High-rise Tullamore project refused permission by An Bord Pleanála
An appeal by a local developer against Offaly County Council's decision to refuse permission for a high-rise residential and commercial development in the centre of Tullamore has been turned down by An Bord Pleanála.
The planned development, on the former Tesco site on Patrick Street, would have included 204 apartments, retail, office and childcare facilities, in six blocks ranging in height from two to 13 storeys.
A planning application for the project was submitted by Cayenne Holdings Ltd, a company controlled by local businessman Seamus Kane, but was refused permission by the council in March of this year.
Cayenne Holdings subsequently appealed the council's decision to An Bord Pleanála, arguing that the urban location of the site meant it was suitable for higher-density development and for taller buildings.
The project was named 'The Distillery Yard' and planning documentation on behalf of Cayenne Holdings said it would be "an exemplar of urban regeneration" and would increase the vibrancy of Tullamore by bringing new residents into the town centre.
"People are not living in the town centre. In a move that will strengthen Tullamore’s existing offerings, this mixed-use development will combine new high quality public realm with streets and squares," stated a description of the project.
However, a report by An Bord Pleanála inspector Mary Crowley, who carried out her inspection of the site in June, concluded that the proposed high-rise buildings would have a negative visual impact on Tullamore as a whole.
She wrote that the development would potentially "negate the visual amenity and rich streetscape of the town" to the extent that it would "overwhelm" Tullamore's established core.
The planning board's inspector also agreed with an assessment previously given by an Offaly County Council architect who described the height of the proposed buildings as "disturbing" and "entirely out of context" with the surrounding streetscape.
Ms Crowley concluded: "A more appropriate and significantly truncated height for all blocks, which respects the gentle rhythm of existing building stock, would be required to allow for any serious consideration of this scheme.
"As stated by the Offaly County Council Senior Executive Architect, proposals for inappropriate, high-rise development cannot be shoehorned into a site of 2 or 3-storey buildings."
As part of its appeal, Cayenne Holdings had submitted possible modifications to the scheme for consideration by the board.
These included lowering the heights of three of the six buildings, and reducing the number of apartments by 46, to 158.
However, the planning board felt these changes to the scheme “do not overcome the substantive reasons” for not granting it permission.
The order from An Bord Pleanála, refusing planning permission, was signed off on July 31 and cited the high density of the residential units, the visual impact of the project, and traffic implications, as reasons for the refusal.