Irish Tidy Towns champions appeal Laois planning decision on church

The current champion Tidy Towns group in Ireland is taking a case to An Bord Pleanála against a planning decision on a heritage church building in their town.

Abbeyleix Tidy Towns who won the national title of Ireland's Tidiest Town in 2023, is appealing Laois County Council's decision in favour of a plan by the Laois Bible Church.

It concerns Epworth Hall, a former Methodist Church on Main Street, Abbeyleix, built in 1826 and now owned by Laois Bible Church who worship there.

The church group was approved in June to demolish a temporary toilet/storage block and a timber fence and gate to the side of Epworth Hall, which is a protected structure.

They also have approval to demolish modern extensions and a shed to the rear, and to build a single storey flat roof extension to the rear with a new meeting room, parent room and stores. there are to be internal alterations to provide toilets and services, a stairs and a first floor mezzanine gallery.

The council planners said that samples of materials and detail of finish must be supplied to them for approval before any work, and that the wall to replace the timber fence must have the same size and finish as the original wall. The job must be overseen by a Conservation Architect.

However Abbeyleix Tidy Towns in their appeal letter say they have "significant concerns" and say that the flat roofed extension will be visible from Main Street.

The extension drawn in pink to left of existing building, to be partly obscured by a replaced wall.

They say there is a "lack of critical assessment of the potential impacts within the context of the location within Abbeyleix Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) and the streetscape of the town".

They say there is a failure to provide a visual impact assessment of the development, rendering the Architectural Impact Assessment report as "inadequate and flawed". They say there are inadequate elevation drawings of the new structures.

They claim that the architectural assessment and design information in the application are both of "poor quality" and detail is lacking in how an unauthorised demolished rendered and capped masonry wall will be reconstructed.

"It is the opinion of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns that the crude design and the failure to provide a comprehensive impact assessment within the planning application would be detrimental to the character and guidance provided in Abbeyleix ACA if it were allowed to proceed," the committee say.

The case is due to be decided by November 11, 2024.