Planning application from Ladbrokes

A planning application for a bookie shop at the office/retail development beside the Hideout spurred fresh discussion on the building at the latest meeting of Kilcullen Community Action.

The development is already the focus of an investigation by the Conservation & Compliance Section of Kildare County Council, and developer Jim Browne of Clane has been told to remove five unauthorised windows facing out from the gable end of building.

KCA chairman Kieron Forde said that the organisation's objection to how the building was constructed should be submitted as soon as possible, and engineer JJ Warren told him it could be 'signed off' the following day.

He said his technical report will show nine divergences from the permission granted to the developer. He also said that under current regulations, any planning application related to the building could not be progressed until issues of unauthorised development had been sorted.

"This is one to really test the Council's resolve," Kieron Forde commented. "It is so blatant in so many ways, if we can't get them to move on this, they never will on anything."

The applicants for the bookie shop are Ladbrokes. The application calls for a change of use of the existing single storey ground level retail unit to a licenced betting office.

The work applied for includes modifications to an 'existing shopfront' to incorporate a new extended glazed shopfront opening with new surrounds, and a new externally illuminated double-sided projecting advertising signboard at the front.

The application was made on behalf of Ladbrokes by Fergal Fitzpatrick Architectural, Corban's Lane, Naas.

Brian Byrne.