A Laois business is seeking planning permission for a development at a Portlaoise business Park.

Portlaoise company Castleforms Ltd is a leading Irish manufacturer and supplier of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulated concrete form (ICF) construction systems used in construction projects across Ireland.

An incomplete application was filed by Mr Tom Maher, seeking permission from Laois County Council for the development of 'an insulated construction system manufacturing unit, associated office accommodations, a separate storage unit and a stock yard at unit 5a and 5b of Portlaoise Enterprise Park, Togher'.

Pictured: the site location of the proposed development. Source: Laois County Council

The proposed development is on a site at the edge of Clonminam Business Park, just two minutes from the J17 National Enterprise Park.

The overall combined floor area of the development is 6,344 square metres, with 4,588sq/m dedicated to the manufacturing unit. The height of the proposed manufacturing building is 10.5 meters to its parapet.

The office space is proposed to be 730sq/m. The storage unit proposed will be 1,026sq/m, with a height of seven metres.

The Laois company intends to provide 50 car parking spaces, three accessible parking spaces and five electric vehicle spaces. 

Fifty bicycle spaces are proposed to serve the development. Two access points are proposed for the development, including the current entrance from the existing roundabout spur, and a new entrance to the south side of the development.

The company is seeking all associated ancillary works including landscaping, boundary treatments, internal roadways, car parking, the stock yard and associated infrastructure both above and below ground level.

The facility intends to employ approximately 30 to 50 staff, comprising of 20 office-based personnel working standard daytime hours and 20 to 30 production staff operating on a rotating shift basis. The plant is intended to operate on a 8/24-hour basis.

Laois County Council first received the planning application on Friday April 3. It was deemed invalid on Wednesday April 8.

Planning files note that confirmation from Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) in relation to utility connections within the development was delayed due to processing timelines.

In 2008, the site was granted planning permission for an electricity generation facility.

Castleforms first began trading in 2013 and currently operates out of their manufacturing facility that was commissioned in 2016.

Read Next: Two businesses join forces in Laois to take the stress out of organising events

In March, the company won the Innovation in Construction Products Award at the Irish Building & Design Awards for their ICF FireBlock product.

The promotion of development opportunities and investment in Laois has been a topic of conversation in recent days, with Fine Gael Deputy Willie Aird recently announcing that units within the IDA business park in Portlaoise are ready to be marketed to direct investment firms.