Conditional green light for extension of County Carlow nursing home

Carlow Council provided a conditional planning decision for a planning application for the extension of a County Carlow nursing home, Carlow County Council due to made the decision on the 4th of March 2025, just under a year after the original planning application was submitted.

The planning application was made by Boris Lodge Nursing Home and a neighbour of the nursing home has expressed concern of the potential extension works that are contained in the planning application.

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The details of the planning application reads as follows:

Extension, alterations and external works to Borris Lodge Nursing Home, which is a protected Structure.

The works will involve partial demolition of an extension to Borris Lodge and a number of outbuildings, the construction of 2 no. 2 storey extension blocks, providing an additional 40 single ensuite rooms, resulting in a total of 85 ensuite rooms, associated lounges and support services.

Extension of the existing ground floor to provide a new dining area and an increased kitchen

Necessary alterations to Borris Lodge to connect the extensions and new landscaping

A revised parking layout, providing an additional 15 spaces, resulting in a total of 36 parking spaces, 8 of which are located in the under croft of the new extension.

22 bike spaces, including 10 for visitors, and 12 secure, covered spaces, PV panels, plant, storage, ESB substation kiosk and associated site works.

A submission to the planning application has been made by a resident in close proximity to the nursing and starts their submission saying they "very concerned" about the "potential loss of earnings" to their property.

The concern is over the "loss of domestic privacy" as the proposed extension to the nursing home will "face directly into my dwelling house and overlook my property" particularly at the "rear of the home including the back garden.

They go on to say in the submission that a potential solution for the loss privacy due to the extension would be to make a condition in which all glazed panels/windows be made "opaque or glazed" to ensure that the property "cannot be viewed from these elevated vantage points".

The conditions in the planning decision are extensive and 21 conditions have been put in place.

One of the conditions in the decisions does include that of opaque glass to be used in some of the external windows in the construction of the extension.

A number of other conditions are in place for the application, including but not limited to, those of public safety, and protection of the environment. The full details of the conditions in place can be found on the Carlow Council's planning permission portal or through the link HERE.