Laois plan for 57 houses, shops, a creche and office space approved

Plans for 57 houses and a two-storey neighbourhood centre with a creche, office space and shops has been given planning permission in Portlaoise. 

Bircrest Limited were granted permission for the large mixed use development on a 2.98 hectare site at Summerhill, Portlaoise, subject to 22 conditions. It’s the second phase of a major housing development by Bircrest in the area. 

“The development will consist of: a 2 No. storey Neighbourhood Centre (1,484 sq m) principally comprising a retail unit 361 sq m), a creche (289 sq m), refuse storage (23 sq m) and cycle storage (65 sq m) at ground floor level and office floorspace (746 sq m) at ground and first floor level,” the planning application states. 

The plan also included “the provision of 57 No. houses (comprising of: 5 No. detached dwellings (three-storey 5-bed); 3 No. semi-detached corner dwellings (two-storey 4-bed); 29 No. semi-detached dwellings (two-storey 4-bed); 20 No. edge house t-shape dwellings (two-storey 4-bed); and 5 No. 3 No. storey duplexes comprising 5 No. 2-bed units and 5 No. 3-bed units.” 

The development will also include a new Link Road through the site, providing vehicular entrance to the site via O’Devoy (O’Deevy) roundabout. 

Bircrest plan to build shared pedestrian/cycle areas on the southern side of the Southern Circular Road and Aghnaharna Drive and improved pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities across the site access arm of this junction. 

The plan also includes a “proposal for the removal of the redundant western arm of the roundabout to the southeast at the Holy Family School Road and the provision of new active travel infrastructure incorporating a two-way cycle track with the adjoining footpath along the eastern boundary which transitions to a shared pedestrian / cycle facility to the north as it approaches the O’Kelly roundabout, and continues on the southern side of Aghnaharna Drive on the western arm of this roundabout.“ 

Last month Bircrest was granted permission to build 45 homes in Summerhill.

The five, four and three bedroom houses are to be built on a 2.14 hectare site at Summerhill in Portlaoise. 

Bircrest Limited applied for permission to build the houses last September. The council approved those plans, subject to 22 conditions on January 27, 2024.