Portlaoise land with planning for 74 houses being sold for €2.2million
Doran's Field on the Mountmellick Road has long been idle
A development site in the centre of Portlaoise with planning permission granted for 74 houses is being sold for €2.2 million.
The shovel ready site, known as Doran's Field alongside O'Moore Place on the Mountmellick Road, was granted planning permission last year. Hebron Mooncoin Limited was given the go-ahead for the “high-quality 74-unit residential scheme”, a mix of duplexes, apartments and houses.
June Doran Properties is now selling the 5.29-acre site for €2,250,000.
They said: “This is a rare opportunity for developers, builders and residential contractors to acquire a substantially de-risked, shovel-ready site in one of Leinster’s best-connected regional towns. The subject lands extend to approximately 2.142 hectares / 5.29 acres and benefit from planning under Laois County Council.
“The approved scheme provides for 74 no. residential dwellings, together with private amenity space, landscaped public open space, boundary treatments, street lighting, foul and SuDS drainage, and 128 car parking spaces, including 6 visitor spaces. The permitted layout offers a strong mix of starter homes, own-door family housing and apartment/duplex accommodation, making it attractive to both owner-occupiers and investors.
“By accommodation type, the scheme comprises 22 apartments, 24 duplex units and 28 houses. The duplex element comprises 12 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units over three storeys, while the apartments and houses are two-storey in form.”
Previously Laois County Council had spent some years in negotiation with the owner to buy the idle site, even considering the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order to force the owner to sell. Doran's Field has long attracted anti-social behaviour including dumping. It was placed on the Derelict Sites Register at one point. See previous dumping here.
In 2019 Laois County Council had announced plans with the Co-Operative Housing body to buy the field and build 34 new houses extending from O'Moore Place, a council built housing estate.
The council then spent €400,000 knocking six houses to improve access in O'Moore Place and make way for an entrance to the new land, with the next phase said to be the new houses.