OPINION: 'Distillery Yard' development will change the face of Tullamore in scale, quality and ambition

In 2001 John Flanagan opened his dramatic new restaurant and entertainment complex on the site of the Phoenix Arms at Hayes Cross.

At the well attended art auction to celebrate the event few, in that booming time, would have guessed that this was to be the last new project of any consequence to be built in the centre of Tullamore for another 23 years.

The next big thing was to be the comprehensive redevelopment of the former Tesco lands behind Colmcille St and Patrick St but an over ambitious proposal by developer Eamon Duignan did not survive the inevitable property crash and this key site was eventually purchased in separate lots by two local property companies.

In 2018 Offaly County Council prepared a rough non statutory framework plan to coordinate their proposals for what had become known as Opportunity Site 2.

The Council’s plan envisaged new pedestrian links from Colmcille Street to Kilbride Park and Patrick Street to Bury Quay.

These would be lined with continuous buildings and have a central square where they joined.

Accompanying illustrations suggested building heights of about six stories at most and a site for a higher landmark building was identified on the northwest corner overlooking Kilbride Park and the Canal.

As 30% of future housing in Tullamore was to be provided in the town centre, a substantial residential element was anticipated.

However, Weavermay Ltd led by Tony Flanagan who were the owners of the northern block, simply wanted to build a single storey retail store and a three storey office/restaurant and felt that neither a housing element or a landmark building made any economic sense.

The Council accepted their arguments, granted permission and development commenced.

Thus it has now fallen to Cayenne Holdings Ltd led by Seamus Kane, the owner of the southern block, to discharge the remaining unfulfilled objectives of the Council’s Plan.

Cayenne’s very impressive master plan shows a development which, if ultimately constructed as proposed, will change the face of Tullamore in scale, quality and ambition.

The present Offaly County Plan requires that the nine Opportunity Sites identified in Tullamore should deliver 84 residential units between them.

The Cayenne proposal will not only discharge this objective on one site alone but add 120 more.

Over 2,000 sq metres of new public space will be provided together with 2,500 sq.m. of shopping and nine cafes.

Unlike the adjoining Weavermay development which is essentially a suburban retail centre design ‘The Distillery Yard’, as the project is called, will provide three very attractive urban squares fronted by shops and cafes and linked together by what will certainly be a busy and well landscaped pedestrian street.

In particular a new small courtyard surrounded entirely by restaurants and accessing the former D.E. Williams head office, which will become a bar/restaurant, is an imaginative concept and when constructed will certainly become a popular local destination.

While the general layout of the proposal conforms to the Council’s rough plan, it is clear from pre-application discussions between the applicants agents and the Council’s architects and planners that the proposed central thirteen storey tower may prove the sole bone of contention.

At a meeting of 23rd July 2023 the planners declared that due to its excessive height it would be completely overbearing and that ‘ it was grossly out of scale with the streetscape of Tullamore and out of context with the existing built fabric and dwarf existing structures and the surrounding public realm’.

The applicants in their submission strenuously refute this and quote many national and regional policies and guidelines justifying their design.

There may be a long way to go yet as this exciting proposal makes its way through the tortuous minefield of the Irish planning system and a trip to the newly instituted An Comisúin Pleanala could well be on the cards.

With a major new addition to the retail base of Tullamore coming out of the ground, an exciting design for the Grand Canal Harbour prepared by internationally famous architects about to be revealed and a well funded plan for the regeneration of the town centre imminent, a new era in the history of Tullamore town centre has begun.

Up to now the creation of this vision has been exclusively the province of the landowners and the planners but locals interested in the future character and appearance of Tullamore will hopefully soon get the opportunity to make their own voices heard.

You wait hours for a bus and then four come along together……