New ‘eco-stay’ glamping business planned beside Laois hotel
Hopes nature lovers and eco-conscious travellers will flock to accommodation on foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Ballyfin
Plans for a new ‘eco-stay’ glamping business on the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains next door to Ballyfin Demesne have been lodged with Laois County Council.
A planning application has been submitted to develop luxury yurts and parking for campervans, a pedestrian walkway and kitchen and toilet facilities at Deerpark, Ballyfin.
Applicant Aisling Duff is seeking permission for the construction of three yurts (luxury glamping pods, each to accommodate a maximum of four people), with car parking provided, parking for seven camping vans with utilities (black and grey waste water facilities, water supply and electric hook up) a covered pedestrian walkway, recycling facilities, a self-catering kitchen, storage, shower and toilet block, a waste treatment system and a second site entrance to the proposed development along with all associated and ancillary siteworks. Retention permission is also being sought for an existing one-bedroom, mobile home on the site.
“The proposal is for eco-stay accommodation surrounded by nature at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains adjacent to native woodland,” the application states.
The site is accessed via a laneway off the local rural road L6020. Along the south side of the laneway is a stone boundary wall to Ballyfin Hotel estate.
The applicant said the ideal customer will be wildlife photographers and enthusiasts, eco-conscious travellers and nature lovers and they would expect international visitors as well as domestic and regional visitors.
The application said the focus will be on “short-stay rural getaways with a focus on relaxation and natural beauty.”
The application also includes a letter from Birdwatch Ireland, Laois Branch that “confirms that the proposed development does not affect the Hen harrier habitat as a nesting or hunting area.”
The applicant also plans to plant trees, native indigenous hedging, wildflower seeds (bee friendly) and grass seeding on the site.
A pedestrian footpath is proposed in concrete for universal access linking the parking bays, the yurts and toilet-shower block. The footpath would have a lightweight covering for shelter between the yurts and shower-kitchen block.
In terms of accommodation the yurts will be made with eco materials, for example, sheep’s wool insulation, recycled glass, and sustainable larch joinery. The seven campervan bays will each be wired for future electric vehicle charging as well as an electrical point. Drinking water points and waste emptying facilities will also be provided.
Retention is being sought for the mobile home on the site which the documents say is temporarily connected to the applicant’s grandparent’s septic tank. It is intended that the mobile home will accommodate administration and a caretaker for the proposed development.
Laois County Council is due to make a decision on the development by January 14, 2027.