Go-ahead for new Nenagh apartments

Conditional planning permission has been granted for a development of eight apartments in the centre of Nenagh.

Seamus Sheahan has received permission to demolish an existing warehouse off Kenyon St at Glebe Lane and construct four two-bedroom and four one-bedroom apartment units. The apartments are to be contained in a four-storey block with balconies, bin storage, bike storage and all associated site development works on the site of the existing warehouse.

There is an agreement in principle to transfer two of the apartment units to Tipperary Co Council for social and affordable housing.

The four-storey building is to be approximately the same height as the historic commercial buildings on Kenyon Street. The fourth floor will be significantly recessed behind a parapet, thus reducing the visual impact of the building. The building is to face onto the Cecil Walk / Kenyon St Car Park area.

The applicant’s agent informed Tipperary Co Council that the new apartment block would “make a positive contribution to the revitalisation of this town centre location, which is in need of revitalisation”.

The council expressed concern that the ground floor frontage onto Glebe Lane “would not have an ‘active’ frontage, which could give rise to potential opportunities for anti-social behaviour and risk and fear of crime. It is considered that the proposed redevelopment of the application site provides an opportunity to ‘open up’ the laneway and create a more welcoming route between Kenyon Street and Kenyon Street Car Park.”

Ten apartments were originally planned for the site but, following a further information request from the council, the applicant proposed to provide three small units at ground floor level for community or retail use, with eight apartments on the upper floors.

Glebe Lane takes its name from the field it once led to. The ‘Glebe Field’ belonged to Rev JH Poe, Rector of Nenagh from 1831 to 1859. There were 17 tenanted houses in Glebe Lane at the outset of the Great Famine.

The applicant submitted an archaeological impact statement in respect of the development site. It recommended that following demolition of the warehouse, the site should be test excavated by a licensable archaeologist.

The council granted planning permission, subject to conditions, last month.