Plans submitted to transform historic courthouse in Leitrim town
A Part 8 application outlines reuse of Manorhamilton Courthouse for community and office use, with a small extension and measures to safeguard its protected status.
Leitrim County Council has submitted a Part 8 planning application for the adaptive reuse, conservation and sensitive redevelopment of the former Manorhamilton Courthouse and bridewell building.
The proposed development aims to transform the historic structure into a multi-use space, with plans providing for cultural and community use on the ground floor and office accommodation on the first floor.
A modest extension is proposed to the south-east side of the building, addressing the public car park. The extension will involve limited intervention to the existing boundary wall and will accommodate new vertical and horizontal circulation to service the building.
Manorhamilton Courthouse is a Protected Structure (RPS No. 38) under the Leitrim County Development Plan 2023–2029. The application states that the proposed works will not materially affect the character of the protected structure.
An Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment carried out in support of the Part 8 planning application noted that all groundworks associated with the new build, particularly the excavation of strip foundations and service trenches, will be subject to archaeological monitoring, with any finds or features recorded in accordance with a mitigation strategy agreed with the National Monuments Service.
“This Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that the proposed works, as detailed in the architectural drawings, specification, and supporting documentation, represent a positive, justified, and appropriate intervention within a protected historic context, and will result in a lasting and beneficial outcome for both the structure and the community it serves,” the report noted.
Submissions in relation to the application are open until May 28.
Members of the public can view the plans and particulars at the Planning Office, Leitrim County Council, Áras an Chontae, Carrick-on-Shannon (N41 PF67).