Group urges council to redraw Athlone house revamp plan

Westmeath County Council is being urged to return to the drawing board on its plans to renovate and extend a vacant property on Connaught Street in Athlone.

Auburn House, No. 36 Connaught Street, a protected structure, was acquired by the local authority in recent years, and the council is now planning to undertake a development involving the demolition of an existing extension and construction of a new four-storey extension.

The project involves the development of three social housing units.

The Connaught Street & Environs Community Group, in a public submission to Westmeath County Council through the Part 8 process, by which public bodies consult with the public on , has asked the local authority to “reconsider the proposal in its current form”.

The council's plans include the ground floor of the 2.5 storey building being incorporated into a duplex two-bedroom unit, with one apartment unit on the first floor and another on the second floor.

In its recent submission to the council, the group said: “The Connaught Street Community Group wants to see No. 36 Connaught Street restored and reused. We want to see it succeed. But we also want to see it done properly, carefully, and in a way that reflects the seriousness and responsibility that comes with working on a protected structure in such a sensitive historic setting.”

No. 36 Connaught Street was built in approximately 1810 and is likely have replaced an older structure on the same plot.

The building was originally constructed as a townhouse with four bedrooms and was used for as a residence up until the 1990s.

A two-story extension was added to the rear in approximately the early 1950s.

The site also contains the remnants of a structure from the late 1800s which appears to have been a coach house or second residence to the rear of the plot.

According to the council, the development has been the subject of an Appropriate Assessment Screening in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive and the Planning and Development Acts 2000. Westmeath County Council has concluded that there is no real likelihood of significant effects on the environment arising from the proposed development and that an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required.

“The group strongly welcomes efforts to bring vacant buildings back into productive use on Connaught Street,” the Community Group said.

“Vacancy has been a persistent and damaging issue for the street, and sensitive reuse is essential to its long-term vitality and resilience. Our concern does not lie with the principle of reuse, but with the manner in which this proposal has been advanced and the standard of assessment on which it relies.”

The group said that the approach taken by the council would influence how private owners, practitioners and developers understand what is acceptable in future conservation-led projects.

“This project carries a responsibility beyond the red line of the site,” the Group said in its submission.

“It must be demonstrably careful, transparent and robust. In our view, the current proposal does not yet meet that threshold. It appears to be moving forward too quickly, without sufficient clarity on how significant risks to historic fabric, neighbouring properties and the wider heritage setting will be managed,” they added.

The Connaught Street & Environs Community Group stressed that it was fully aware of the national need for housing and the importance of public sector delivery in that context. However, it argued the need for housing cannot be used to justify rushed or insufficiently resolved proposals where protected structures are concerned.

“Decisions taken have the potential to cause irreversible loss if not handled with appropriate care,” the submission said.

“The Community Group is particularly concerned that key aspects of the proposal rely on future detail that has not yet been provided. Without clear explanations of how repairs, strengthening, alterations and upgrades will be undertaken, it is not possible to have confidence that historic fabric will be protected rather than compromised,” they added.

The proposed site access and egress for the development will be via the existing rear garden/yard on the southern end of the site, which is currently secured with the use of a stone boundary and a sliding door directly off the council carpark.

“The proposal,” said the Group, “involves substantial new construction to the rear of the site, relying on very old walls, including walls shared with neighbouring properties. The assumption that such walls can be simply made good under increased height and load gives rise to understandable concern for both heritage fabric and residential safety. These are matters that need to be clearly understood and addressed before approval, not after works have commenced.”

The submission also expressed concerns over the proposed treatment of the interior of the building, and said it would be “deeply concerning” if a council-led project was perceived to fall short of the principles it promotes.

“We respectfully ask the council to reconsider the proposal in its current form, address the identified gaps in information, and ensure that this development becomes a positive and credible precedent – one that demonstrates leadership, care, and genuine adherence to the council's own stated aspirations for heritage protection,” they said.

The submission to the council was signed by 13 Community Group members, as well as 37 supporters of the group's submission.

The submission process closed on January 23 and written submissions or observations received will form part of a statutory report to be presented to councillors at a meeting of Westmeath County Council shortly.