Major expansion of Tipperary IPAS centre blocked as second appeal refused
A centre in Tipperary accommodating international protection applicants (IPAs) has had its appeal for a major extension refused.
Swiftcastle Ltd run the Racket Hall IPAS centre in Roscrea, and had applied to Tipperary County Council for planning permission to add an extra 60 bedrooms to the accommodation centre, along with a single-storey kitchen extension.
Last September, the local authority decided to refuse permission for the development on the grounds that it would be in clear contravention of the Tipperary county development plan, and that the area isn’t zoned for residential living.
Following the council’s refusal, Swiftcastle appealed the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), saying that there is a shortage of accommodation nationwide for IPAs.
"The application was made as an attempt to provide additional and much needed direct provision accommodation,” the developers noted in their appeal.
However, An Coimisiún Pleanála inspectors did not share the developer’s view, and upheld Tipperary County Council’s original decision.
In their decision letter, the ACP inspector said that the lack of pedestrian or public transport infrastructure from the site into Roscrea town, as well as the fact that residential accommodation in the area is limited by the county development plan were grounds to uphold the council’s decision.
"Having regard … to the location of the appeal site, which is situated outside of the settlement boundary of Roscrea, in an area where residential development is limited, the distance to Roscrea town centre, and the lack of pedestrian infrastructure and public transport connections, it is considered that the proposed plan would be contrary to the settlement strategy,” the decision notification read.
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The development “would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area,” the ACP inspector added.
The IPAS centre, in its current form, is understood to house up to 160 asylum seekers of various nationalities.
Racket Hall Hotel was the focus of major protests in January last year.
Locals were furious that the area was losing its only hotel – with Racket Hall having functioned as a vital local social facility for weddings, meetings and family celebrations over the decades.
Gardaí had to deploy at the complex as the first refugees were moved into the centre amid angry confrontations with protesters.
One man was arrested during roadside scuffles in January 2024 as the first 17 men, women and children were escorted into the hotel. The man was later released without charge.