Westmeath County Council has received permission from the Department of Housing to progress the large scale Lissywollen housing development.
Planning permission for development was approved in June 2021 but construction had stalled in recent times following the appointment of receivers to Roadbridge Holdings which had partnered with Alanna Homes on the project.
With construction now due to recommence, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke has welcomed this development, noting that the council had worked diligently to bring in a new entity to partner with Alanna Homes on the sizeable construction project.
“The Department informed Westmeath County Council in recent times that it was happy to provide the funding required by the local authority to proceed with the development,” Cllr O’Rourke said.
“This ambitious development was thrown in to some doubt last year following the appointment of receivers to Roadbridge Holdings, who were part of the original joint venture with Alanna Homes. They had received planning permission for the development in June 2021.
“Since Roadbridge’s departure from the project the council has been working hard to bring another entity to the table to partner Alanna Homes. Garrycastle Homes is the new entity, and they will now join Alanna Homes to deliver this project.
“The residential development site encompasses a footprint of approximately 18 hectares and sits between Scoil na gCeithre Maistri Gaelscoil and Garrycastle. The development will see the construction of 285 houses and 291 apartments and duplexes, to be built in phases over a number of years, in what would be the largest-ever housing project in Athlone.
“I am delighted to see this project back on track again,” he continued. “I have worked closely with the Housing Department of Westmeath County Council and the Department of Housing to ensure that this development remained a priority project.
“We desperately need new homes for people. Our pipeline in Athlone is progressing and this development will bring a great cross section of homes to the property market in time.
“I would like to thank Director of Services, Mark Keaveney, for his sterling work on pulling this project together and furthermore, I would like to wish Mark well as he leaves Westmeath County Council to join Roscommon County Council in the coming days.
“There are some formalities yet to be completed around contracts, but I would be confident at this stage that work on the ground will commence by the second quarter of 2024.”
