Owner wants to add bedroomsin basement of Bert House

THE owner of Bert House - a protected landmark is appealing a Council decision to deny him “exempted development” status for his plans to convert the basement to accommodate at least seven extra refugees.

Bert House – which sits on a 1.9Ha (c.5ac) site on the banks of the Barrow - was converted from a private residence to a hotel in 2005, converting its 17 rooms into refugee accommodation in 2023.

On 27 August of last year local businessman Damien Malone applied again to Kildare County Council (KCC) to add seven bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and shower area in the basement of the 300-year old house, about four kilometres north of Athy, and visible from the R417 (Monasterevin Road).

He argued that such a change of use, with “no material alterations” should fall under the exemption clauses of the Planning Act.

“No works are proposed in the building, but where needed rooms will be partitioned with free-standing moveable walls similar to those found in most open plan offices,” he said in his application.

However, on 12 November the Planning Section replied to Mr Malone saying: “a question has a risen as to whether a change of use of the lower ground floor is an ‘Exempted Development’”.

However, the planner ruled that under five separate Sections of the Planning Act 2000 “this development is not an ‘Exempted Development’”, but fairly reminded Mr Malone that he had four weeks in which to appeal this to the Planning Commission (formerly An Bord Pleanala).

Having originally applied for this earlier last year, only to be turned down on 19 March for what Mr Malone admitted in his re-application “was a poorly formatted” document, he was refused again in November.

The planner said: “despite the applicant citing a different exemption class of the Regulations…it remains that essentially the same question is being asked, and that nothing has changed as it is a protected structure” (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Ref: 11903403).

Mr Malone had pointed out that Bert House has a Government contract to provide accommodation to people seeking international protection, aka refugees. However, as the Kildare planner noted: “there is no architectural conservation information to prove proposed work would not undermine the character and cultural heritage of the protected structure”.

So, on 10 December, Mr Malone applied to the Planning Commission to seek to have this overturned, and a decision is expected before the end of April.