Fresh plan for unbuilt Laois apartments over Domino's pizza
Expired permission for apartments over former pub is being sought again
Six years on from planning approval, permission is being sought again in Laois to build two modern apartments over what was once a landmark Portlaoise pub.
In 2019, Laois County Council approved the development of apartments above the Laois business premises, formerly The Portlaoise Arms at 6 Market Square.
However they were never built and time ran out. In the meantime Domino’s Pizza opened in the modernised ground floor shopfloor.
Now applicant Eamonn Fennelly is seeking permission approval for the same apartment plan again, but with minor changes.
The plan is to build two-by-two bedroomed apartments with winter gardens. The homes would have pedestrian access via the Abbeyleix road side, and no parking spaces.
“The subject property is an existing vacant first-floor unit within the established town centre of Portlaoise. The unit has remained vacant for a considerable period, and previous efforts to secure a tenant for the entire building have unfortunately been unsuccessful,” a new architectural report explains.
“The applicant therefore wishes to bring the vacant first-floor area back into beneficial residential use. The proposals seek to make effective use of an existing vacant building within the town centre, while retaining the character and architectural appearance of the existing Protected Structure.
While the existing façade will not change, The side of the building, which has strikingly modern vertical columns, will be the site of two 8m² “winter gardens” on the first floor with windows moved back.
The application says that historically residents parked on site, but that now parking would have to be found in the surrounding area.
“Due to the nature and location of the existing building, car parking cannot be provided on site, as there is no available site area associated with the first-floor unit.
Bins are to be stored within the existing communal area at groundfloor level. Access to the proposed apartments will be provided via the existing entrance/stairs off the Abbeyleix Road.
“Adequate internal storage is provided within each apartment, and the proposed accommodation has been designed having regard to the relevant Government guidance and standards,” the application states.
His new application was returned as “invalid”, with the council requesting a Conservation Report to be included if it is resubmitted.
The Portlaoise Arms pub closed in 2008 and the listed building was later radically modernised. However it sat idle until 2022 when Domino’s Pizza opened up on the ground floor.