A second recommendation for refusal has been issued for a proposed hotel and restaurant development on Main Street in Newcastle, County Down.

The proposal by Arlington Hotel (NI) Limited, first submitted in 2023, would see the demolition of Gallagher's Sports Bar and an adjacent former clothing shop, Pure Chic, to make way for a 12-unit apartment hotel, a restaurant, and a golf storage area. The site also takes in two properties on Valentia Place.

The application originally sought 14 units and was presented to the Planning Committee in January with a refusal recommendation. That decision was deferred to allow further consideration. A previous deferral occurred in November 2024, after the applicant's agent used the planning call-in procedure to request time to address concerns raised by planners.

In its January report, the committee considered the building's size, scale, and massing relative to the site, concluding it would represent overdevelopment and would be out of character with the surrounding area.

A revised application reducing the number of units to 12 was lodged in February. A fresh planners' report recommending refusal is due to be presented to the Planning Committee on 1 July.