10-storey apartment block to go ahead
THE Westgate area of Drogheda is set to be transformed after an appeal against a 10-storey building (nine stories above the Bridge of Peace) was withdrawn.
It paves the way for the landmark building which will house 41 apartments and will see access via Mill Lane.
Louth County Council approved permission for the development on December 10 2019 and notification of appeal was submitted on January 17, 2020.
The owners of Donaghy’s Mill had expressed concerns that Mill Lane, which provides access for both sides, would become one-way, without an alternative solution being in place for Donaghy’s Mill.
The council said the street was typical of a medieval streetscape. They said that new guidelines means the provision of car parking can be minimised and that Mill Lane will remain a two-way street. There will be 23 car parking spaces to serve existing residents of Mill Lane and future occupants of the apartments. The council said the need for parking at all is questionable as the site is in the town centre. A comprehensive traffic management plan will be required during the construction stage.
The site will link with the town via a connection leading from Donaghy’s Mill to the Old Abbey Quarter.
In answering the appeal, representaitves for the developers of the new apartment block claimed that there was no entry on the Company’s Office Search for those issuing the appeal, ‘Donaghy’s Mill Co-ownership’ and that they didn’t have a ‘registered address’ so the appellant ‘does not in fact exist’ so there couldn’t be a valid appeal.
They said that a previous planning application for Donaghy’s Mill cited Horse Lane as an access route to that building.
They also maintain that improving Mill Lane will only add to the potential of the area.