Planning application received: change the use from pre-school facility to one-bedroom dwellinghouse and Retention Permission to Retain canopy and open

On 6 June 2026 Laois County Council received a planning application from Clonincurragh in Mountrath. The applicant proposes to change the use of an existing pre‑school facility into a one‑bedroom dwellinghouse and seeks retention permission for the canopy and open shed at the rear of the building, together with all associated site works.

The council has not yet made a decision; it is expected by 31 July 2026. The application forms part of a busy period of planning activity in Co Laois, which has recently approved a range of projects including the placement of two additional 20‑ft storage containers on the west bank of the Grand Canal at Vicarstown, alterations to the handball alley and first‑floor area of Killenard Community Centre, construction of a two‑storey dwelling with domestic garage and garden room in Killeen, and upgrades to an on‑site wastewater treatment system in Doonane.

The Clonincurragh proposal is therefore one of several developments under consideration by the council this year. While no details have been released about the design or cost of the proposed dwellinghouse, the retention permission request indicates that the applicant wishes to preserve existing structures rather than demolishing them entirely.

For more information, see the Laois County Council planning portal and the localnews.ie article on the application (Reference 2660347).

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