Allens, Lahesrough North, Ballybunion.

NIAH 21300506 RPS 5-6

I make this application on behalf of the owner Mrs Maureen Higgins and request the removal of RPS 5-6 Allens,Lahesrough North. from the Kerry County Councils record of protected structures .

Described as :

Detached three-bay single-storey house, built c. 1860, on an L-shaped plan with single-bay single-storey return to west. Extended
to south, built c. 1910, comprising three-bay two-storey block at right angles about a courtyard with raised quoins.

Background History

The house and surrounding land has been owned by the Allen family since the 19th Century.

The earliest family member noted is Denis Allen, he passed it on to his son Thomas around the late 1890’s. who occupied the house with his wife Mary and eleven children.

Mary Died in the 1920’s and Thomas died in the 1940’s. The property passed to his son Thomas who lived there with his sister Deborah.

Deborah (Dora) died in 1987. Thomas was crippled as a child with polio, he carried on living there running a shop from the two-storey building until he was no longer able to do so due to poor health.

Thomas died in 1997.

Thomas Allen bequeathed the property to his nephew Thomas Higgins who stayed there only two or three times before he died in 2003.

The property then passed to Thomas Higgins’s wife Maureen Higgins who is now in her late 80’s and lives in London.

The property has not been regularly occupied since Thomas Allen’s death in 1997 and because of this it has not been possible to get to get insurance cover on the house or surrounding buildings

The Property listing

It seems that the property was first listed as a Protected structure in the Kerry County Development Plan 2003 – 2009 becoming policy on 09.12. 2003.

However, the survey data registration no. 21300506 has a date recorded as 25.10.2005 two years later.

There is no evidence to show that formal notification was served on the owner as is required under clause 2.6.4 of the Architectural Heritage Protection guidelines for planning authorities . In any event if the formal notification could not be served There is a requirement that a notice be affixed in a conspicuous place adjacent to the property. Locally, family and neighbours who lived nearby then have been asked and nobody can recall a notice having been affixed on or near the property.

The property has been listed on the grounds of it being of “Artistic Interest “.

Paragraph 2.5.11 of the Architectural Heritage Protection guidelines for planning authorities is clear as to what constitutes artistic interest, See below, none of it relates to this property or the building found within its curtilage.

CHAPTER 2 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Record of Protected Structures
Artistic interest
2.5.11 Special artistic interest may be attributed to a
structure itself, or to a part of a structure, for its
craftsmanship, design or decoration. Examples could
include:
a) examples of good craftsmanship;
b) decoratively carved statuary or sculpture that is
part of an architectural composition;
c) decoratively-carved timber or ceramic-tiled
shopfronts;
d) ornate plasterwork ceilings;
e) decorative wrought-iron gates;
f ) religious art in a place of public worship such as
the Stations of the Cross or stained-glass
windows;
g) fixtures and fittings such as carved fireplaces,
staircases or light-fittings;
h) funerary monuments within a graveyard;
i) the relationship of materials to each other and
to the totality of the building in which they are
situated, if these have been designed as an
ensemble.
2.5.12 For an artistic work to be given protection under
the Act, its degree of annexation to the structure
should be taken into account. If the work of art is
effectively fixed to the structure, it can be
considered a part of the structure and therefore
protected.

Alterations and additions to the Property

In or about 1930 a single storey store room was added to the rear to form a extra room, this involved internal alteration to facilitate access.

Circa 1944 the western section of the single storey house caught fire. (see image attached) The thatched roof was substantially burnt resulting in re-thatching. The internal walls and ceilings were damaged and the ceilings replaced in tongue and grooved varnished timber boarding. The window in the front was damaged beyond repair. The external walls were roughcast rendered.

In 1953 the original fireplace, crane, surround and chimney were removed resulting in substantial changes to this area to facilitate the installation of a solid fuel burning Range.

In 1991 substantial works of internal alteration were carried out by Kerry County Council to install fixtures, fittings and a bathroom extension to assist Thomas Allen who by then was severely disabled having had one leg amputated.

In 2002/2003 Dry rot had substantially affected the two-storey building which required the removal of partitions, floors and the shop counter, The first floor subsequently collapsed because of this.

The windows to the single storey house had deteriorated substantially (see image attached) and were replaced in u-PVC.

In the storms of 2014, the roof to the barn was blown away and the remaining structure collapsed. The walls to the lean to shed adjacent to the barn partially collapsed as the roof caved in.

As insurance cover was not available a claim could not be made, the structure was made safe by concerned neighbours.

The only remaining windows are in the two-storey section which, though not specifically listed comes within the curtilage of the main house. They are beyond repair. Less that 20% of there structure is any way sound, glazing bars and glazing is broken, slates are missing from the roof, structural movement has taken place to the south end of the building and the parapets and stacks are in need of urgent and extensive repair.

Vandalism has occurred to the door of the shop and the outhouses.

Present ownership

The present owner is Maureen Higgins who lives in London.

She is a lady in her late 80’s and is partially disabled. As a consequence of this she is not able to travel and has not visited Ireland since her husband died.

She lives on a pension and has no money to fund repairs or maintenance of the property.

Any emergency works of repair or to maintain security are usually attended to by family members or neighbours who live locally to the property.

Conclusion

It is contended that the removing this building from Kerry county Councils Record of Protected Structures is entirely appropriate.

It is Mrs Higgins intention to transfer ownership to her grandson who intends to carry out extensive refurbishment once the outstanding matter of the protected structure listing has been dealt with .

It is noted under paragraph 5.8 of the Draft Kerry County development plan 2022-2028 Owners would be encouraged to carry out the following and this would be his intention:

The structure to be restored/renovated shall constitute an identifiable dwelling, with the walls and roof being intact.
In the case of refurbishment and extension proposals, the scale and architectural treatment of proposed works shall be sympathetic to the character of the original structure and the surrounding area including adjoining or nearby development.

Draft Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 - Submissions

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