Former Tipperary travel agency to become two-bedroom home as planning permission granted
Plans to convert a former travel agency in Tipperary into a two-bedroom home have been approved by the local authority after an earlier plan for two apartments had to be abandoned.
English Tarmac Ltd applied to Tipperary County Council to change the use of the former travel agency at 47 Main Street, Tipperary town into a single home.
The applicant initially applied for permission to develop two studio apartments in the building, which was granted, before they were forced to rethink the development.
An agent working on behalf of the developer said that they found it difficult to obtain a fire certificate for the apartments due to the layout of the building.
“Unfortunately, when we filed for a fire safety certificate for the approved development, we encountered means of escape design issues relating to the positioning of the stairs, and we were unable to overcome the issues raised,” they said.
“We now apply to simply convert the building into a two-bedroom single dwelling with a design layout that utilises the stairway locations as best as possible for the proposed dwelling layout,” the agent added.
Under the new plans, the developer proposed to remove the derelict shopfront, replacing it with a similar window, and move the main entrance to the rear of the building.
Plans for accommodation on the lower ground floor have also been eliminated by the developer as it would be “substandard in height” and was only included as a result of altering the layout of the ground floor.
Now, Tipperary County Council planners have granted permission for the development, subject to six conditions.
Included among the conditions are that noise and dust from the building works don’t cause interference with the neighbouring properties, and that any building works that give rise to noise and dust don’t take place on Sundays or bank holidays.
The council also stipulated that the developer pay them a financial contribution of €523 for the connections to sewers and public services.
Previously, Michael English also applied to the council for planning permission to change the use of a building to the rear of 48 Main Street, as well as changing the use of another building at the rear of the property, creating two additional apartments, and developing a courtyard with a gate controlled access from Main Street. This was refused by the local authority. Permission for the additional apartments was turned down by the council because they deemed the plans as being “piecemeal” and “fragmented”.