Wicklow County Council grants permission for 99-home scheme at Upper Main Street, Arklow, Co. Wicklow

In context

It is one of 107 housing scheme applications Wicklow County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,557 nationally. Of the 3,030 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 29 October 2024. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Wicklow County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

demolition of existing derelict buildings (1292 sqm); construction of 99 residential units comprising 59 no. apartments with four blocks, ranging in height from 4 to 7 storeys (7 no. 1 bed units, 42 no. 2 bed units and 10 no. 3 bed units) and 40 no. 3 storey houses (20 no. 4 bed units); construction of a 350 sqm mixed use building of four storeys containing 350 sqm of retail space at ground floor and residential units above; refurbishment, extension and change of use from a derelict two storey house to a 146.3 sqm creche; refurbishment of the former Ormonde Cinema (Record of Protected Structure Ref. A39) for commercial use comprising 322.5 sqm office at first floor and 32 sqm office, 181 sqm lounge/café and 59 sqm café uses at ground floor; relocation of a Victorian letterbox (Record of Protected Structure Ref. A40) within the scheme; provision of public open space including a new amphitheatre, a new plaza, communal and private open space; provision of internal access roads with vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist access and new vehicular access onto Upper Main Street; 169 no. car parking spaces and 196 no. bicycle parking spaces provided at basement and surface level; realignment of Coomie Lane to create a new pedestrian links between Vale Road, Upper Main Street and the River Avoca walkway; all associated and ancillary site development works above and below ground, including signage, 2 no. ESB substations, alteration to existing landscape features, play area, sculpture, retaining walls, clearance works, landscaping, excavation, bin stores, boundary treatments and services provision