Plan to use Portlaoise apartments for tourists amid claim council uninterested in lease
Plans have been lodged to change apartments in Portlaoise to short term tourist accommodation as the owner says the council showed no interest.
A representative of the applicant claims the owner attempted to lease the properties to the council but the council showed no interest in leasing the property.
Haler Lea and Associates applied to Laois County Council for a change of use from apartments to tourist accommodation at ‘Adams’ former pharmacy at 58 Main Street in Portlaoise.
The application sought to “carry out change of use from apartments to tourism accommodation to include tourist short term letting, corporate letting and all associated site works. Listed on the Record of Protected Structures under RPS No. 226.”
In a letter to the council accompanying the application, a Chartered Architectural Technologist writing on behalf of the applicant stated that there was a demand for short term accommodation in Portlaoise.
“The development will consist of permission for change of use from apartments to tourism accommodation to include tourist short-term letting, corporate letting and all associated site works,” the letter stated.
“This application relates to a development on Main Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The applicant has converted a former pharmacy known as ‘Adams’ to an apartment and existing second storey apartment unit and mews building and is now three units at Main Street. The applicant has attempted to lease same to Laois Co. Co. however, has failed to gain any interest from the Council,” the letter stated.
“He has been approached a number of times for short term letting and following the closure of O’Loughin’s Hotel at Main Street, there is a shortfall in the market for Same,” the letter said.
O'Loughlins, which is now called the The Town Hotel, is currently being used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.
Laois County Council has marked the status of the change of use planning application, which was lodged on Friday, May 26, as 'incompleted'.