The Downes , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- 20 May 2025Received
- 29 Jan 2026Conditional
- 4 Mar 2026Final grant
- 3 Mar 2031Permission expires
- Status
- Granted with conditions
- Decision
- Conditional · 29 Jan 2026
- Council
- Laois County Council
- Type
- PERMISSION
- Site
- 9.68 ha
What’s proposed
construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include general classrooms, specialist classrooms, a general-purpose hall, PE hall, offices, staff room, library, sanitary facilities and ancillary spaces. The development also includes the provision of: • New site entrance from O’Dowling roundabout on the Portlaoise South Orbital Route – R94 - Leading to new car and bus set down/ drop off area with 49 No. carparking spaces and with pedestrian & cycle route to the proposed school. • New site entrance from the adjoining Timahoe / Well Road (R426), access road with cycle and foot paths, bicycle spaces and 92 No. car parking space. • Provision of new footpath on the Timahoe / Well Road (R426), connecting to the existing. • Proposed new Hockey pitch with associated fencing, shelter dugouts and 8 no. flood lighting standards. • 6 no. ball courts, landscaped gardens and external social space. • Provision of a heat pump and gas storage areas, external stores and bin storage area. • Provision for all landscaping, boundary treatments, associated drainage, attenuation and other site services with all related site development and ancillary works. • A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) will be submitted to the planning authority with the application and the NIS will be available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy during office hours at the office of the relevant planning authority
2560303 is a planning application to Laois County Council for construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include, received on 20 May 2025; permission was granted with conditions on 29 Jan 2026.
Planning details
- Reference
- 2560303
- Local authority
- Laois County Council
- Status
- Granted with conditions · register status “APPLICATION FINALISED”
- Received
- 20 May 2025
- Observations close
- 24 Jun 2025 (closed 452 days ago)
- Decision due
- 30 Jan 2026 · decided 29 Jan 2026
- Decision
- Conditional on 29 Jan 2026
- Proposed development
- construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include general classrooms, specialist classrooms, a general-purpose hall, PE hall, offices, staff room, library, sanitary facilities and ancillary spaces. The development also includes the provision of: • New site entrance from O’Dowling roundabout on the Portlaoise South Orbital Route – R94 - Leading to new car and bus set down/ drop off area with 49 No. carparking spaces and with pedestrian & cycle route to the proposed school. • New site entrance from the adjoining Timahoe / Well Road (R426), access road with cycle and foot paths, bicycle spaces and 92 No. car parking space. • Provision of new footpath on the Timahoe / Well Road (R426), connecting to the existing. • Proposed new Hockey pitch with associated fencing, shelter dugouts and 8 no. flood lighting standards. • 6 no. ball courts, landscaped gardens and external social space. • Provision of a heat pump and gas storage areas, external stores and bin storage area. • Provision for all landscaping, boundary treatments, associated drainage, attenuation and other site services with all related site development and ancillary works. • A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) will be submitted to the planning authority with the application and the NIS will be available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy during office hours at the office of the relevant planning authorityAs published by the register.
- Site area
- 9.68 ha from the mapped boundary, not the council's figure
- Applicant
- Not published — the national feed carries no applicant name council register
Nearby 42 applications within 500 m in the last 5 years
- OpenA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois.
- OpenA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois.
- WithdrawnA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois.
- WithdrawnA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois.
- GrantedLismard Business park , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnLismard Business park , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- OpenTimahoe Road , Portlaoise , CO Laois
- WithdrawnTimahoe Rd , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
Show all 42
- GrantedMaryborough (Church of Ireland) National School , Summerhill Downs , Potlaoise
- OpenMeelick , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- RefusedA site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois (now known as 'Sand Wood'). , The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by Holy Family School Road , and to the west and south by undeveloped lands and a residential development
- WithdrawnMeelick , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnMaryborough (Church of Ireland) National School , Summerhill Downs , Potlaoise
- WithdrawnA site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois (now known as 'Sand Wood'). , The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by Holy Family School Road , and to the west and south by undeveloped lands and a residential development
- WithdrawnMeelick , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnMeelick , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- GrantedGaelscoil Phortlaoise , Summerhill Downs Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnGaelscoil Phortlaoise , Summerhill Downs Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- GrantedMeelick , Portlaoise , Co Laois
- GrantedPortlaoise Educate Together Summerhill Downs , Stradbally Road Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnPortlaoise Educate Together Summerhill Downs , Stradbally Road Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnGaelscoil Phortlaoise , Summerhill Downs Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- GrantedA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- GrantedA c. 4.15 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnA c. 3.85 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnA c. 4.15 Ha site at Summerhill , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- RefusedBen Dunne Gym Lismard Business Park , New Road Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnBen Dunne Gym Lismard Business Park , New Road Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- GrantedLismard Business Park , Downs , Portlaoise Co. Laois.
- Appeal decidedInchacooly Ullard (Controversyland) Clonanny Kilmullen Derrynafunshion Ballycarroll (Jamestown Electoral Division) Closeland or Cloneen Ballybrittas Emo Park Cappakeel Morett Killone Garryduff (Kilmurry Electoral Division) , Killenny (Kilmurry Electo
- GrantedCoolelan Kiltaghan North Kiltaghan South Clonmoyle West Ummeras More Mountrice Mullaghroe Upper Mullaghroe Lower Coolatogher Coolsickin or Quinsborough and Coolnafearagh. , Co. Kildare
- GrantedA site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois (now known as Sand Wood). , The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by Holy Family School Road to the south by undeveloped lands and , to the west by a residential development
- WithdrawnThe Downes , Portlaoise , Co. Laois
- WithdrawnUnit No. 4 , Lismard Business Park , New Road Portlaoise
- GrantedA c. 2.14 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by the Portlaoise Southern Circular Road to the east by Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise ,
- GrantedA c. 2.98 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by the Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise , Laois
- WithdrawnA c. 2.14 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by the Portlaoise Southern Circular Road to the east by Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise ,
- WithdrawnA c. 2.98 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by the Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise , Laois
- WithdrawnNo. 5 New Road , Meelick , Portlaoise
- WithdrawnA c. 2.14 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by the Portlaoise Southern Circular Road to the east by Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise ,
- WithdrawnA c. 2.98 Ha site at Summerhill Portlaoise Co. Laois. The site is generally bound to the north by Aghnaharna Drive to the east by the Holy Family School Road and to the west and south by undeveloped agricultural lands. , Portlaoise , Laois
- GrantedLismard Business Park , Timahoe Road , Portlaoise
Appeal
Not appealed.
Commencement
No commencement notice matched to this reference.
Zoning at the site
No zoning objective covers this site in the current plan.
Designations within 250 m
No OPW flood extent nearby.
No other designation nearby.
Provenance
Register row from the national planning applications feed (NPAD), fetched 18 Sept 2026, 15:44 (store id 397549). Deadlines were computed by the store from the received / decided dates under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and are recorded as events, not recomputed here. Council register: http://www.eplanning.ie/LaoisCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560303/0.
Source: npad · fetched 18 Sept 2026, 15:44
| Source | Licence | Fetched | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| npad | CC-BY-4.0 | 18 Sept 2026, 15:44 | open |