Over 800 new student bed spaces proposed near TUS in Athlone
A proposal has emerged for a large-scale student accommodation project in Athlone, which could see the addition of more than 800 new bed spaces close to the TUS campus.
The prospective development would see 820 student accommodation bed spaces being created on a site at Wash House Road, Garrycastle, which is to the east of the main TUS campus.
Because of the size of the project, planning for it must go through the Large-scale Residential Developments (LRD) planning process which was introduced by the Government in recent years.
Westmeath County Council confirmed that it took part in an initial pre-planning meeting with the developer of the proposed student housing in January of this year.
The next step of the LRD planning process would be a follow-on meeting between the two parties in order for the council to determine whether the project meets the requirements for an LRD planning application to be submitted.
Should an LRD application then be submitted, the council would be expected to make a decision on it within eight weeks.
The potential development is the third significant student housing proposal to emerge in Athlone in recent years.
It follows on from planning approval being granted to Avenir Homes Ltd, in 2022, for a large-scale development involving both student and residential accommodation.
The Avenir Homes project, billed as 'The Green Quarter', is planned for a site close to the ESB facility in Garrycastle, and consists of 60 houses, 62 residential apartments, and 46 student apartments that would include 283 student bed spaces.
Last month, meanwhile, the council approved a proposal for 26 new student apartments, containing 91 single rooms, next to The Tack Room pub on Athlone's Dublin Road.
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday) morning, local councillor Frankie Keena said the potential addition of a further 820 student bed spaces in Athlone was positive news.
"This would be a welcome development, and I hope to see it come to fruition," said Cllr Keena.
"TUS is developing at a rapid pace, as a really strong university, and because of that more and more students are coming to Athlone.
"The provision of 820 student bed spaces in this development would free up more houses around Athlone for families, so this is welcome news and it's something I'd like to see happen as soon as possible."