahead with plans for a multi million pound hotel on the vacant Tillie and Henderson's site in Londonderry.

Andras House, the hotel group and property development company, has revised plans for the hotel - first mooted in 2005 and subsequently rejected by planners - and are believed to be at the development stage.

Hundreds of construction jobs are likely to flow from the project if the revised blueprint gets the green light.

According to this week's Derry Journal newspaper, Sam Butler, from Andras House said: "At present, the plans are being worked on and will be presented at a briefing to Derry City Council later this year.

"Andras House has not lost interest in the project and remains very much committed to the Derry site," he said.

Mr Butler said while the global economic downturn had had some effect on the property group's plans, it would not deter Andras House on pushing ahead with its plans for the Derry site.

While it is now seven years since Tillie and Henderson's iconic factory beside the Foyle was levelled, Mr Butler said revised plans for Tillies would now be made public before the end of 2010.

Last February, Lord Rana's Andras group, which also owns Belfast's Ramada Hotel, confirmed it is to prioritise the Derry project, at the site of the former Tillie and Henderson's factory.

Andras's original plans for a 14-storey, 144 room hotel were reject by planners in early 2005.

Despite these proposals being shelved, a company spokesman said the redevelopment of the former shirt factory site is "being actively pursued".

See: Rana's Derry Development Is A 'Priority'

(BMcC/GK)