Co Armagh: Family home to replace vacant parochial house
Planning officers have granted outline planning permission for the demolition of a vacant parochial house at the back of the listed St James the Apostle Church in Market Street, Tandragee, with plans to build a modern family home in its place.
Plans approved by the local government authority also include the demolition of three outbuildings along with an adjacent wall and gate on the north-east boundary, and associated works. Access to the site will be between 27 and 29 Cornmarket Street.
A Design & Access Statement, submitted with the planning application to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, explains: “This is the former parochial house which is currently vacant. Given its age it is proposed to replace it with a modern design.
“The proposed site is situated adjacent to the church. It currently has two accesses, one through the church car park and the other to the rear off Cornmarket Street. It would be proposed to close the church access and retain the Cornmarket access.”
The Design & Access Statement continued: “The church is listed Grade B, but the house is not. The church has been in existence since the 1800s and the parochial house had been here since the 1960s.
“The replacement sought would be for a potential family home with 3/4 bedrooms. Depending on footprint this could be a one or two-storey dwelling/cottage-style house.”
In their report, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Planning officers explained that the planning application is still at an early stage: “In respect of design, form and external finishes, this is an outline application and therefore the detail of the proposal will be considered at Reserve matters stage.
“Using the submitted concept plan the proposed dwelling would be approximately 20m to St. James’s Roman Catholic Church. Officers are satisfied a suitably designed dwelling and garage can be accommodated on the site.”
They added: “Historic Environment Division (HED), Historic Buildings, has considered the impacts of the proposal on the listed buildings, and on the basis of the information provided, advises that HED is content, subject to conditions.”
François Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter