Plans halted for Laois shop to be knocked for new apartments and houses

Plans for a new housing development in Abbeyleix that includes the demolition of a shop to make way for 26 apartments and houses has been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Laois County Council previously granted applicant Cubic Housing Ltd. permission to demolish a furniture shop called Dunnes Hardware, on New Row for the housing project.

The original plans sought permission for three 2-storey four bedroom terraced houses, four more attached homes with three bedrooms each, three dormer style three bedroom terraced homes, ten two bedroom bungalows, and finally a two storey duplex block containing eight one bedroom apartments. The application also sought permission to install a communal bin and bicycle store, a new vehicular entrance from New Row, parking spaces, boundary treatments, a landscaped amenity space, a local road and footpaths.

Extensive further information was sought by Laois County Council from the applicant. The local authority raised concerns about the density of the development and a revised plan for 26 units rather than 28 was submitted.

A road safety audit was also requested and the Council raised a number of road safety concerns which needed to be addressed.

The proposed development includes a realignment of the existing pedestrian walkway that currently provides access from New Road to Fr Breen Park and associated community sports facilities. Written consent from the Trustees of Fr Breen Park, who hold authority over the affected right of way, was submitted.

An appeal has now been lodged by Ethel Burke to An Coimisiún Pleanála after Laois County Council granted permission with 19 conditions attached.

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In her submission to the local authority Ms Burke called for more respect for the Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) of Abbeyleix through the use of appropriate materials; the delivery of a more balanced housing mix and for the applicant to address traffic safety risks more rigorously.

In relation to the use of appropriate materials she said the inclusion of brick as a dominant facade treatment “constitutes a material departure from both local and national planning policy”. She said the Abbeyleix ACA “exists to preserve the unique architectural and visual character of the town’s streetscapes.”

She called on the planning authority to require the full removal of balconies and the replacement of materials with a traditional-style render finish.

Ms Burke called for an improved housing mix that provides at least 73% family-sized homes given the demographic in the county.

Addressing traffic concerns she said: “introducing up to 26 new dwellings with car parking capacity in excess of 50 vehicles and additional traffic movements will exacerbate this already constrained system. Moreover, the proposed development includes no traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, or yellow box markings to manage flows near the entrance. Without these interventions, vehicles attempting to enter or exit the site risk becoming caught in the existing congestion, compounding the unsafe conditions at this critical junction.”

An Coimisiún Pleanála is due to make a decision on the development by January 20, 2026.