Local developer's big plans for former Offaly hotel

A FORMER Tullamore hotel and the site around it could be set for a major revamp.

Cayenne Holdings, whose director is Tullamore businessman and developer Seamus Kane, will be applying for permission to partially demolish the vacant Moorhill House on the Clara Road to construct a house and 24 units.

According to a planning notice published in the Tullamore Tribune and Midland Tribune, consent will also be sought from Offaly County Council for 24 one-bedroom units “in a single and three storey block”.

The planning notice says the Moorhill House is a protected structure: “The works includes partial rear demolition of the protected structure with proposed refurbishment and rear single and two storey extension to create a three-bedroom house.”

Separately, Cayenne Holdings is the owner of the land in Cappincur where Offaly County Council has given the green light for 62 houses and 40 apartments on a greenfield site close to the bypass roundabout.

The Cappincur scheme will be located on the northern side of the Daingean Road, close to a filling station, and is being developed by Daingean Road Residential Ltd.

Planning documents say its directors are Martin Kenny and Fearghal de Feu.

The project will comprise 13 four-bedroom houses, 27 three-bedroom houses and 22 two-bedroom houses on a site of more than four hectares.

The 40 apartments include one, two and three-bed units and the plan is for them to be built in four separate three-storey blocks.

Access for traffic will be off the Daingean road and an initial proposal for 173 car parking spaces was increased to 195.

Local residents had expressed serious concerns about the project, saying there was a history of flooding in the area and that a density of 28 dwellings per hectare was too high.

However, the applicant referred to an Office of Public Works study which said there had been no flood events on the site or in the immediate vicinity.

The developers also said a flood risk assessment placed the site in zone C, which they said was the lowest risk of three flood zones and meant the site was suitable for residential development and that a justification test was not needed.

When council planners told the developers that Transport Infrastructure Ireland had concerns about the impact on the existing N52 roundabout, the applicant said an analysis showed there would be no impact on the roundabout and it will continue to operate well within capacity.

On April 24 last a letter on behalf of residents was sent to the council, saying they were “still looking for answers” and had concerns about a range of issues, including flooding, density, traffic impact, wastewater, ecological impact, lack of a masterplan for the area, plus an additional concern about the scheme's heating source.

Planning permission was granted on condition that all houses and duplex units be occupied at first by individual purchasers or by people eligible for social, affordable or cost rental housing.

This condition bars a corporate entity from buying the units and will only be lifted if within two years the dwellings are not occupied by individual purchasers or people eligible for social, affordable or cost rental housing.

The council said the aim of the condition is to ensure an adequate choice and supply of housing, including affordable housing, in the common good.

A management company must be set up for the apartments.

Also, a double set of gates must be provided at a junction with adjacent land between two houses in the scheme.

At least 10% of the parking spaces must have electric charging points and the remainder must have ducting to allow for charging points in the future.