Planning permission approved for extension of graveyard in Laois

Planning permission has been granted for a graveyard extension in a Laois village.

In June, Father Noel Maher submitted a planning application to Laois County Council on behalf of Aghaboe Parish for the extension of the graveyard in the village of Clough.

The planning application looked to extend the existing graveyard area and develop a pedestrian opening in the existing boundary wall to access the proposed extended area of the graveyard.

The proposed extension does not come out to the public road, therefore it will be accessed by the existing graveyard entrance and by means of this new pedestrian opening.

According to the documents submitted with the application, Clough Ballacolla GAA Club purchased the lands adjacent to the existing graveyard prior to 2020.

The club later went on to develop playing fields and a new changing room on these lands.

A small parcel of land measuring around 0.0445ha was left unused and so Clough Ballacolla GAA Club gave the piece of land to Aghaboe Parish to facilitate the “much desired” extension to the graveyard.

The architect appointed to the project, Fintan Dunne, said that this extension “will allow local families to continue to inter their family members in the heart of the village.”

Laois County Council has now decided to grant planning permission to the extension, subject to three conditions.

Included among these conditions is an order to retain any boundary screening which is not required to be removed for the creation of the access point.

Laois County Council also included in the conditions the provision of native trees and shrubs at the boundaries of the site to form naturalised hedgerows. These include hawthorn, blackthorn, whitethorn, ash, oak, hazel, holly, spindle, wild privet, and dog rose.