Howley Hayes Cooney Architecture’s Post

Plans to renovate derelict Offaly courthouse Birr Courthouse may receive a new lease of life as a multi-purpose community hub. Offaly County Council proposes to carry out major refurbishment and development works on Birr Courthouse in Emmet Street, Birr. The proposed development will include the following: ▪️ Refurbishment works to the existing former courthouse building (a Protected Structure) to provide multipurpose spaces, offices and meeting rooms, as well as a small infill extension to rear. ▪️ The construction of a two-storey escape stairs to the rear of the building to facilitate escape in the event of fire. ▪️ The construction of a single-storey shed within the rear yard ▪️ External lighting to the building. ▪️ Provision of one accessible car parking space to the rear ▪️ The proposed development will include refurbishment works to the existing former courthouse building, which is a protected structure, to provide multipurpose spaces, offices, and meeting rooms, and a small infill extension to the rear. The development has been the subject of an appropriate assessment and screening in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive and the Planning and Development Act 2000. The screening concluded that the proposed development would not be likely to give rise to significant or indeterminate impacts on any European site. Birr Courthouse has not held a court proceeding since 2013, and has not been used for any purpose in the intervening years. Offaly County Council inherited the building from the OPW in 2021, and now intends to refurbish the building and rear yard for cultural and community use, creating a flexible suite of spaces for a variety of uses. A feasibility plan commissioned in 2019 by Birr 20:20, a community organisation group, proposes to re-use the building as a multi-purpose community space, a digital - connected hub, as well as for arts and culture purposes. In 2021, Offaly County Council commissioned Howley Hayes Cooney Architecture to prepare a conservation management plan (CMP), which was prepared in consultation with the Birr 20:20 group. This plan was evolved further into a conservation masterplan, which included initial design proposals for the site. For more see; https://lnkd.in/dNn5zDgP Offaly Historical Society Local Enterprise Office Offaly Offaly Local Development Company stream BIRR #euinmyregion #midlandsadvantage #renovation #birr #courthouse #planning