A possible look into the future for Bower site

The former Our Lady's Bower Convent and school had a place in the hearts of many Athlonians in years gone by, but now it could have a whole new residential future.

Here are the first glimpses of Wincove Land Ltd's revised plans for the prominent site overlooking much of Athlone where they now are hoping to build 99 “generously sized” new units, a mix of apartments, along with three townhouses.

The new images of Bower Hall, as it will be known, along with a plethora of reports and documentation, were submitted to Westmeath County Council on April 12 as part of a further information request after the local authority expressed concern that the initial proposals did not represent an “optimum urban design solution” last year.

A final decision on the project is now expected to be available by May 9 once the newly-revised plans, which sees the unit numbers rise from 84 to 99, a reduction in height of apartment blocks and other design and layout changes, are judged by the council.

First revealed in April 2020, the landmark project proposed a change of use of the listed convent building, which dates back to the 1880s, and a later extension from the 1960s, to house what was then a development of over 84 residential apartments, a library and a community centre at Aghecocora, Lower Road.

However, the local authority asked for 15 separate points to be dealt with by the project backers before they would give a final decision after they were unhappy with many aspects of the design and layout of the initial plans, including the siting of five and six-storey apartment blocks on such a prominent elevated site close to a protected structure, the location of parking close to open space, the issue of pedestrian links and overall visual impact.

Now, the developer, linked with the Hanly Group, with a registered address in Elphin in Co Roscommon, has made a number of major changes to the original designs, saying the revised plan “assimilates effectively into the surroundings”.

A company spokesperson told the Westmeath Independent they are “very excited about the development and the positive visual effect it will have on the existing site” while at the same time, “respecting the dignity (while enhancing)” the existing significant cut stone building and protected structure.

A section of a planned library in the development will include a museum “celebrating what the La Sainte Union Sisters did for Athlone, and their history” in terms of the school and the positive standing it earned and enjoyed nationally and internationally, the company behind the ambitious project has also confirmed.

As part of the alterations made to the original plans to address the council's concern about five and six-storey apartment blocks, the developer has replaced an apartment block with three townhouses. The renovation and alterations to the existing school building and listed convent building would now provide for fewer apartments - 44 in total, a library and three two-storey townhouses.

The apartment units taken from the protected structure location will be relocated to the western area of the site comprising a “sensitive design” of four blocks of ten units encompassing a split-level arrangement which reduces visual impact and uses the site better, the applicant argued, adding that the five and six-storey blocks initially proposed will now be four-storey.

What's described as a “state-of-the-art creche facility with its own proposed play facilities” is also proposed for the site in the revised plans, while car parking will be located throughout the development rather than close to open space and the convent building as it had been originally.

A concern of the local authority that there was only one pedestrian link onto Lower Road, and that an existing vehicular entrance on Bower Lane would be closed in the original plans is also dealt with the developers in the new data.

The applicant has confirmed that the main vehicular access will be to Retreat Road, and they do not propose closing the rear road and it “will be available by way of a second entrance but will be managed by a management company and perhaps kept closed and used for service/emergency and secondary entrance when required from time to time”.

The entrance will be maintained but daily use will not be promoted because of constraints on traffic movement on this road.

Another concern in relation to visual impact is addressed by the backers with what's described as “sophisticated software” to carry out a “factual analysis of long-distance views from the site from selected locations” in Athlone which they say shows the lower buildings cannot be seen from any location.

The site is zoned educational, community and institutional, and would require a material contravention to alter the zoning for residential use. Back in June 2014, the last 11 boarders sat their Leaving Certificate before Our Lady's Bower school shut its doors for the last time.

Three years later the convent and school site, a landmark building in Athlone's history was sold. It has lain unused in the interim.