A planning application has been lodged with Laois County Council which would see the redevelopment of a former employment hub in the centre of the county.
Omaonlaoi De Faoite Limited are seeking to begin the project at the former Stonearch Factory at Tullyroe on the Ballacolla Road in Abbeyleix.
Once a chemicals operation, Stonearch ceased trading in 2001 with the loss of 44 jobs.
The firm, which exported vitamin products, was been based in Abbeyleix since 1972 and when it closed was the town’s largest employer.
The newly proposed project would see a change of use from the current office block into to “self-catering guest accommodation / short term let accommodation.”
The development would include four two-bedroom units along with eight carparking spaces and the demolition of existing industrial structures.
The application also seeks to build an extension to the side to accommodate a new stairwell and a total renovation of the existing building.
A decision is expected in early December.
In Ballacolla, meanwhile, the Aghaboe Abbey Preservation Committee have also made an application to Laois County Council.
The Committee are hoping to erect a site-history information sign and a new pedestrian entrance from the in car park.
Aghaboe Abbey is a protected structure, which could cause complications and delays with the application.
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