New nursing home and aged housing development planned for Laois town

A new nursing home and housing for older people is being planned in a Laois town.

The development is planned in Portlaoise, on a relief road in Knockmay beside Scoil Bhride and Portlaoise College.

On Monday details of the planned development were given at Laois County Council's March meeting.

Councillors were requested to approve the sale of 0.3 hectares of land owned by Laois County Council for €82,500.

Land is also being sold for the development by the Kildare & Leighlin Diocesan Trust, the council said.

The development will be by Kilkenny Investments Property Holdings which is based in Limerick.

Cllr Willie Aird from Portlaoise asked why the council was not using the land to build social houses.

Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland said this was "a fair question".

"It is due to the location and the density of social housing there. We are following a dispersed model, that is the main reason," he said.

"So there are too many council houses there already, that's grand, I know what to tell people if they ask me," said Cllr Aird.

Laois County Council is planning to build 43 houses near the area with the Cluid housing association, on land it has bought at Hepburn Court and an adjoining field already owned by the local authority, as part of a regeneration of the area. 

"I have two elderly people who want to come out of the homes they are in. I've lists of people looking for houses," said Cllr Aird.

“There are huge plans for that area, this is going to be brilliant. I know there are 11 units built nearby for elderly and disabled which is great,” said Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley.

The councillors approved the sale of the land.