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Department not consulted before listed derelict hotel demolished

Mike McBrideBBC News NI
BBC A large demolition site. Rubble is visible and an orange digger is sat atop a large pile of rubbleBBC
The derelict listed Georgian building in Ballycastle, County Antrim was demolished earlier this week

The Department for Communities (DfC) has said it was not consulted about the demolition of a derelict Georgian building and was not aware of any planning approval for the works.

The listed building in Ballycastle that was once the Antrim Arms Hotel was torn down earlier this week.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has confirmed that it is investigating whether the demolition was legal.

On Friday, the owner Declan Wright insisted he had been granted permission to carry out the demolition works after a previous fire left the building in a dangerous state.

"I look forward to presenting proposals for a new hotel on the site, and the Diamond becoming the hub of the town once again," he told BBC News NI.

The council said officials were "assessing whether the substantial demolition was in line with proposals submitted by the owner".

A large red sign reads Antrim Arms in front of a metal gate.
The building was cordoned off more than a year ago over fears about its structural integrity

In a statement on Friday, the DfC said it is "a statutory consultee to planning authorities, and officials have advised the council that any works should be limited to the minimum measures required to address specific instabilities".

A DfC spokesperson said officials also wrote to the owner of the listed building on 21 April 2026, stressing "the importance of ensuring that any urgent works undertaken are strictly necessary to make this listed building safe and secure".

The spokesperson added that any works "should be carried out to ensure unnecessary loss of historic fabric and are to be agreed with both council and the department".

Safety concerns over building

The property in County Antrim had been cordoned off for more than a year because of fears over its structural integrity, with shipping containers placed outside to protect pedestrians ahead of the town's annual Ould Lammas Fair.

Concerns had previously been raised that a £2m revamp of Ballycastle town centre was being delayed because of uncertainty surrounding the future of the building at the junction of Castle Street and Fairhill Street.

The former Antrim Arms hotel in Ballycastle town centre in September 2025. The large cream-coloured building has six front windows on each of its three floors and the sign above the front door says "Antrim Arms" in red lettering. There are two chimneys and vegetation is growing out of the guttering at both sides of the roof. Two of the front windows are boarded up. Steel safety barriers, decorated with old photos of the town, stand in front of the building.
An application to demolish the property was refused last year

The Ballycastle environmental improvement scheme includes plans to upgrade the town's Diamond area and surrounding streets and was originally due to be completed by March 2027.

At a hearing in January 2025, a judge acknowledged that the site was dangerous.

'Nearly 300 years of history erased overnight'

The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS), which campaigns to protect and preserve historic buildings, had opposed plans to demolish the building and instead called for it to be repaired.

Speaking to BBC News NI on Thursday, John Anderson from the society said he was deeply disappointed by the demolition.

John Anderson is an older man with a long white beard and circular glasses. He is wearing a grey hat, a rain coat and a green zip up jumper. He is standing just in front of the disused building but the background is blurred.
John Anderson says the loss of the building is a huge blow to the heritage of Ballycastle, County Antrim

"Nearly 300 years of history erased overnight," Anderson said.

"I do think it's a shame we have lost a building of such significance and importance to the local area and local people.

"We would much rather have seen the site repaired and are incredibly disheartened to learn of the demolition.

Building had become a 'real eye-sore'

Ciaran Dallat, from nearby Bella Jo Interiors, said it was "quite shocking" to see the rubble on Thursday morning.

Dallat said it was "sad to see a historic building go", but added that it had "really become an eye-sore".

Speaking on Thursday, Sinn Féin councillor Cara McShane believes there may be questions over what had been agreed regarding the demolition work and what has been carried out.

"There had been an understanding that there would be significant demolition of this building behind us, but what we can see this morning is that it has been entirely demolished, and that is of great sadness to many in the community."

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland said it was "heartbreaking to see an iconic piece of Ballycastle's built heritage reduced to a pile of rubble".

"My party colleagues have been liaising with council officers to assess what has happened".