Family home to be knocked for gated community on Carlow Laois border
A family home is set to be knocked on the Carlow Laois border to make way for a sheltered gated development for retired or elderly people.
Laois County Council has given the green light to amended plans for the development at Rivendell, Graiguecullen. The project is earmarked for a property on R924 road which links to the N80.
Nearly a year after lodging plans, the council's Chief Executive John Mulholland, signed off on the conditional grant of planning permission on January 26, 2022.
Eileen Brennan applied on February 1, 2021 for the green light to build a residential building containing 19 one an two bedroom apartments. To do so the applicant sought permission to demolish an existing two story home. The applicant said the units would be private gated community for the elderly and retired people. The council was told the residents may need part assisted living or who had wished to downsize.
It was made clear that it would not be sheltered accommodation to be used for people who required psychiatric care or have addiction issues.
The council was also told the the applicant had been in consultation with housing bodies which house people off the local authority waiting lists.
During the months that followed planners raised concerns about the scale of the project. Among the required changes made related to the positioning of the development and the reduction to the 15 in the number of units.
In the final grant of planning, Mr Mulholland required, among other conditions, that 15 units be located in the development and that the apartments could only be lived in by people over the age of 55.
The development is located across the road from a Glanbia agrifood business.