Awaiting decisionInfrastructure

IN THE WEATHERLOCK FIELD, WITHIN THE CURTILAGE OF THE BIRR CASTLE DEMESNE, BIRR

Amendments to a previously approved radio telescope development and barn renovation at Birr Castle Demesne.

16210 · Offaly County Council · Lodged 27 June 2016

Reference: 16210
Authority: Offaly County Council
Register status: Invalid or incomplete
Type: PERMISSION
Received: 27 June 2016

Summary

AI-generated

The project involves amendments to a previously granted permission for a Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope. It includes the renovation and extension of Mount Palmer Barn, change of use of parts of the barn, upgrading of roads, and retention of a telescope control room within a protected demesne area.

Infrastructuretelescopeheritagescientific

Generated from the description above by an AI model and may contain mistakes. The council’s description is the authoritative record.

Official record

Development description

Amendments to previously granted permission (ref. No: br/13007 granted 10/09/2013). The development consists of the construction of a low frequency array (lofar) radio telescope comprising two low-lying 74m diameter circular landscape array installations with 2.9m high 15m2 control unit; the renovation and extension of the mount palmer barn (138m2) to include a 27m2 timber-glazed single-storey lean to loggia extension on the southeast elevation and the change of use of 114m2 of the barn to telescope interpretation facility use; septic tank installation site landscaping and sundry other works. The development for retention consisting of the change of use of the existing 24m2 room at the north end of the barn to telescope control room use. Additional amendments include the upgrading of the old graveyard road to access a new borrow pit to the east of the site within the demense protected area, upgrading of drainage surrounding the weatherlock field, construction of assembly areas to the north of the array, additional access pathways, construction of a berm and drainage channel surrounding the low frequency array approximately 1.2m above the existing ground level, raising the finished level of the highbeam array to a maximum of 42.5od, construction of manholes and additional drainage, installation of power and fibre cabling

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Recent sales nearby

within 500 m

Residential Property Price Register sales within 500 metres of this site
Address	Date	Price	Distance
26 High St, Birr, Offaly	May 2025	€95,000	419 m
14 Castle Court, Birrprice excludes VAT	Jan 2010	€110,132	434 m
23 High St, Birr, Offaly	Jan 2025	€145,000	443 m
11 Castle Court, Birrprice excludes VAT	Jan 2010	€110,132	449 m
12 Castle Court, Birrprice excludes VAT	Jan 2010	€110,132	452 m
4 Castle Court, Birrprice excludes VAT	Jan 2010	€154,185	453 m
Property B, Castle St, Birr	Aug 2025	€109,650	459 m
Property A, Castle Street, Birr	Aug 2025	€100,000	459 m

Nearby properties, not this site — a guide to local values.

Sources: Building Control Management System (commencement notices) and the Residential Property Price Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Records are matched to this application by location and may not be exhaustive; always confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Key dates

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Application received27 June 2016

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