'Devastating news' landmark Laois council housing plan rejected

A council housing estate planned on a landmark Portlaoise site has been unexpectedly rejected by the national planning authority.

Tyrells Land on the Stradbally Road is 26 acres of parkland that was bought by Laois County Council seven years ago for €1.4 million, and lying unused since, awaiting development.

Some 5.5 acres (two hectares) was proposed to get 67 houses and apartments.

The other 21 acres are planned to get sports and recreation facilities, as an extension of the People’s Park.

An Coimisiún Pleanála has refused the housing estate, citing reasons of protecting local heritage and ecology, and the low housing density.

It was met with shock by councillors at the October meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

“It is a devastating blow for Portlaoise,” Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald said, revealing the decision.

“It’s a huge disappointment to us all here. Bad news, unbelievable news. We had a company hired to do all this planning application, a masterplan, everything. I shudder to think how much that cost. After many years the permission has been refused.

"That's the only site we have in Portlaoise, Tyrells Land. This is serious, and we are accountable, and I want to know how this went so badly wrong.

“As area representatives, we need to meet the directors and the CEO and discuss the future of Tyrrells Land,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.

Director of Services Simon Walton said “it’s obviously a very disappointing decision for the council.”

“It’s the housing element that’s been refused. The recreation and sports facilities are separate and we will be putting a sports plan to the members in the coming three to four months, including pitches and can include padel infrastructure.

“It means we now have to revisit the housing again, but in the recreation and sports, we can continue what we started,” he said.

Years in the making and costing a lot of money already in designing and planning, the housing estate was to offer a range of two-storey houses and duplex apartments, of one to four bedrooms. Some were to be sold through the Affordable Homes Scheme, the rest for low cost rent to Laois tenants.

An Coimisiún Pleanála gave a list of reasons for refusing the houses, which were to be built in the field beside Portrane House, across the road from Bradshaws auto shop.

“The design and layout of the proposed development has failed to protect the character and setting of the protected structure. The layout which presents the rear elevations of houses to Portrane House has not had regard to the heritage context and further constraints of the site and has provided an insufficient buffer to the house and curtilage, and therefore does not comply with Development Management Standards for Protected Structures.”

The authority added that the development would cause the loss of Category A and B trees, which are high quality trees with at least 40 years of further life expectancy. They said this would further adversely affect the setting of Portrane House and contravenes council policies.

Furthermore, the planners and their inspector are dissatisfied that the development would not adversely affect the integrity of the River Barrow and River Nore Special Area of Conservation. They said there was insufficient information on how Maryborough Stream would be diverted.

They say that there was no demonstrated proof that the development would not risk deterioration of the ecology of water courses.

The commission also says it is not satisfied with the adequacy of biodiversity documents submitted with the plan, citing “insufficient information and surveys”.

It ends with a suggestion to reconsider applying for a higher density of housing for the urban site, up from 34 homes per hectare to 40, in line with the council’s own Stradbally Road Masterplan.

It was the second attempt to design housing for Tyrrell’s Land.

The site was bought by the council for €1.4 million in 2019. A previous architectural proposal of apartment blocks of 3, 4 and 5 storeys totalling 87 homes was rejected by the Portlaoise Municipal District councillors in 2021, before it even went to An Bord Pleanála, due to their concern at the "high rise" buildings and lack of gardens.

While the decision is not public until Thursday, Cllr Fitzgerald said she had to discuss it, as she was tabling a motion asking for Padel Courts to be developed on Tyrrells Land.

The council reply on the Padel Courts is that they will be investigated as part of the overall sports proposals for Tyrells Land.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly meanwhile seconded the motion, saying that padel courts in Mountrath are very well used, whil agreeing that the planning refusal is “devastating news”.