Consultants to draft Abbeyleix master plan 

A DRAFT master plan for major enterprise and housing development in Abbeyleix is expected to be completed this June.

The plan commissioned by Laois County Council will outline servicing needs for large land banks between the Dublin Road and Ballyroan Road, which are zoned for residential development, enterprise and employment. The lands are located near Heritage House and Scoil Mhuire NS.

The master plan will be prepared by consultants, who will be selected after a tender process that is due to begin by the end of January.

The Abbeyleix plan was highlighted at the latest meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, when councillors John Joe Fennelly and Barry Walsh asked for an update on their proposal, submitted in February 2024, which called on the council to prepare a master plan for the large site. 

The master plan would include servicing needs, ranging from traffic management to water supply and waste water treatment. The two councillors asked that the plan ‘have regard to all new applications for development on adjoining lands and potential of the remaining lands in the master plan’.

In a written response, senior planner David O’Hara said the council has been ‘in discussions with the neighbouring landowners, Brook Advantage, regarding traffic management of the first phase of their site’.

Mr O’Hara said: ‘Discussions with stakeholders such as Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and community and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be carried out as part of this master plan process.

‘The request for tender is due to go on ETenders by the end of January, with a view to consultants being commissioned as soon as possible thereafter. It is envisaged that a draft masterplan will be prepared by the end of June 2025.’ 

While councillors welcomed the update, some concerns were raised that the project may be delayed, due to upcoming nationwide changes to traffic speed limits on local roads and national secondary routes.

Roads zoned 80kph will fall to 60kph from 7 February, while further changes from 100kph to 80kph and 50kph to 30kph are due to come into effect later this year, with dates yet to be announced.

The proposed development in Abbeyleix cannot receive planning permission until the entrance and exit location is identified. While access from the Portlaoise road is preferred by the council, the exact location cannot be established until TII signs off on the relevant speed limit.

Cllr Walsh called for the original speed limit to be retained, as he said: “This site is a very strategic site and it is important to the development of Abbeyleix. Myself and Cllr Fennelly requested this over a year ago, so it is disappointing to think that at this stage we don't have anything else and the council are under pressure with staff to try to get this done.” 

The Ballyroan councillor added: “In conjunction with all of this, the speed limit needs to be brought back as well, in my view it is in the wrong place for that road. We need to move this on and it needs to happen quickly.” 

Although happy with the update, Cllr Fennelly questioned TII’s role regarding decisions on local speed limits.

Director of services Simon Walton replied: “Even though it is a matter for the elected council to determine the speed limits on national roads, the council cannot make those changes unless it is with the agreement of TII and that is enshrined in legislation.” 

 Mr Walton added: “I think we all agree that the most appropriate location for that access is the Portlaoise road in Abbeyleix, as opposed to any other locations. The issue now will be seeking the agreement of TII, once the master plan is developed, to accommodate this entrance, which may or may not require adjustments of the existing speed limits.”

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley welcomed the fact that the draft master plan was expected to be ready by next June, as she stressed the importance of residential, enterprise and employment development in an area where there is a demand for housing.