Parts of historic Carlow building to be demolished to make way for new childcare centre

Parts of a historic building are set to be demolished to make way for a new childcare centre in Carlow town.

In recent days, a planning application was submitted for the development of a new Holy Angels Day Care Centre at Kelvin Grove, Athy Road.

This would act as a special preschool for children aged 18 months to 6 years who have complex disabilities, requiring team-based intervention.

The existing Holy Angels Day Care Centre is located in Strawhall Industrial Estate in Carlow town.

The HSE says it is not adequate in terms of space and facilities to meet the needs of the children, and their families. It is also land locked with no possibility of extending the premises.

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The centre currently provides a service to approximately 35 children and there is a waiting list to access this service.

The new building would provide designated therapeutic space for HSE therapists to deliver therapeutic interventions to the children.

The preschool would operate between the core hours of 8am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Access to the building would be required outside of these hours by children and young people looking to access hydrotherapy pool services.

While the HSE’s application has since been deemed invalid, it is expected that it will submit a valid application in due course.

The development is set to include four activity rooms, therapy and multidisciplinary rooms, a staff canteen, toilets and changing rooms and a hydrotherapy pool with changing facilities.

Associated site works would include road and pedestrian access, car parking, a children’s outdoor play area, landscaping, substation and a bin store.

The existing Kelvin Grove house dates back to the 18th century, but has lay derelict and abandoned for several years.

It was originally a private residence, marked by its two-bay, two-storey form and later additions, including an extended three-storey wing to the rear.

Though records on the original owner are scarce, the house was eventually absorbed into the expanding campus of the St. Dympna’s psychiatric institution.

By the mid-to-late 20th century, the building had been repurposed as a psychiatric unit, and later became a dedicated residential facility for adults with learning and physical disabilities.

The wider hospital closed in 2011 and the Kelvin Grove unit followed.

A planning report, which was submitted as part of the HSE’s application, describes the building as being in “very poor condition”.

It is a protected structure and will remain so due to its “features and characteristics of architectural, artistic and technical special interest”.

The original two-storey house and the glasshouse have been identified as the principal features of interest.

However, the 20th century single-storey extensions are deemed to be of “lesser significance” and occupy a substantial portion of the site, with an “inefficient layout”.

Therefore, it is proposed that these parts of the building will be demolished as part of the Holy Angels development.

As part of the initial design, the possibility of utilising the building for part of the proposed accommodation for Holy Angels and the hydrotherapy pool was considered.

However, it was deemed not viable due to the small room sizes and level variations.

Although the refurbishment of the building is not within the scope of the Holy Angels project, a masterplan has identified the building to be refurbished for administrative functions.

Drawings attached to the HSE’s planning application reveal future plans for a national ambulance service site.

On one drawing, the Kelvin Grove house is marked as ‘Future Ambulance Base Admin’.

The Holy Angels development represents the first step in the rollout of the masterplan and would therefore enable the ultimate refurbishment of Kelvin Grove.