Unique "therapeutic farm" gets the green light from Kildare County Council

A therapeutic farm has been granted planning permission from Kildare County Council to build a new facility in Straffan. 

The project by Kyrie Therapeutic Farm CLG will house 40 people at the former Portree Stables in Boston.

The facility includes a new two-storey communal building, eight single-storey residential buildings, a reception building and a shop with a café.

The therapeutic farm will provide therapeutic services with the farm as an essential element of the overall programme of healing and recovery.

An existing farm building on site will be demolished as well as other structures.

The new build elements will comprise: a new two storey communal building centrally within the farm comprising of kitchen/dining, office, therapy, meeting, yoga and meditation and various other rooms.

Also planned are eight single storey residential buildings to provide accommodation for up to 40 guests and a single-storey reception building

A single storey shop/café building is also in the plans.

The proposed buildings will be clad in vertical timber cladding.

Some 41 car parking spaces are proposed for the therapeutic farm use and 20 car parking spaces for the shop/café.

The plans include landscaping including the provision of a lake for irrigation and ecology, internal farm tracks and roads, fencing and planting.