Green light for town hall development in south Mayo

A FORMER nightclub premises in south Mayo is to have a new beat - as a vibrant community facility.

The former Valkenburg Hotel in Ballinrobe town centre was purchased by Ballinrobe Civic Arts & Amenity Company last September and it is now to be developed as a town hall.

An application for planning permission to carry out modifications to the former function room/nightclub at the rear of the Valkenburg Hotel, including a new roof, has been approved by Mayo County Council.

A Ballinrobe Town Hall Committee has been very active over the past number of years in working to deliver a state of the art town hall for the town.

The proposal to convert the Valkenburg nightclub is a huge boost for the town centre, providing a facility for the social and recreational use of the community, which will be operated on a non-profit basis.

Previously, the committee had been focusing on building a facility on the Neale Road but the plans were moved to the town centre when the opportunity to purchase the Valkenburg arose.