A PLANNING application for 40 new apartments in Abbeyfeale has been submitted to Limerick City and County Council.
The proposal, submitted by HRP Construction Limited, includes a mix of 20 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments at Saint Ita’s Road.
The application, described by developers as a “high-quality, considerate, residential development”, will include 54 car parking spaces, 20 bicycle spaces, bin storage, and pedestrian crossings.
Vehicular access is proposed to the North West at St Ita’s Road, and the development will have one new entrance for motor vehicles and two entrances for pedestrians and cyclists.
In 2021, HRP Construction sought permission for 44 homes and 24 apartments, which was granted in 2022. This was appealed to An Bord Pleanála, which subsequently gave the go-ahead.
Now, the same developer is back a second time, seeking permission for a smaller-scale development on St Ita’s Road.
According to the architectural design statement, after “analysis of the current demand for housing in this area [which we must acknowledge were raised at the initial pre-planning meeting for a larger scheme] a smaller scheme tailored to the demands of the existing local need has been devised.”
“A similar scheme was recently refused by An Bord Pleanala on the basis of insufficient housing mix. Since the original planning application was lodged, the provisions of the 2025 Apartment Guidelines have come into effect and housing mix requirements contained in development plans are no longer required to be adhered to,” the statement reads.
The statement also notes a previous planning application for the land was refused by An Coimisiún Pleanála in August this year.
Agents for the developer say the proposed development in its current format “represents an ideal residential scheme that will contribute positively to the town of Abbeyfeale and, as it is within the development boundary of the settlement and benefits from a residential zoning designation, constitutes the ideal housing solution for the site”.
The development is described as “helping to solve the undersupply issues currently characterising the Irish/Limerick housing landscape”.
A decision on the proposed development is due at the end of November.
