‘Close to nature cabins’ approved at Birr Castle

Four eco or “Slow Cabins” will allow visitors to “experience serenity and immersion in nature” at Birr Castle Demesne.

Offaly County Council recently granted planning permission to Birr Trustee Company for the eco-tourism project on fenced off land on the Birr Castle Estate in an area known as Mount Palmer.

The planning documents reveal that the standalone “close to nature cabins” will be fully self sufficient in terms of their environmental credentials, with each 100% powered by solar panels and a Smart battery storage system, while rainwater will be captured and purified using Smart Water filter systems.

Another noteworthy feature of each cabin is a Scandinavian dry toilet which doesn't use water and saves an estimated eight to ten litres per visit. Users throw two of three cups of wood chips into the bowl and this will help with composting and reducing odour, the documents lodged in support of the project, which was first submitted in February of last year details.

In April of 2022, the council asked for further information from the applicant on several aspects of the plan, including an archaeological assessment and an appropriate assessment, given how close the site is to the Camcor and Little Brosna rivers and the nearby Dovegrove Callows, a Special Protection Area (SPA). It subsequently found there would be “minimal disturbance” to the gardens etc.

The local authority wasn't happy either with the parking layout beside the I-LOFAR visitor centre, something which the applicant altered to utilise parking at the main gate, when it supplied the extra data in October allowing the final decision to be made.

Making a case for the project to be approved, a report submitted by the applicant considered that this “unique accommodation will enhance existing tourism accommodation provision in the area offering a markedly different option to what's available” and has a “strong chance of success” as a long-term business.

A letter signed by Alicia Clements, from The Estate Office at Birr Castle, also referred to an important element for visitors being “serenity and immersion in nature without the noise of the city” as she justified the change in the parking arrangement, to spaces at the main gate rather the original idea of them being alongside the existing spaces of the I-LOFAR visitor centre, adjacent to the area where the cabins will be located.

It's estimated that eco-tourism project will provide local employment, including one maintenance manager and up to three cleaning/turnaround staff and is predicted to have a “positive impact” on the local tourism sector, according to the planning documents.

The project at one of Offaly's top visitor attractions was approved just prior to Christmas subject to compliance with 13 separate planning conditions.