Permission to build a 195-bed hotel at Palmerstown Demense, Johnstown, Co. Kildare is being sought by Jim Mansfield's Bridford Developments, five months after permission for a larger hotel and business park was turned down by An Bord Pleanála.

The hotel and tourist apartment development is in the walled garden of Palmerstown House, a protected structure, located at Johnstown near Nass.

Last April Former Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy, hosted a lunch for EU finance ministers at Palmerstown House, which is also owned by Mr Mansfield, who developed the CityWest Hotel complex in Saggart, Co Dublin.

In June An Bord Pleanála reversed an earlier decision by Kildare Co Council to grant permission to Bridford Developments for a 290-room hotel, a 1,200-person conference centre, business park, creche, tourist apartments and 59 detached houses.

Permission was refused on the grounds that the development was located within a designated green belt area and constituted a "poorly integrated and piecemeal development".

The proposed accommodation units paid "insufficient attention to its sensitive context in the walled garden", according to the board.

The board, however, did grant approval for an 18-hole golf course and driving range, which had already been constructed, as well as the go ahead for a clubhouse.

This time around the developers are proposing to construct a hotel and 69 golf or tourist accommodation units on the grounds of the listed country house.

The company is planning to build a three-storey hotel with three conference centres designed to cater for 50 people each.

The hotel will also consist of a function room and lounge-bar and restaurant. Some 452 car spaces will be provided.

A further 102 car spaces will be developed alongside a three-storey block of golf and tourist accommodation units.

Access to the development will be through the proposed new N7 interchange on the N7, according to the developers.