Housing estate planned on site of demolished factory

The site of a once massive US owned factory in Laois is to become a housing estate, if plans get a green light.

The Avon factory site in Portarlington on the Canal Road, is planned to get a new housing estate of 74 houses and apartments.

Applicant Thomas O Gorman, Limitlane Ltd seeks to construct a mix of houses and apartments, on a 2.33 Ha site at the corner of Canal Road and Bracklone Street.

This includes 12 two storey semi-detached 4 bedroom houses, 32 two storey terrace 3 bedroom houses, 2 two storey semi-detached 5 bedroom houses and 2 three storey apartment blocks with 14 apartments each, including 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units.

Seven of the homes would be given to Laois County Council for its tenants under a Part V housing agreement.

They say the homes will have an A2 energy rating, and will provide an inclusive development with interlinked open spaces and walkways. 

It is part of a larger plot of land owned by the applicant, taking in where the factory stood. The plant which employed 1200 at its height, closed in 2000 after 30 years. It was gutted by a fire and demolished in 2014.

The ground later had to be decontaminated to make the land usable, due to manufacture waste chemicals disposed on the site. 

Limitlane Ltd bought the site in 2020.

They are planning to eventually develop the entire site including the Enterprise & Employment zoned area where the former factory stood. It is proposed that the entire development will be phased out into 3 different phases.

The proposed development would also include two new site entrances, one onto Bracklone Street and one entrance onto Canal Road.

The apartments will front the development at Bracklone Street, stepped down to two storey beside existing dwellings. 

The applicant says it will "create a sustainable, well orientated and high quality mix of dwelling types to cater for all members of society" and is close to local schools. Each home is within 100m of an outdoor green area.

It would also have an internal access road, footpaths, car-parking, cycle parking, boundary treatments, lighting, bin storage, public open space, private amenity space, foul and surface water drainage, water services, landscaping and all associated infrastructure works and services on 2.33 Ha on lands at Canal Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois.

A decision is due to be made in late August.