Green light for County Kildare nursing home gates despite objections

The erection of security fencing and gates at a county Kildare nursing home has been given the green light by an Coimisiún Pleanála, but only on a temporary basis.

The original gates were removed at Shalom Nursing Home, Church Street, Kilcock, due to security concerns, according to the owner. Kildare County Council refused permission for the retention of the structures at the former Presentation Convent, on September 15 2025. Frostbreak ULC appealed that decision to the commission.

The company said it only wanted to keep the current gates installed for a year, while it got a new set of appropriate gates and fencing made. It said the original installations were in storage. The Coimisiún Pleanála inspector recommended the security fencing and gates be refused permission.

However, the commission disagreed.

“In deciding not to accept the Inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the Commission did not share the view of the Inspector that the railings and fences proposed to be retained have not been sensitively considered , are unsympathetic and would have a negative effect on the subject building, character and context and overall setting as a Protected Structure within an ACA (Architectural Conservation Area),” it said.

The commission said it considered the totality of information on file, including the temporary duration of the permission for one year, the setting of the temporary entrance gates within a modern section of wall which did not form part of the original front boundary fronting onto Church Street, the existing mature planting, the non-original gates which were removed, no loss of original building fabric, the separate ownership of the Convent and the Church grounds, the reversibility of the works which were carried out, the reasonable height of the proposed temporary side boundary, and the visibility of the protected structure through the gates and fencing proposed to be retained .

“Having regard to the temporary duration for the works to be retained, namely the gates and security fencing, it is considered that the development proposed to be retained would not have an adverse impact on the character, setting, curtilage or attendant grounds of the Protected Structure or the Kilcock Architectural Conservation Area. Subject to compliance with conditions outlined below, the development proposed to be retained would accord with the relevant policies and objectives in the Kildare County Development Plan,” it concluded.