THE HSE has been granted permission to demolish an 18th century country house in Newtowncunnigham, known locally as The Castle, to make way for a primary care centre after being previously refused permission on the same site by  An Bord Pleanála. 

 

The building is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) and was recently downgraded from a building of “regional importance” to “local importance”. It was this change in status that prompted the HSE to lodge again plans to Donegal County Council having previously been rejected. 

 

In making their decision Council planners went against the opinion of their own Conservation officer who objected to the development. 

The Castle Country House was built circa 1730 and was recently in use as a respite\mother and child hostel facility by the HSE and is now disused.

 

Given the structure originally dates to the first decades of the 18th century it is one of the earliest surviving private dwellings in the Newtowncunningham area. The NIAH decided to downgrade the building to “local importance” because, it said, while the structure is of historic significance, it has been very poorly maintained and inappropriately altered over the years, resulting in a significant loss of historic fabric.

 

In the most recent survey of the building inspectors found that it has deteriorated further since the original planning application with fungal infiltration in sections of the walls. Rot had set in to sections of the floor. The Council’s Conservation Officer recommended that the application should be refused yet did acknowledge that “there is no doubt that the property has been stripped of almost all historical fabric and detailing internally. It is also unfortunate that the natural roof slates were replaced and the sash windows renewed with PVC windows but these elements could easily be reinstated back into the structure.”

 

However when making their final decision Council planners said: “The Planning Authority are not convinced that the building can be reused to meet the needs of a modern Primary Care Centre.

 

“It is evident from reading the Conservation Officers report that the interior of the structure is lost and floors have caved in.

“There is a significant opportunity to meet the necessary community health needs through the provision of a modern Primary Care Centre, providing a diverse range of health services, which are necessary in this area.”

 

The application was granted with 26 conditions attached. This included strict instruction that all materials, historical artefacts, written documents, and file records found in the building have to be submitted to the Council. An approved archaeologist will also have to carry out excavation works with construction work to cease if anything historical is found. 

The new primary care centre will be a two storey building with 30 car parking spaces provided.