Ringwood House, Summerfield, Youghal, Co. Cork P36 WF62 024-25922 [email protected]Conservation Report Addressing the Potential for Impact on the ACA Proposed Student & Residential Accommodation Development Punch’s Cross, Limerick In Support of a Strategic Housing Development Application to An Bord Pleanála Applicant: Cloncaragh Investments Ltd An Bord Pleanála Case Reference: ABP-303210-18 DNAC Project No: 19_032 Report By: Daniel Noonan Date of Report: 26 th April 2019
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CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................. ii
3. Proposed Development ................................................................................................................................................ 3
4. Setting & Historical Environment of the Proposed Development Site ........................................................................ 3
Site Setting .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Origins of Punch’s Cross ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Record of Protected Structures ........................................................................................................................................10 Architectural Conservation Areas ....................................................................................................................................11
O’Connell Avenue ACA ..................................................................................................................................................13 South Circular Road & New Street ACA .......................................................................................................................13 Ballinacurra Road ACA ...................................................................................................................................................14
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage .................................................................................................................15
6. Site Inspection ............................................................................................................................................................. 18
The Site ..................................................................................................................................................................................18 The ACAs ..............................................................................................................................................................................22
7. Assessment of Potential Impact & Mitigation ............................................................................................................ 26
The Site ..................................................................................................................................................................................26 Built Heritage & the ACAs ..................................................................................................................................................26
RPS NIAH Name Location Description CategoryRPS 365 21520002 Mary Immaculate
College - College Building
SouthCircular Road Detached eleven-bay four-storey rendered purpose-built college building, dating from 1899 (laying of foundation stone), built in the Italianate manner to the designs of George Byrne.
Architectural Historical Social
RPS 366 21520003 Mary Immaculate College - Chapel
SouthCircular Road Detached north-facing gable-fronted rendered chapel, built c. 1900, with triple-arched entrance, rose window overhead and apex surmounted by limestone ashlar belfry. Five-bay side elevations with buttresses articulating window piers.
Architectural Artistic Historical Social
RPS 367 21520004 Mary Immaculate College - Recreational Hall
SouthCircular Road Detached multiple-bay single-storey recreational hall, built c. 1900, with a plain temple front, now completely obscured by later accretions. Plain gabled rendered rear elevation with glazed timber-framed link corridor attached.
Architectural Artistic Social
RPS 368 21520005 Mary Immaculate College - Residential Block
SouthCircular Road Attached multiple-bay six-storey residential block, built in 1955, to the designs of Andrew Devane, of Robinson Keefe Devane. Distinguished by rock-faced ground floor elevations and modular elevation forming a reinforced concrete grid.
Architectural Artistic
RPS 373 21521079 Mount Saint Vincent Convent
Convent of Mercy, Mount Saint Vincent, O'Connell Avenue
Attached nine-bay three-storey over basement limestone convent building, built in 1850, with two-bay three-storey gabled breakfront end bays, and centrally-placed entrance porch with cruciform finial to apex.
Architectural Artistic Social Historical
RPS 374 21521080 Widows Residence Mount Saint Vincent Convent
Convent of Mercy, Mount Saint Vincent, O'Connell Avenue
Attached nine-bay two-storey limestone former almshouse, built c. 1860, with a single-bay two-storey breakfront end bays and gabled central breakfront with angled corner buttresses.
Architectural Artistic Social Historical
RPS 375 21521081 Mount Saint Vincent Convent
Convent of Mercy, Mount Saint Vincent, O'Connell Avenue
Attached five-bay single-storey corrugated metal clad building, built c. 1930. Pitched corrugated metal roof with timber barge and eaves boards.
Architectural Artistic Social Technical
RPS 421 21521078 Mount Saint Vincent Convent Chapel
Convent of Mercy, Mount Saint Vincent, O'Connell Avenue
Attached four-bay double-height limestone convent chapel, built in 1861, in the Gothic Revival style, on a T-shaped plan, with transepts adjoining the side elevation of the convent building.Three-stage tower and octagonal spire to south-eastern corner.
Architectural Artistic Social Technical
Table A: Protected Structures within 500m of the proposed Punch’s Cross development site.
Architectural Conservation Areas
An Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) is defined in the Architectural Heritage Protection
– Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2004) as;
…a place, area, group of structures or townscape, taking account of building lines
and heights, that is of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic,
cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or that contributes to the appreciation
of a protected structure, and whose character it is an objective of a development
plan to preserve.
The Limerick City Development Plan 2010-2016 (as Extended) defines their ACAs as follows;
Limerick’s historic areas can be protected by means of Architectural Conservation Areas
(ACAs) under Section 81 of the Planning & Development Act 2000-2008. The aim of
designating areas is to protect their special characteristics and distinctive features from
inappropriate actions. External works that would affect the character as described by the
Planning Authority will require planning permission, whereas repair or refurbishment which
does not materially affect the external character will not require planning permission.
Limerick City and County Council’s stated development policy regarding ACAs is as follows;
Policy BHA.17 Development in Architectural Conservation Areas
It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage
values, unique characteristics and distinctive features from inappropriate external
works within the four Architectural Conservation Areas as follows:
o ACA 1A South City Centre & Newtown Pery o ACA 1B South Circular Road o ACA 1C O’Connell Avenue o ACA 2 John’s Square o ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road o ACA 4 Ennis /Shelbourne Road
Any development proposal in an ACA shall take account of the following:
o All unique elements contributing to the ‘Statement of Character and Identification of Key Threats’ for each individual Architectural Conservation Area as set out in the policies below.
o Works that impact negatively upon features within the public realm such as paving, railings, street furniture, kerbing etc shall not be generally permitted.
o Appropriate design, scale, materials and finishes for new developments. o Original materials and methods of construction should be retained. For
example, timber barge boards, windows and doors are not replaced with PVC, original roofing material types should be retained along with original forms and locations of openings etc.
o Features of historic or architectural value should not be removed. o Parties may apply for Exemption Certificates under Section 5 of the Planning
& Development Act 2000 – 2008 to ascertain whether Planning Permission is required for any works to buildings, properties or for any other development in an ACA.
o Sections 3.7 – 3.10 of the DEHLG Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines (2004) dealing with Architectural Conservation Areas.
The current southern boundary of the O’Connell Avenue ACA is located 60m north of the
proposed development site (see Figure 2); while the South Circular Road & New Street ACA
is 75m to the west, and the Ballinacurra Road ACA is 170m southwest.
o South Circular Road including Shannon Terrace, Laurel Villas, Victoria Terrace, Summerville Terrace, Bellview Terrace, Sarsfield Terrace, Mount Prospect Terrace.
o Mary Immaculate Training College. o New Street including Rose Terrace and Fern Villas, Lincoln Terrace, Friend Terrace,
Shamrock Villas, Oakville Terrace, Washington Terrace. o South Circular road including Rutland Villas.
The Statement of Character prepared for the South Circular Road & New Street ACA is:
ACA 1B Statement of Character & Identification of Key Threats
This ACA extends south from the City Centre and consists mainly of residential, religious and educational uses accessed from the South Circular Road and onto New Street. The defining features contributing to the architectural character of this area commences at the mid nineteenth century Saint Alphonsus Ligouri Redemptorist Church and Monastery, then continues southwards taking in numerous fine early twentieth century terrace dwellings many with existing front boundary walls and railings, and original front facades intact. The ACA then takes in the imposing Mary Immaculate College site and also the Mount Saint Vincent Covent site accessed off O’Connell Avenue. The ACA then extends further south and east taking in the numerous examples of mid nineteenth century to early twentieth century vernacular terrace dwellings on New Street with original facades, fenestration detailing and front boundary treatments. South Circular Road continuing to New Street is recognised as an area of significant architectural heritage character given the combination of community orientated elements along these key historic Limerick Streets. Please see Map 8B Appendix I for detail.
The development policy objective of the Development Plan with regard to the South
Circular Road & New Street ACA is:
Policy BHA.19 ACA 1B South Circular Road & New Street
It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage values, unique characteristics and distinctive features of ACA 1B (the South Circular Road and New Street)as shown on Map 5.1B of the Development Plan, from inappropriate development affecting the external materials and features defined in the ‘Statement of Character’ and ‘Key Threats to Character’.
Ballinacurra Road ACA
The current southern boundary of the Ballinacurra Road ACA is 170m southwest of the
proposed development site (see Figures 2 & 13). The ACA is described in the Development
Plan as follows:
ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road - consists of the following Streets/Avenues:
o The western side of Ballinacurra Road including (From South to North): Brookvilla Terrace, Querrin Villas, Vokes Villas, Greenpark Villas, Ferndale, Ballinacurra Terrace, County View Terrace, Sydenham Terrace, Lifford Terrace, St Mary’s Terrace.
The Statement of Character prepared for the Ballinacurra Road ACA is:
ACA 3 Statement of Character & Identification of Key Threats
This ACA extends along the eastern side of Ballinacurra Road, the main spinal route into the City Centre from the south. This area has been identified due to the architectural character presented by the numerous rows of red brick late nineteenth-century early twentieth century terrace houses along this focal gateway road. Terraces of uniform houses some with fine pre-cast detailing, ornate mouldings and front railings gave 'instant architecture' to the simply
designed houses, which is a product of the era of mass production where the uniformity of most of these terraces remain all virtually intact. Such detailing proved an expedient and economic solution to the high demand for good quality housing for a large middle class population in Limerick’s architectural history. Please see Map 8E Appendix I for detail.
The development policy objective of the Development Plan with regard to the Ballinacurra
Road ACA is:
Policy BHA.22 ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road
It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage values, unique characteristics and distinctive features of ACA 3 (Ballinacurra Road) as shown on Map 5.3 of the Development Plan, from inappropriate development affecting the external materials and features defined in the ‘Statement of Character’ and ‘Key Threats to Character’.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is an inventory process undertaken
by the then Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to identify
and record the architectural and built heritage of Ireland, on a county by county survey
basis. The intent of the NIAH is to advice the relevant Minister of the buildings and features
that may be recommended for inclusion in the RPS, if they are not so already. NIAH entries
do not enjoy the more direct protection afforded to Protected Structures.
A search of the online database of the Building Survey of the National Inventory of
Architectural Heritage for an area within 500m of the proposed development site at Punch’s
Cross found 23 buildings or features of architectural interest. The inventory includes all eight
of the Protected Structures in Table A above; the remainder are individual houses in the
O’Connell Avenue and South Circular Road & New Street ACAs (see Figure 14 for a
distribution of the NIAH entries).
There are no historic gardens or landscape features on the Punch’s Cross site entered in the
Figure 29: Ballinacurra Road, looking south from junction with Childer’s Road.
Figure 30: View from north end of Ballinacurra Road ACA towards junction with Childer’s Road, with Punch’s Cross in the distance. The proposed site location is arrowed.