BREAKING: New town centre apartments planned for site next to historic Kildare house

A planning application is in the pipeline for a site adjacent to a historic building near the town centre in Naas.

The proposal is to build apartments at a site occupied by a single storey disused cottage at Dublin Road.

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The application seeks to refurbish the house and demolish a rear extension.

Permission is sought for a new extension at the back to create a two bedroom unit.

The application also seeks the go ahead for six new residential units within the site, which also opens onto Gleann na Gréine, arranged across three two-storey blocks.

These will consist of two two bedroom units and four one bedroom units.

The site is beside the Alms House and according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, this building, also known as the Widows’ House, is of considerable historical and social importance and the building “attests to the longstanding presence of an almshouse on the site, the earliest of which is dated to 1590.”

It was extensively renovated in the late 20th century to accommodate residential use and “the building remains an attractive feature on the streetscape.”

It dates back to 1919.

Less than two years ago plans to develop Alms House into apartments were abandoned. The Peter McVerry Trust, the national homeless and housing charity, had intended to redevelop this property.

The plan was to provide three self contained own door units consisting of one bedroom each, for  housing accommodation purposes. 

But the trust later advised KCC it was “no longer in a position to carry out this redevelopment.”

KCC then started talks with the St Vincent de Paul Society “regarding ownership of and the future use of the property.”

More recently Kildare County Council indicated it had plans to buy the Alms House.