Apartments project to give new lease of life to east Mayo town

A VACANT site in Kiltimagh's town centre is set to get a new lease of life.

Planning permission has been granted for an apartment development at a site adjacent to Heneghan's Pharmacy, on the main street.

Foxford Pharmacy Ltd. has been granted planning permission for the construction of a four-storey apartment block consisting of eight two-bedroom apartments, with photovoltaic solar panels (153m2) to a flat roof area at the rear of the block. The plans also include bicycle parking.

Documentation submitted to council planners explained the history of the site.

The derelict east section immediately adjacent to Heneghan's Pharmacy was occupied by the discount store, Sparky's, for many years before its demolition on the grounds of structutral safety. Before being a discount store the building had served as a business and lodging for people requiring accommodation.

The western section of the site was known as Ruane's and was a wholesale for bottle beers and other merchant supplies.

This building was destroyed in a fire in 1944, leading to the deaths of several people, and since then has been left vacant in its ruinous state.

The design of the new development, planners were told, was sympathetic to the surround streetscape and would provide for high quality, sustainable living units.

It is proposed to re-use the salvaged rubble sandstone of the property for the front facade, which will match Heneghan's Pharmacy, with the overall appearance complementing the traditional Victorian streetscape.

The project has been designed with the older and younger demographics of the community in mind. Particular emphasis has been placed on accessibility, leading to the inclusion of an oversized central lift and a landscaped outdoor communal space to encourage urban social integration and activity.