Planning sought to turn former Wexford convent into IPAS centre
Although Wexford County Council ruled the development non-exempt in the previous application, Ian Skeffington has lodged another application, with letters supporting the need for the centre.
The application is looking to see if the project would be ruled a development or exempt from planning permission, specifying that the occupants are to be Ukrainian and international protection applicants.
The cover letter consists of a letter from Farry Town Planning Ltd, as a referral pursuant, that emphasises the need for appropriate accommodation for refugees fleeing conflict.
"There is a clearly a great need nationally for all types of residential accommodation, ranging from standard houses and apartments, through student dwellings and nursing homes and onwards to centres for wartime refugees and international protection applicants and every effort needs to be made by the various stakeholders, including the Planning Authority, to accelerate the delivery of such housing,' they wrote.
"Indeed, all participants in this overall process must aim to promote the provision of such accommodation, to the degree that these types of dwellings are required immediately and not at some future stage."
"We thus respectfully invite Wexford County Council to endorse this referral request, in order that this heritage building can be used for war refugees and international protection applicants,' they added.
As part of their argument, they highlighted that, in short, the temporary use of the former convent to house both Ukrainian and international protection applicants does not need the usual planning permissions under current laws.
They pointed to the European Union (Planning and Development) (Disgraced Persons from Ukraine Temporary Protection) Regulations 2022 which specifically exempt temporary accommodation for displaced persons from usual planning rules.
Regarding housing international protection applicants within the building also, they said this also does not require planning consent under the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No 4) Regulations 2022, as long as the building is not protected by heritage laws.
A document comprised by Chris Ryan, a RIAI Grade 1 Conservation Architect, also ruled that the proposed change of use would turn an underutilised building into an establishment with use, without negative impacts on the structure while restoring the South garden.
Included in the application, is a letter from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth addressed to Ian Skeffington in which they confirm they are interested in using the site should he acquire appropriate permissions.
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