Department not consulted before listed derelict hotel demolished

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

BBC News NI understands that Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council had reached an agreement with the owner to carry out some demolition work at the site.

However, on Thursday, the council said it had launched an investigation and said officials were "currently assessing whether the substantial demolition was in line with proposals submitted by the owner".

BBC News NI has contacted the owner of the building in County Antrim for comment but, as yet, has not received an official response.

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".

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 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.

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.

"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.

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".